Diorama advice please!

[Thantsants]

Some pics of the work in progress -

Got the base built and colour blocked in - going to texture the hill and paddy field banks with sand but probably leave the road as is. Give the ground a drybrush once that's done. Put some rows of static grass in the paddy fields followed by some Woodland scenics easy water (meltable). Any tips on whether I should tinit it brown for an authentic paddy field look or will the colour on the bottom be enough?













The villager minis are in approximate places - not stuck down yet. Did some research on the strange fellow with the basket on his head - a buddhist monk called a Komuso. They wore the basket hat as a symbol of negating the ego. As they had the privilege of travelling the country without hindrance it made a great disguise for Ronin to go under and evade their enemies - which gave me another idea that he might be meeting his geisha lover in disguise whilst the mounted samurai search for him? The peasants are just being unobservant and hence not abasing themselves as they should as the samurai pass!

Still waiting for the geisha to turn up in the post - bloody snow! She will be positioned on top of the hill beneath the cherry blossom trees with the mounted samurai at the back looking up at her...



Just need a pithy title that's not too hard to translate and paint on in Japanese! 

Got some blossom trees on order from Model Trees to go on the hill which will have patches of grass and some nice cherry tree leaves from Antenociti's workshop scattered on it too.

[OSHIROmodels]

It's looking very promising 

A few small comments that you can take or leave  I'd move the begging peasant away from the farmers and have him just behind the samurai neat their end of the diorama and the other village types I'd move them onto the bank of the paddy field they are next too, otherwise great stuff 

Tint the water, it always looks better for depth.

If you have a title or two in mind lets us know as I can get my wife to translate them for you and you can pick the best/easiest one.

cheers

James

[Thantsants]

Thanks for the comments James. 

I thought that begging peasant was a labourer putting his feet up and taking a drink but he might look good on the road. I'm assuming the other villagers you're referring to are the women and child on the road? Might well move them too..

As for a title - a section of a Japanese poem

With ever anxious heart
the blossoms are falling