International Scale Modeller

Jan01 wrote:Looking awesome Mark

Thank you

Fantastic stuff, looks fab!

PaulAyrey wrote:Fantastic stuff, looks fab!

Thank you very much

hi guys
so update time
it took some time since the last update because i have been working on the figures for this and 2 other builds
and with a total of about 30 figures the pace is not that fast
but the figures for this build have taken up most of the time due to the camouflage outfits
this is something i don't do that much and german camo scheme's can be pretty intence

so i will show the paints , the way i painted the skin and ofcourse the different camo's that i have used for the figures in this build
i think it is best if i break it up in sections so that each step gets explained

so lets start with the skin tones and i will go from there
all the paints are vallejo modelair except the mr metal chrome silver that was used for the belt buckles
skin paints :
white
sunny skin tone
salmon rose
english uniform
flat brown
vermilion
black
dark prussian blue
german camo beige

all the figures where primed using vallejo black primer (don't need masking so no worries)


step 1

i dry brushed the face and if needed the hands and arms with white
the eyeballs where painted white aswell

step 2

i used the dark prussian blue to fill in the eyes and a small dot of black to get the pupil
then i mixed salmon rose and the sunny skin tone in a 1:1 ratio as a skintone
this will be the basecolor as this is mixed in some of the other colors that will be used aswell

step 3

i then applied a wash made from english uniform , flat brown , vermilion and the basecolor
this was mixed in a 2:2:1:5 ratio and after that was mixed i added about 40-50 % glaze medium
this acts as a retarder and thinner to make it into a kind of wash
this was then applied over the entire face giving it a kind of brown tone

step 4

i then made the highlight color
this is made by mixing the basecolor and white in a 3:1 ratio
this was then applied on all the higher spots of the face like the ridge of the nose and the cheeks
i did overdo it a bit though

step 5

so a bit of the wash from step 3 was used again to get the darker area's back

step 6

the vermilion and black where mixed to get a shadow color
this was done in a 3:7 ratio and it was applied between the lips

step 7

then the lip color was made by mixing flat brown , vermilion and the base color in a 3:1:6 ratio
this also corrects the shadow from the previous step

step 8

some final touch ups where made and then the skin was done

step 9

i then used english uniform to make a basecolor for the hair

step 10

then the hair was drybrushed in various thicknesses to get color variation between the figures
and now the heads are finished


i do want to point out that the figure here is a 1:16 verlinden tank commander wich i will use in my big tiger build
but because my camera (phone) looses focus when zooming i have chosen to use these pictures as they are of better quality
altough the 1:35 scale figures had the same treatment as the bigger ones did ,so no difference there

and now for the uniforms
i will start with the regular green wehrmacht uniform as this color was also used on the ss figures

paints
extra dark green
field grey
german uniform
black
leather brown
mr metal chrome silver

step 1

the dark green and field grey where mixed in a 2:1 ratio to make up the base color
i use this mix as i find the german uniform color from vallejo too bright

step 2

the german uniform color was used though
i use it as the highlight color for the uniforms and i dry brush it on the figures
it is hard to see but the sleaves show the results the best

step 3

all the boots where painted with leather brown as the base color

step 4
i then applied the black paint wich is whiped down right after it is on the surface
this way only a small amount will stick on there ,showing the brown underneath
this gives a worn look to the shoes and boots
the downside is that you can only do 1 boot at a time or the paint will have too much time to adhere and won't be able to rub down
and it ofcourse takes up a lot of time


a comparison of a brown boot and the whiped black

step 5

then the boot covers where painted
i used field grey for the cover itself
the straps where painted with leather brown

step 6

then the belt and gear belts (don't know the correct name) where painted black
and altough not in this picture the belt buckles where painted with the mr metal chrome silver

and that completes the uniform of the wehrmacht figures
this was also done on the ss figures where needed

plane tree pattern no. 5

paints
german camouflage pale brown
flat brown
military green
sunny skin tone
ss camouflage bright green
black

