hi new here...
i was wondering what materials do u guys usually use for making buildings?

Anything that can hold up weight. It could be an illustration board, styrenes or plaster of paris. Plaster is the most commonly used one.

There's a useful article over on Digital Dioramas right now, on doing your own buildings from Plaster of Paris.

http://www.digitaldioramas.com/2004/issue8/dd_plaster.php

I see you are looking for some general help, please don't hesitate to ask questions - you wil get answers.
Armorama is a wealth of tallent skill and knowledge and can take a bit of time to find what you're looking for.
Let me offer a few places to find great information
Digital Diamonds
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=listarticles&secid=13
Check out the features too - like #2, 6, 28, 33 all found here.
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=listarticles&secid=9

I use foam board. Easy to cut. Takes paint and mediums and gels well. Easy to draw on for cut outs. Light weight. Cheap.

Sealhead (Kansas Sunflower)

Scott..thanks for making us remember Keith's articles.they are really great.I believe they all are must read for diorama builders.
I also agree on Armorama is a wealth of talent skill and knowledge.I find satisfying answers to my questions in a very short time maybe that is why I dont go to buy apples to another fruit market when I have my own market. :-)

Wow, thanks for posting that. I needed to know how to scratch a building or a street, so thanks for your time.

Ola Leopold

I would definately have a go at the Styrofoam. In the second link Scott (Slodder) provided I made link #6 Here I explain more or less step by step the built up for a dio/vignette wich consists for a big part of styrofoam

First of all welcome aboard Leopold. In regards to your question, another material you could use is either balsa wood or thin plywood.
Kyle

doesn't styrofoam have these bubble shapes and marks on the surface?

Sytrofoam May have bubbles and shapes in it - it depends on how dense it is. You can get some that is very dense from electronic shipping material. The foam from food packaging is very nice, if you want to go to a hobby/craft store route they have different densities.
(I mention all these to cover this thread and your other one on ground works)

You can deal with it in a number of ways. In Fausts, Distraction
https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/142
Page #3 shows it well
https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/142&page=3
you can see where he covers some of the wall with house hold putty/spackle to give it a plastered look. Some of the sytrofoam is good on the outside and can be painted directly. Be careful if you paint directly on it. Some is vary pourous and will require a great deal of paint if you do not seal it first. Seal it with a thick base coat or a very thin layer of spackle.

I have been looking for the "foam board" that doesnt have the cardboard glued on each side I have seen wonderful buildings made with this material but can't seem to find it anywhere. Does anyone here no where to locate it? cheers Kevin

Jackhammer- go to Lowes or Home Depot - in the insulation area you'll find the stuff. Different densities (R factors). You'll have to get a big sheet - but cut it up for multiple dioramas.

How about under the chicken and porkchops in your freezer? Seriously, foam meat trays are a great source of free, densely packed foam sheets. They are usually about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and are easly to cut and build with. Some have patterns or writing impressed into them, but if you cover with a bit of spackle (or work around them), they shouldn't be much problem. I discovered these things years ago making a school project with one of my daughters -- glued easily with white glue and took acrylic paint beautifully. We built a medieval castle and even impressed stomework patterns into it.

Balsa foam is a great one too

or how bout balsa wood?

Balsa wood will work for "framing" It's doesn't carve well for Concrete buildings

Hey Leopold. I have attempted the styrofoam houses from meat packaging trays.. and overall im not totally convinced. It will all depend on your mediums of painting. If you use only acrylics and water to distill it is perfect. use enamels and thinners... your work could go down the toilet. I like useing washes of oils and enamles and moved away from the method and now I build from cork, balsa wood, hardwood and plastic. Destroyed buildings, I cast from hobby spackel and engrave.
I was building a church with styrofoam, cardborad, balsa and lollipop sticks but its pretty much on hold. maybe sometime in the future. More pictures can be seen at this link . The big advantage of styrofoam is how easy it is to cut and shapeand can be scribed with a ballpoint pen. I used medium temperature hot glue for speed ad white glue for solid bonds. White glue and baking powder or ready made spackel and white glue to fill joints. Good luck. PM me if you have any other questions

WOW plasticbattle thats one fantastic church you have going there. Is that built with the foam sheets like you find at the home improvements stores? I cant wait to see more keep it up, and us posted. Cheers Kevin

plasticbattle, what a nice scratchbuilt building! Meat packaging trays? Hmmm... I guess I'll have to eat at McDonalds more often...

Seeing pictures like that make me want to drop all of my projects and head to the workbench and start building something.
With that in mind, how do you go about doing it?
Specifically, once you have your design or picture, of say a building or church ruin, how do you go about getting it in the correct scale?
Is it a matter of getting "blueprints for dummies" and then scaling down or more of eye-ing it in comparison to what figures/vehicles you're putting in it?

Corel Draw II Essentials is about $60. It can be learned in a day. It has great features without the expense, learning curve and whistles and bells we don't need. You can use it for patterns for home made P/E, too.
You can make a paper pattern and use ponce wheel (Micro Mark) to transfer it to foamboard or wood.

Sealhead (Kansas Sunflower)

Everything I build now is done in Balsa Foam, as Matt mentioned. It is far smoother than styrofoam, can be sanded, painted, and carves as easily. Very versatile, and a breeze to work with. We have really been selling a lot of this stuff on the website.

I;ve also just become a dealer for the HANSA SYSTEMS 1:35 kits. They are made of highly textured "lego-like" bricks, roof tiles, and windows. Very inexpensive, and wonderfully versatile. Details coming.

check out an article I wrote see if it helps any. I use foamboard or wood framing with Dhuhams Water Putty for making black. rock, brick. or stucco Builing Basics - hunter of Hunted







Hope it helps answer you questions ... write me if you need more details.

John
www.johnneill.net

how bout using polystyrene ceiling tiles or cardboard as a skeleton and cover it with plaster or putty?