Hey G, you are absolutely right. I did press the tanks into the drying sculptamold to give the tanks the sense of weight as can be seen in a previous post, but once I added the ground foliage it got into the track prints and made it harder for me to press the models into it. I'll probably build it up and add more foliage to give it the look of a 43 ton tank. Thanks for the comment.

Great job on the tanks and the dio!  I have always had difficulties with figures but you have done well!  My compliments!

Bill

Fantastic job there!!! 

Everything, the models, the figures, the groundwork, and the photography came together perfectly!!! 

I want to strafe them!!!! 

Only issue I'd have, and it is nitpicky I'll be honest. In the last two photos the tanks don't seem to be worked down into the ground as much as I'd expect a 43 ton tank to be. Maybe you could build the groundwork up around the tracks a little more? 

As I said I'm nitpicking though- that's an amazing dio!!! 

Just go tthe chance to get caught up on this diorama. Well done!

Now with background photography. It's the morning of June 6, 1944 and the Panzer Lehr Division has been receiving reports of airborne drops and are also receiving sporadic reports of battle at the Normandy beaches. But Field Marshall von Rundstedt and the Panzer reserves are "Awaiting Orders" from Berlin before moving up. The rest is history. All comments and critiques are greatly appreciated.

Well I finished the foliage. Most of it is obscured by the tanks after I placed them and then I added the figures where they belong.

Coming along really well. Looking forward to seeing the groundwork in place with the tanks and figures. 

Well I've begun the base and gave it a dark muddy look; which I'll be lightening as I please. I also added my trees and waited for the sculptamold to dry some and harden. I also made a gutter like rut using kitty litter. The next day I pressed the tanks into the groundwork so their weight will be imprinted on the base easily visible. Now I have to wait for it to dry some more before giving it a lighter wash and I add the foliage and grass. 

Figures look good and happy little trees!!! 

I'm sure Bob Ross would be proud! 

I was taking it easy these last few days, but I got to work and got some things done. Trees are definitely not my forte, but I did the best I could do. I still have to do some trimming and giving it a quick spray of hair spray. Then I'll get started on the groundwork and foliage.

Well I'm glad I'm getting started on the base and groundwork. I'm trying to decide if the road or roadside is lower. I'll do the research and get it right. First I have to do these trees and I also kitbashed a cable.

Thanks for the comment Gamera. The last (promise) four figures are done. The pointer is from MiniArt and the others are from Warriors. The pointer just needs his rank shoulder boards on his epaulets. Now I can concentrate on the base, groundwork & foliage and whatever knicknacks I need to add and tweaking of the diorama.

Really nice work on the figures there! 

GMorrison

I look forward to the diorama part of this project.

 

Bill

 

Believe me Bill; I know I'd like to get to the diorama aspect of this project too, but a grandmaster artist friend once told me that I could have the best looking vehicles, planes, etc. in a diorama, but if there are figures in it, the human eye will ALWAYS roam towards the human figures. That is a true statement. In the Armour forum the French R-35 has magnificent camo, but his figure is also very well done. So on that segway I'm posting the next four (4) finished German figures from Tamiya. I have four (4) more to go; one (1) from MiniArt and three (3) from Warriors. As I finish those I'll be envisioning my scenery for the finished dio. 

Oh krap, I thought I'd commented before on great job you've done on the camo. And really nice work on the figures too, that set is a little old but it's still a nice set with some good detail. 

I too am really looking forward on seeing what you do with the diorama. 

I look forward to the diorama part of this project.

Bill

I have one more pic; for now, of a figure that inadvertantly got glued into the drivers position. I just need to highlight his eagle on his feldshmutze and just keep it moving.

Well I've gotten the three (3) Italeri figures done. I embellished their uniforms with Archer transfers although I believe I messed up the procedure. Unfortunately these figures came with the heads attached so I had to go with what I had. I have some tweaking to do and then its off to the Tamiya figures which have very decent detail.

Hey All, here are some WIP of the figures for the diorama. They are from Tamiya, Italeri and Warriors. They've been primed and their initial face and skin colors have been applied.