color mixes
base: german camo pale brown and flat brown in a 9:1 ratio
medium green : military green
light green : sunny skin tone , ss camo bright green and military green in a 2:3:1 ratio
dark green : military green and black in a 2:1 ratio

side note :
if you look at most of the WWII german camo scheme's they look fairly busy but you van break them down into steps
during the build up of these scheme's it can look like a ocean with the base color as the water and the camo colors as islands and land masses
this is also the way it is explained in the book : modelling Waffen SS figures by Calvin Tan (Osprey)
this is the book i use for reference and in my opinion is a good book with a lot of pictures of the way he builds up his figures
but unlike me and most of the modellers out there ,he is a master builder who has won prizes ,been published and makes master figures for modelling manufacturers
but i will use some of the terms he used in the book to make it all a bit easier to understand (like i know what i'm doing )

step 1

the base color was applied on the camo smock

step 2

patches of the medium green where applied
these are the islands (smaller dots) and the land masses (big patches)

step 3

most of the islands where filled in with the light green mix but not all some must remain medium green
the land masses however are all filled with the light green

step 4

pathes of dark green are added
these should have a very random shape without any straight lines but the best way is to make them look like a string of dots
this color needs no small dots scattered around
i did add a number of small dots of medium green filled with the light green as i thought i didn't have enough of those and there was too much of the brown base visible
but after this step it is done for the time being
this is also one of the most common camo scheme's used by the SS
and is pretty similar to the oak leaf (spring) pattern but this is more elaborate


Oak leaf pattern Autumn

paints needed :
german camouflage beige
english uniform
german camouflage black brown
flat brown
orange brown
german camouflage pale brown
german camouflage orange ocre

paints mixes
base : german camo beige , english uniform and german camo black brown in a 6:1:1 ratio
medium brown a : german camo black brown , flat brown and orange brown in a 1:3:2 ratio
medium brown b : german camo pale brown and german camo black brown in a 3:1 ratio
dark brown : german camo black brown
ocre yellow : german camo orange ocre and orange brown in a 6:1 ratio

step 1

the base color was applied
and the first of the camo colors was applied aswell
the color is the dark brown
this will serve as the base for the ocre patches of the next step

step 2

the dark brown patches where filled in with the ocre
this is done to the smaller brown dots aswell

step 3

barely visible but there where dots of the 2 medium browns added to the borders of the dark brown
there are some dots of these colors aswell and these where filled in with the base color but in the same way as the ocre was applied to the dark brown

and that completes this scheme , it is not very hard to do and looks a whole lot different from all the other schemes of the time
it was used during the autumn season but at the end of the war soldiers used any kind of camo they could get so it happened that the allied forces came across solier wearing this camo in winter and spring
because it was used on thicker clothing that was used in the colder months it was a very uncommon sight in the summer


pea/dot pattern

paints
us field drab
english uniform
german camo black brown
reflective green
sunny skin tone
ss camouflage bright green
military green
black
yellow ocre

according to the book you would also need to make the mix for the ocre/sand
this is made up from sunny skin tone , salmon rose and english uniform these are mixed in a 3:4:1 ratio
but after mixing it i found that it looks nowhere near the color in the book
so i picked yellow ocre to replace this mix
wich looks a lot better in my opinion

paint mixes
base color : us field drab , english uniform and german camo black brown in a 5:1:1 ratio
medium green : reflective green
light green : sunny skin tone , ss camo bright green and military green in a 3:5:1 ratio
dark green : military green and black in a 2:1 ratio
sand: in this case yellow ocre

step 1

the base color is applied

step 2

the dark green patches are applied
there are only larger patches and no dots in this color

step 3

the ocre/sand patches are applied
they are mostly placed between 2 or 3 dark green patches

step 4

the ocre dots are applied
the are only placed on the areas with the base color

a bit closer up to show the placement of the dots
not all the room on the basecolor should be filled with the dots but some space should be reserved for the green dots later on

step 5

the ocre patches where given dots in the basecolor

step 6

the dark green patches received dots of the base color and the light green
the medium green is used on the basecolor where there is space left inbetween the ocre dots

