Adding water to your diorama doesn't mean literally adding water. It means adding some kind of a material that will harden clear and look like water. Although I have made a large diorama that has a real pool and working waterfall in it Check out that diorama here.

There are several materials you can use to make realistic water for your diorama and my favorite is a product from Woodland Scenics called Realistic Water.

Realistic Water, 16 fl oz

It is mess free, easy to pour and has no smell. I pretty much use just this for making diorama water.

Preparing the Diorama for Water

All of the work comes before you actually pour the realistic water into the diorama. You have to prepare your surface by making sure the water will be contained. If you are on the edge of the diorama you should build some kind of a wall around the edge.

The above pictures shows the poured water. It looks great; has a really nice blue look to it.

Here is the basic procedure for creating your own water effects.

1. Clean the water area with a soft brush and a vacuum.

2. Add any details you want to be underwater, this could be pebbles, small stones, even sunked objects

3. Seal the edges where water could leak out. I used Flex Paste but you could use glue or even caulk like carpenters use.

4. Seal the whole surface where the water will be poured. This isn't necessary but it will maximize your realistic water by preventing it from soaking into the plaster shell. I used a clear matte spray on sealant. The kind that miniature painters use.

5. Pour the realistic water only until it is 1/8" thick. Then let it dry overnight.

6. Pour as many 1/8" layers as you like - just allow it to dry between pourings.

-The Realistic water will harden to a nice clear look. Looks Awesone

Note: You can spread it around gently with a toothpick or a small piece of wood. Dont use a paintbrush, it may bring up some of the base paint or it may leave bristles in the water.

Here is a video showing the whole process:

Let's Continue on to the final lesson in this tutorial where I show you about the lights, wiring and sound effects