Priorities (lots of pics)

This is good...nice layout, good base, good story...

Those Archer insignia look really good on the figs...the oil-dot method may be giving you trouble because it seems you might be leaving too much of the oils on the vehicle...there seems to be some dark brown/raw umber build-up in some areas...try pulling more of it off and vary the colrs to some light ones, like white and yellow, as well...

Thanks, Manny! Your observations are dead on. My first attempt was wayyyy too much blue (I saw Doog's post warning about using too much blue on dark gray right after I did it). So then I migrated over to a dark vermillion and a bright yellow, but like you pointed out I overdid it again, this time too much red.

One of the problems I'm having is getting the different colors more or less even on different surfaces. In person, you can see some areas where it looks like no weathering at all has been done, while others are so heavily weathered that the base color has changed. Neither, of course, was the goal. So there's some evening out, some excess removal, etc still to be done.

More work to do on the base too, but I haven't decided how to stain the wood yet. I painted the upper edge of the base black, still have no idea why I did that but I kinda like it. Something else I want to do: I want to remove some indivdual bricks from the edges, so that there's not a straight(ish) line.

Looking real good so far. Manny has a sharper eye than I when it comes to the dot method, and I think the Pz III build looks fabulous. Nice layout.

Way to go, Model Maniac... nice to se you looking in on others' posts and leaving comments. THAT's the way to play...

Looking forward to more progress on this.

Steve

I think this is well done.  Manny has a far keener eye than I do for those specific weathering critiques, but when it is pointed out I see what you guys are talking about.  I'll tell you, it does not 'jump off the page' when you first look at the build.

The only thing that seems out of place to me is the water barrel by the street light.  Why is it there?  It screams 'I'm here to fill empty space...'

jthurston wrote:

In person, you can see some areas where it looks like no weathering at all has been done, while others are so heavily weathered that the base color has changed. Neither, of course, was the goal. So there's some evening out, some excess removal, etc still to be done. More work to do on the base too, but I haven't decided how to stain the wood yet. I painted the upper edge of the base black, still have no idea why I did that but I kinda like it. Something else I want to do: I want to remove some indivdual bricks from the edges, so that there's not a straight(ish) line.

As far as staining the wood, try simple paste shoe polish w/ a rag, or paint it a color w/ craft paints that might match the scene...

Model Maniac - Thanks for your input! Great points. You have a good eye for these details. The sidewalk is indeed uneven. I considered putlling it up and laying down a layer of white glue or spackle or something underneath to even it out. Then again, I don't know how it was in Europe in the 1940s, but in my neighbrohood the sidewalks are pretty uneven anyway. Also, I was considering redoing the rope tiedowns on the crates. The way I have it right now just doesn't look all that secure. Not all crates will be tied down, though; for dramatic effect, one or two of the smaller ones will still be intentionally left out of the rope, and thus unsecured. The trick is to avoid making them look precarious, which would distract from the story being told.

Mic - Thanks! I'm hoping it will look that much better once I get the shading & weathering right.

bbrowniii - Thanks! Yeah, you're right about the water barrel. Now that you mention it, I can't remember ever seeing a water barrel next to a stop light. The idea was to tie in the dark wood colow with that of the crates ont he back of the tank, but it didn't work wuite right. Actually, the barrell was kind of an afterthought, and is not even glued in place - so it will be easy for it to go away.

Manny - Also if you look at the vertical superstructure wall next to the forward spare roadwheel, there's almost no additional color there, while six scale inches away it's almost red from too much oil. The strip directly under the side turret hatches is still much more gray than, say, the turret roof, which seems like it should be the other way around - high traffic area and all. So yeah, a more pronounced filter is definitely in order. Again, thanks!

It's something of an honor to have you guys offering your input. This is gonna be a pretty good build by the time it's done. Thanks guys!

~Jerry

That herringbone brickwork can be a challenge. Did you lay it yourself? Neat job.

I would recommend that you sift some dirt and brush the finest of it it into all the cracks and crevices on the ground, and hold it in place with dilute white glue and detergent. It makes a huge difference and is so simple to do.

Thanks Vespa! You mean fill in between the bricks? Looks like a good idea, and like you said it's pretty simple. BTW, the bricks are from Kancali: http://www.kancali.com/militarymodelinghome.html.

That's funny. I'm working on those exact figures. I'm using them with an early Pz IV though for the 1,000 Roadwheel GB. Where did you get the Archer insgnias?

Erik

jthurston wrote:

Thanks Vespa! You mean fill in between the bricks? Looks like a good idea, and like you said it's pretty simple. BTW, the bricks are from Kancali: http://www.kancali.com/militarymodelinghome.html.

Exactly, fill in the gaps between the bricks and also on the pavement between the flagstones, and along the kerb. Thanks for the link too.

Geist wrote:

Where did you get the Archer insgnias?

From Archer http://www.archertransfers.com/. I tried to paint something like the collar tabs myself, using a 5/0 brush, but it looked like two tankers had got in a lipstick fight. So I backed off of the idea of painting insignia myself, and ever since then I've been a fan of Archer. I usually, but not always, use the waterslide method for my transfers.