and that concludes this scheme
this is used by SS tank crews for the most part
there are other units that received it though
as you can see this is by far the most elaborate and intence scheme that was used during the war
it has taken a lot of time to get it done but all in all i'm happy with how all the uniforms turned out

the medic

this is a more simple figure
his pants are p[ainted just like the wehrmacht figures
the great coat is painted with english uniform and later dry brushed with us olive drab
the helmet is painted in german grey
this was dotted with a bit of maskol and then painted white along with the armband
and then the maskol was rubbed off

i still have to paint all the gear and do some details but the hardest part is done
so here are the painted figures





i hope you find these painting how to thingies useful and thanks for dropping by
so let me know what you think and untill next time
cheers Mark

Oh wow!!
Ok those are really good bud.
That's really going to make a difference on the finish.

Great camo on Panther and very good work with figures Mark

Coen wrote:
Oh wow!!
Ok those are really good bud.
That's really going to make a difference on the finish.

Thanks
I am pretty happy with the result
I had planned one more figure , a paratrooper but decided he would not add anything but a lot of work
And make the dio even more crowded so he was trown back in yhe figure box for now
Cheers Mark

AchtungPanzer wrote: Great camo on Panther and very good work with figures Mark

Thanks mate
I'm glad you like them

Wow! The camo on those figures is crazy! You must be using a strong magnifying glass for that?

i see what you mean about being time consuming , but well worth it great job

UKguyInUSA wrote:Wow! The camo on those figures is crazy! You must be using a strong magnifying glass for that?

Thank you
And i don't use any magnifying glass or the "geek goggles"
I do have a small magnifying glass but i only use that for photo etch work
My eyes are pretty good (i think as i don't need glasses) so i don't use help while painting

martin57 wrote: i see what you mean about being time consuming , but well worth it great job

Thanks Martin
Yeah they took some time
The tank crew figures take up most of the time with all those dots
But the 1:35 are pretty fast comparred to the 120mm/1:16 crew i painted for the big tiger that i'm building in the buddy build
they have an estimated 350 to 400 dots on a full figure wich in hindsight is kind of outragous
but i'm glad you like them so far
As for now i am gathering and adding the equipment so thw figures can be finished
cheers Mark

Really good work Mark, loving your progress. It should look great all pulled together.

PaulAyrey wrote:Really good work Mark, loving your progress. It should look great all pulled together.

Thanks Paul
Glad you like them

Masterfully painted That camo is freakin awesome

felisbarcinonensis wrote:Masterfully painted That camo is freakin awesome

Thabk you Felis
But i'm not that good of a figure painter
I am happy with them but they could have been better
Now Rob who is on ISM aswell , he is an awesome figure painter
But it is all a mather of skill and talent and i don't paint figures that much so i need more practice

Note to self
When scratch building a house keep in mind your display cabinet has 38 cm high shelves not 50 cm

This proves that messuring is important as i had to cut a complete floor out of my building
Ooh well
The update should be posted this evening

hi guys
so this will be the first update for the diorama building
i was getting a bit tired of the figure , altough they are near completion
so i will finish them when i'm about to put them on the diorama

as for now
i started the diorama a few days ago
as a guideline i use the book : let's build a diorama
this is a very good book to own as it covers all the steps to make a urban diorama
there are 2 more parts in the series but they are for vegetation and stone buildings/objects
so they won't be used for this

so what do you need :
pencil
knife ( i used a x-cto blade)
construction paper (very thick paper)
sheet material in this case i used dense foam plates similar to roof insulation plates but thinner then the stuff from the diy store
a metal ruler
a straight edge ( i think it is called )
your basic idea (most important)
a sort of scribing tool but not the same kind you would use for rescribing panel lines

so let's get started

as i needed the messurement of things like doors and windows , i started with that
these doors are from various miniart kits but can be found in the house and street accesories kits wich are basicly the same sprues that come with their house kits
i decided i would glue 2 doors together for the main entrance of my appartment building


i started the construction with the foam base and a smaller base for the building
the big sheet is 12mm thick but that serves no real purpose
the smaller sheet is 5mm thick ,this will be the same as the sidewalk so later on everything will be level


after i made the doors and a window ,i started the drawing process
because the foam gets marks in it when i draw on it directly i used the construction paper
so all the main features are included
keep in mind that things like window sills have to be included but i will make these from pices of foam later