I'm adding a couple of WIP pics of one of the Panthers. I added the zimmerit from Cavalier. It was a thin resin generic waffle style zimm pattern which I had to cut and conform to the model. This was my first time doing this, so its not too bad. The barrel is from Aber and I replaced the "motorized" vinyl tracks with a combination of Modelkasten Panther tracks and Tamiya Panther G tracks.

Well basically these Panthers are done and ready to hunt. Except for the addition of some "soot" to the exhaust areas, they are good to go. The balkenkreuz are from Archer Fine Transfers, the Panzer Lehr insignias are Verlinden transfers and the turret numbers are decals. Now for the figures and set up then the scenery. All comments and critiques are greatly appreciated.

stikpusher

No offense intended Tiger. Apologies if I did offend. Keep up the good work.

 

No offense taken. I was mistaken when you mentioned the missing road wheels. I actually thought you meant on the actual Panthers themselves. lol. Anyway; water under the bridge. I am posting these WIP pics. I gave two Panthers an oil pin wash to bring out bolts, seams etc. Then FYI, I freehand airbrushed the camo schemes, which are the first 2 pics. Then I gave it a darker wash to tone down the camo scheme and to give it that outside grime look. Next part will be to either decal or use dry transfers, paint the equipment, and weather and highlight the tanks and tracks, then tweak as I go along.

No offense intended Tiger. Apologies if I did offend. Keep up the good work.

stikpusher

 

 

TigerII

Now you know that a lot of these old Tamiya kits were so-called "motorized". Thats why they had that awful looking vinyl track and adding another inner roadwheel would possibly interfere with the workings of the model. Besides the missing "inner" roadwheels will never be seen by anyone. The Italeri kit is correct because it wasn't supposed to go anywhere. 

 

 

 

 

 

I hear ya. I have actually built a few of the motorized kits back in the 70's and early 80's. I actually picked up a Tamiya kit with some upgrades to improve it at one of our AMPS chapter fundraiser auctions for a buck years ago. 

The side schurzen would conceal the viewing angles exposing that aspect of the kit. If you felt so inclined... 

 

Basically I had these 2 Panther A's and a Panther D from Tamiya, plus the Italeri one that were taking up space and I got this radical idea for a dio using the Panther A's. Unless someone is really looking for those double inner road wheels on the Tamiya kits I figure that the track sag would cover a major part of it. Besides everyone knows that the mantlets on the Tamiya kits were also oversized. It is what it is. Now I'll get back to work and post more updates later. 

TigerII

Now you know that a lot of these old Tamiya kits were so-called "motorized". Thats why they had that awful looking vinyl track and adding another inner roadwheel would possibly interfere with the workings of the model. Besides the missing "inner" roadwheels will never be seen by anyone. The Italeri kit is correct because it wasn't supposed to go anywhere. 

 

I hear ya. I have actually built a few of the motorized kits back in the 70's and early 80's. I actually picked up a Tamiya kit with some upgrades to improve it at one of our AMPS chapter fundraiser auctions for a buck years ago. 

The side schurzen would conceal the viewing angles exposing that aspect of the kit. If you felt so inclined... 

Now you know that a lot of these old Tamiya kits were so-called "motorized". Thats why they had that awful looking vinyl track and adding another inner roadwheel would possibly interfere with the workings of the model. Besides the missing "inner" roadwheels will never be seen by anyone. The Italeri kit is correct because it wasn't supposed to go anywhere. 

The middle row of road wheels should all be pairs, in between the outermost and innermost roadwheels. Tamiya only gives a single road wheel on each one. Compare the Italeri road wheel set up to the Tamiya road wheel set up

stikpusher

The tracks are a big improvement! And it looks like you closed up the open sponson bottoms. What did you do about the missing road wheels? 

 

What missing road wheels? These Panthers have all their road wheels. There was a prototype that would have the same chassis as the Tiger II, but it never made it out of the drawing board. I've also added PE grills for the engine compartment.

That looks good! 

Are the missing road wheels all that visible though except for the one on the front?