Hey J!

Good for you for at least trying the dot method! It takes guts to put that on your model, and you'll get the technique the more you work at it.

One thing I can tell you will cause you grief is if you place too much (read "too big of") dots on the model, you're bound for trouble. You have to be patient--but quick--and place a good multitude of different colored dots in a well-dispersed variety.Your dots should be really small--better too little than too much, honestly. You can always add more if you think that the effect is too weak.

Nice dio--the figures look good, and the scene is taking shape pretty well!

Jthurston, looking great so far! I have used the Kancali stuff alot in the past, and I do have some of that same section that you're using. Like Vespa said, I would fill in the gaps on the street and sidewalk, the Kancali stuff is great to use, but does need a little extra work. After I've glued the sections to the base, I sprinkle on some earth tone sanded tile grout (yes I know I keep harping on this stuff, but I just love using it so much! ) and then take a ruler and trowel it over the whole section, and off the edge of the base to remove the excess grout and then I mist with some water then hit it with the white glue/water mix, once dry, it's like concrete!

Oh everyone, I have another dio done and should have pics up hopefully soon, wow..imagine that, two dios done in a year...was like 3-4 before the missus came along... ahh, I still love you honey!

I like this one alot. I have only tried the dot method once, and i think it will take some getting used to but the results are worth it. I have been toying with the idea of Archer transfers, how are they to apply.

For my base surrounds i use wood stain followed by varnish.

Hey all,

Thanks so much for your input. Sorry if I don't reply individually but I'm short on time at the moment.

I worked quite a bit on this one over the weekend, and will follow up with a couple of in-process pics later today.

First thing I did was strip the dio back down to the groundwork. Using a nail file, I ground up some earth-tone pastels into the crevices between the bricks. I then re-painted each brick individually, as of course they shouldn't all look the same. So I now have some contrast there, and there's some dirt (or dirty grout) in the street.

I pulled up the sidewalk and added a thin layer of white glue underneath. The desired effect, which was only acheived partially, was to even out the sidewalk. It looked wavy before; still does, but not as bad. I still need to add the grout effect between the tiles on the sidewalk, and haven't yet decided on the best way to go, as I don't want it to look just like the street. Different traffic, different wear.

I removed the figures and the crates from the tank. With a Q-tip, I used water and dilute brush cleaner to remove some of the excess oil from the places where I'd overdone it with the dark dots. Like you guys pointed out I'd overapplied the oils by glopping on dots that were too big. The first application was too much blue, and the second was too much red.

I went back to a more traditional weathering method, applying a succession of MiG filters over the entire vehicle. This is something I would normally have done anyway, but as I was trying the oil method for the first time, I'd left this step out (should have done it before applying the oils). Applying these filters had the effect of evening out the weathering overall, and blending in the oils a little better. Some of the areas that needed attention were all of the roadwheels (inside the roadwheels) and most of the suspension parts, along the lower parts of the turret and the rear plate. Still left to add are subtle highlights (light drybrush) and very minor chipping along high-wear areas.

I eliminated half the crates and the fake-looking string, and just left a few of the crates unsecured on the engine deck. I also took some additional time to add some minor highlights etc to the figs' faces; With my eyes, I never noticed how bad they looked until I saw the pics - LOL...Anyway, I've noticed that I left off the piping on their hats and also their chest eagles, so I still have that left to do.

Dry transfers are easy to handle and they generally look outstanding when done right.

I'll try to get a few pics posted this morning some time.

Again, thanks

~Jerry

EDIT: Update pics...Not the best photgraphy, but maybe they can convey some sense of the work done so far.

~Jerry

I liked it before, simply because the story popped so fast. The street looks great, sidewalk area looks like it should be in an area more primitive (?) that that which would require a traffic light. Make sense?

Edit: Second thoughts: I was thinking about walking down a sidewalk in Rome and stumbling on the crappy sidewalk because I was looking up at the traffic light.....

Thanks, RBaer! I liked this idea because it was simple (I thought at first, anyway), and the figs are taken straight from their box art. I happened to have a PzIII that was looking for a home, so there ya go.

Seems sidewalks are uneven all over. Trouble is, sometimes we don't want our dioramas to be too realistic. It's like writing fiction: The difference between fiction and reality is that fiction has to make sense. I'm afraid I'm giong to have to do something drastic about that stupid sidewalk, like remove it and replace it with one of my own creation. The Kancali latex sidewalk is just too out-of-control. It's a shame, too, because it did look pretty good at first.

The traffic light was actually an afterthought. I bought a lot of Verlinden stuff on Ebay and it showed up at my door right when I was laying the sidewalk in place o this dio, so it was a natural fit. I imagine there weren't too many places in Europe in 1942 that had traffic lights, which is why I didn't add anything with language on it (posters, newspapers, etc).

I might be able to find an old Verlinden plaster sidewalk section, or something, on Ebay. I'll keep you posted.

~Jerry