A WORD OF CAUTION
as you can see in my previous "note to self" post i didn't messure my display cabinet
well i did for the base but not the height

as you can see here i planed on a 4 story building
but this was about the same height as the room between my shelves
and that is without the wooden base and the foam layer for the road ,so some cutting was needed
but in this picture you can see some of the tools and the paper build plan
this is used to mark the cutting lines fot the openings
the straight edge was used as a guide during the cutting
also make sure that you don't cut the foam in 1 go but do this in 5 or 6 cuts
otherwise the blade could bend and you won't have a straight cut


so here are the basic parts for the building
the front was going to be 1 big piece but i had to remove the second floor


i then started to carve/scribe the bricks
according to my book a brick should messure about 7x2x3mm (lenghtxheightxwidth)
but i did most lines free hand so they are not all the right size


this shows how i build up the brick work
i start with the horizontal lines and the vertical lines will be scribed in after this


i then returned to the street to make the holes for the sewer lid and the drain


then the street received it's lines


and then i have a basic cobble stone outline


i then used thinner (diy store) to get a worn look
this is acheived because the thinner will disolve some of the foam
and ofcourse i had a few spots where i had too much thinner on the brush for the second time
but all is not lost as the building is a part destroyed on there will be rubble and dust so that can be used to cover up these boo boo's


this is how it should look


next was some detailing of the building
i added a big strip to the front
this was scribed to make it look like large stone blocks that would be used for decoration on the building
the same goes for the narrow strips that where place at the bottom of every floor

and now some sneak peaks


the street light comes from a plusmodel kit (streetlight set #1 or #2)
the drain and sewercap are from mini art's street assesories kit

a corner view
the building is not yet flush to the ground as there is tpe underneath the walls to keep them together


a look as how big the panther would lok in front of the building
it is on the same place it will go when all is finished

i will show how i made the sidewalks next time as it is still in parts and not yet glued
before i forget the glue i use for this is a 2 part epoxy glue
normal modelling glues will eat through the foam so are of no use now

and that is about all for now
i hope you guys like my first try at scratch building a complete diorama so far
but ofcourse all questions and comments are welcome
thanks for watching and untill next time
cheers Mark

Wow ! Will be a super Dio. Panther look great - top level of model making Man .

AchtungPanzer wrote:Wow ! Will be a super Dio. Panther look great - top level of model making Man .

Thank you
I hope to get back to.the build today and do the last additions to the front of the building
And then the parts where the walls are damaged
Cheers Mark

Wow, that's amazing stuff Mark

PaulAyrey wrote:Wow, that's amazing stuff Mark

Thanks Paul
Glad you like it so far

You're ambitious! A scratch built house! it's looking awesome! Thanks for the tips

felisbarcinonensis wrote:You're ambitious! A scratch built house! it's looking awesome! Thanks for the tips

Thank you
Glad you like it so far but there is still enough to do

hi guys
so after i have been showing some process on fb here is the new update
the basic building stage is done at this point and painting is started

but i think i will start with this

this is the "tool" i used for the enscribing of the walls
all you need is a pin vise and a toothpick

but now let's go to the build

the windowsills are made from the same styrofoam as the building
the only change is that i sanded down the edges to make the front round


these are the side walks
i planned to have a real life size of 35x35cm so this means a 1x1cm scale tile
whren doing this you should keep in mind that you need a grove inbetween the tiles
with the tool i used it was about 1 mm so with a 3 tile wide sidewalk i needed a 32mm wide strip of foam
i then scribed in the squares and cut the parts to size


the curbstones where made from 5mm wide strips of foam
the edges where sanded down and then i scribed in lines every 3 cm the corner piece is made from a square where i cut out a smaller square and the made it fit the rest of the side walk


