Next, I tackled the lake surface, which proved to be quite challenging. According to model magazines, transparent resin is the standard for water surfaces, so I tried it, but it turned out to warp when applied thinly over a large area. A transparent wax called "water base" for diorama models also lacked transparency, so that was a no-go. In the end, I once again resorted to transparent plastic sheets. First, I painted the base board with varying shades of green (to represent a swamp), placed a thick transparent plastic sheet on top, and then used Liquitex "Gel Medium" to create waves. I then placed the cut lower half of a Diplodocus from the British Natural History Museum, meticulously sculpted waves around it, and painted the wave crests white. This produced a surprisingly good effect.

Then, I introduced plants to the bare, empty ground. In terms of Earth's history, this would be the Devonian period. I reshaped and painted each leaf of the many tropical palm fronds I bought to represent ferns covering the ground. For the slightly higher-quality palm tree model kit for dioramas (I believe it was a military model depicting the Southern Front of the Pacific War), I modified it slightly to resemble a cycad. I created Benettitales, an extinct group of gymnosperms, using epoxy putty, referencing an encyclopedia. As for the horsetails growing in the water—this is something I'm rather proud of—they are actually made from carved toothpicks. I think it was a good flash of inspiration, if I do say so myself. In any case, there were a lot of plants, so it took a long time.

The rocks scattered on the ground are real dinosaur bones. Nowadays, real dinosaur fossils, from teeth, claws, and vertebrae to skulls and sometimes even full skeletons, can be acquired by amateurs like me. But back then, only these bone fragments were available, and they were quite precious. I broke them up (with a silent prayer, perhaps?) and scattered them. As a result, they provided a nice accent, so I'm sure the dinosaur owner of these bones was able to rest in peace after 150 million years.
Next time, I'll talk about the main dinosaurs and the background painting, which I consider to be my greatest masterpiece ever...?