then it was time for the broken walls
i started with the scribed pieces and simply cut off the edge along the lines of the bricks


for the broken walls i used the bricks from plusmodel
i think they have several colors but i only have this basic red kind
some of the bricks where snapped in half to make the 3 layers of the wall where different from each other
then i glued on the bricks using 2 part epoxy glue
there are several kinds but i used the slower drying kind this is available in larger tubes but is also cheaper then the needle nodes kind wich blocks after every use anyway


the same glue was used to glue the pointy end of a toothpick into the lamp post


the window sills and the final layers of bricks where glued on


the 2 part epoxy glue was also used for the sidewalks and curbs


i used house hold filler to make a stucko effect on the inside walls
this looks a bit over done so it was sanded down a bit


i then made this setup wich i also showed on fb
this is basicly the final setup for the dio


then i made some molds for the piles of debris
this is a long sheet of regular aluminium foil wich was crumpled up and folded out again



using scrap pieces of styrofoam as a start
the foil was pushed around the foam to make these molds


i then filled the molds with plaster to make these blocks
they will serve as a base for the lies of debris
this is done so i don't need huge amounts of wood and bricks to make the piles but only a rather thin layer to cover these blocks


then the entire thing was put together and primed with black primer

and that is about all for now
i hope you like it and untill next time
cheers Mark

Outstanding work, i love all the brick detail on the house great attention to detail

HamilkarBarkas wrote:Outstanding work, i love all the brick detail on the house great attention to detail

Thank you very much

Hamilkar is right. Well done Mark !

AchtungPanzer wrote:Hamilkar is right. Well done Mark !

Thank you

Great work Mark!! It's looking really good. Those bricks there give added realism

felisbarcinonensis wrote:Great work Mark!! It's looking really good. Those bricks there give added realism

Thank you very much
The paintwork is almost done and then i will need a few coats of varnish before i can start with washes so a update should be up soon
Cheers Mark

Utterly brilliant!

Thanks Paul
Glad you like it

hi guys
so with the deadline fast aproching i need to make pace and complete this build
but i am happy to say that the basic painting is done
that is why i have a new update

so let's go to the build

once the primer had dried i started with the color for the mortat in between the bricks
i used vallejo model air pale blue grey for this
it doesn't need to be very neat just cover the whole thing


then the base color for the bricks was applied ,the paint was dry brushed on the building
the color is vallejo model color mahogany brown wich in my opinion is a nice redish brown that is good for a brick color


then i used vallejo model color beige brown to randomly repaint some bricks
so in the end i will have a bit of color variation


this was repeated but this time with modelcolor English uniform


and finally i used vallejo modelcolor orange brown
when you use this color it looks very harsh comparred to the other colors but once you have used washes and pigments it should be blended a bit better for a nice end result


after the brick work was dry the concrete parts where painted with vallejo modelcolor stone grey
this will serve as a base color
the doors where painted with a 4:1 mix of English uniform and white ,this is also a base coat


then the concrete was dry brushed using vallejo modelcolor medium sea grey
this already gives a tonal variation but it will be finished with pigments later


as i was unable to choose a color for the interior i used white but in the end my focus will be on the exterior and the street so i didn't want to waste too much time on this part
i will be making some floor parts that will be hanging on the walls just to give the inside some intrest though but i will show that in the next update
as i didn't make them yet


the street and side walk where dry brushed using the medium sea grey
i don't plan on much color difference between the 2


i then lightly drybrushed some white (vallejo modelcolor) on the stones
most of the times white is a very strong color in modelling but for tasks like this it is an ideal highlight color


then i finished the doors
they where drybrushed with modelcolor smoke
i think this is a glaze paint but i'm not really sure ,if you are at your lhs it will be on the bottom left in the display showing as a semi transparent color
but i brushed the paint down every panel where i think it is a seperate wooden part
this was you create the look of a stained wooden door
and to be honest i think it came out better then expected (i can't always be my own worst critic )
the door handles where painted with vallejo liquid gold in the shade old gold wich looks like a polished brass so it can be used on things like ammo casings aswell


and here is the painted dio
the windows where painted with vallejo modelcolor dark green as i found a large number of photo's of that time where the windows where painted green so it must have been a common sight at the time
after this the entire dio was covered with vallejo satin varnish
this was repeated 2 times to get a decent layer of varnish
this is needed because the foam has a very course surface wich will absorb all the wash very easy but it will do it on places i don't want wash too
so to make life easier later on this coat of varnish was applied

and that is where the build stands for now
i hope to get a new update soon and then i will have the debris done and hopefully the weathering
but my goal is to finish it by the next update as i don't think it will take up that much time to get it done
and besides that i have the D-Day build to finish aswell and that is falling behind with the limited time that is left
but everything should work out fine ,i hope

so thanks for stopping by and having a look
see you next time
cheers Mark

Looks awesome Mark!!! Can't wait to see the next update!!!!

felisbarcinonensis wrote:Looks awesome Mark!!! Can't wait to see the next update!!!!

Thank you very much
I don't know when that update is coming though
I have to work the entire upcoming week but i will manage to get some benchtime before and after work as i do want to finish this in time
But i think i will have it done in time
Thanks for stopping by
Cheers Mark

hi guys
so as some of you may have seen on ISM's facebook page ,i finished the base for this build
i still have to finish the figures (guns and a bit of weathering) and the Panther needs a little brick dust on the tracks
but then this build is complete

some one made the observation that i have a lot of bricks on the dio , and i think he has a point
but because i made plaster blocks as a base for the rubble wich had to be covered it looks a bit much
and this is the first time i made such a diorama so i can call it a lack of experiance
i think it is pretty hard to get such a setting right and completely in balance but as for now i am happy with the results of my work

so let's go to the build(ing)


as the basic building was finished last time i decided i could do a little bit of detail on the inside
so i used 5mm balsa wood wich was cut in 5x8mm beams
the thin strips are cut from 1mm thick balsa and are 80mm long to resemble the 210cm long floor boards


to get a sort of laquered look i used dark wash to paint these woden parts
the way i did this is to apply a god amount on the wood and after each stroke of the brush i whiped the excess off with a piece of toilet paper
this way the wash can't completely soak through the wood and leaves a thin coat wich is still showing the wood grain


the "beams"where snapped in two and glued on to the building walls using 2 part epoxy glue
after 2 hours (drying time) the floor boards where glued on using carpenters (wood) glue and again some where snapped before installing


i hope you can see it but i cut up a pice of clear styrene sheet to make glass shreds
these are glued into the corners of the windows


to make some mortar for the bricks i mixed up regular house hold filler and some medium sea grey paint by vallejo
this gives a thick paint wich holds some texture once dry
this was applied with an old brush to make an irregular coat
it was a test/new idea but i think it works


another test fit
i decided i didn't have enough bricks in my modelling storage so i used some old rubble blocks by Helmuts strongholds to fill up the scene


the large plaster castings where painted with the same mahogany brown as the walls


more of the added debris blocks


most of the bricks where scattered around


then a very heavy application of brick dust and rubble dust pigments by mig productions


the walls also received a brushing with the brick dust pigments
and the window sills with concrete pigments by mig


some bricks that will be on the street
the pigments are very easy to see
they are not fixed on there so NO SNEEZING around this dio or you get dusty


the part of the dio where most of the figures will go


the rubble on the inside


the side of the buildingthe figures will have cover from this pile of rubble


just to see how the panther would look on there
it does not blend in what so ever but that was never my intension as tanks where for a battlefield and not for urban warfare

but that is all for now but a new update should be coming son as i already started on finishing the figures
and then i will finish this build
so thanks for watching and untill next time
cheers Mark

amazing job you have got a lot of talent, i like it a lot , and thanks for all those handy tips

A massive work!! Awesome man!

martin57 wrote:amazing job you have got a lot of talent, i like it a lot , and thanks for all those handy tips

Thanks Martin
And i think that all modellers should try scratchbuilding sometime
It is pretty fun and you can make what ever you want without having to change a kit to make it fit in a diorama

felisbarcinonensis wrote:A massive work!! Awesome man!

Thank you very much

Super . Thanks for sharing Mark.

AchtungPanzer wrote:Super . Thanks for sharing Mark.

Thank you very much

gobsmackingly good!

This makes me want to have a go at dioramas myself...first need to finish a model or two though!

lovely work mate, as has been said here by all - well done!

cib2265 wrote:gobsmackingly good!

This makes me want to have a go at dioramas myself...first need to finish a model or two though!

lovely work mate, as has been said here by all - well done!

Thank you very much Chris
Glad you like it
As for a diorama , just go for it as long as you have a picture in your head on what you want to make and start small
I over did it with the size on this build as it is just my second urban urban scene
But a rural scene with just a simple wall could be a way to gain experiance (should have done that myself )
Cheers Mark

hi guys
so as some of you may have seen on facebook this build is finished
wich means that this will be the final update

but all that was left where the figures and their weapons
so let's get going


this was a new way to paint the weapons for me but here is how i painted them
i gave the G43 a ocre base and then dry brushed on the vallejo smoke for the effect og a clear laquer and the wood grain
altough not in this photo the same was done with the Kar98K rifles but these received a basecoat of 4:1 English uniform and white
i do want to mention that i prepainted my weapons a long time ago and i think i can do better now so that is why the metal is already painted


a close up of the wood surface


all the guns in with the wood repainted


the metal was repainted using mr metal dark iron and then a light buffing highlighted the details


i then started on the gunslings
for this i use regular note paper and leadfoil
they can be made far more detailed or replaced with a high detail pe part but i just make a simple version
the paper is cut into thin strips and the lead is cut in the same manner
then i form a loop in the paper and fold a piece of the leadfoil around it


this is then glued onto the gun with the looped side on the front
i use thin ca glue


i then glue on the back of the sling after cutting the paper to the required lenght
then to make the sling stronger i apply some more ca glue onto the entire sling
once the glue is dry you can carefully shape the sling in every way you like


then i painted the slings using vallejo leather brown
the edges where painted with the same color but i mixed in a drop of white to make them brighter then the rest of the sling


i have 1 guy firing a panzerfaust so i thought that it could be the second he is holding
so i need a fired one aswell


i start by carefully cutting off the parts from the tube


the tube was then hollowed out on both ends


and the details where glued back on
the front part is the sight that needs to flipped up
the back is the trigger wich is squeezed down to fire so that needs to be placed with it's front down


i placed the guns on the figures and dusted the figures to tone down the camo
this was done with mig productions dry mud pigment


then it was time to place the little dudes on the diorama
i marked the places in advance with pieces of steel wire so it was easy to find their positions
the last thing i did was to give the panther some brick dust pigments on the tracks and a bit on the lower hull to blend it in the scene a bit more

and that was it ,i think it is done so it will go in the display cabinet

i think everyone should give this kind of scratch building a go ,it is really fun and it gives a custom result on your dio
and not like a house kit where you are ofter bound to the size and shape the manufacturer had designed
my only advice is to start small ,with something like a rural scene with a wall or a simple bridge just to gain experiance
i lack this experiance wich means that this has been quite the undertaking

i hope you guys found any of the info useful and maybe try to build some diorama's of your own
so i hope you like it and untill the next build
cheers Mark

Mark that is superb work buddy!! Right out of the park and into the parking lot!
I love every bit of that thing.
I can look at that all day so take lots of pics for the reveal.
Many thumbs up bud

Coen wrote:Mark that is superb work buddy!! Right out of the park and into the parking lot!
I love every bit of that thing.
I can look at that all day so take lots of pics for the reveal.
Many thumbs up bud

thank you very much Coen
i just posted the reveal
but glad that you like it
cheers Mark

To do this wonderful dio out of scratch built is amazaing! Congratulations!!

felisbarcinonensis wrote:To do this wonderful dio out of scratch built is amazaing! Congratulations!!

Thank you very much