Diorama "The Ardennes Front"

I like this one. MM, might I suggest a more realistic backdrop for photographing it? I haven't looked at the link for more photos, so I may be speaking out of line. But shooting it in front a poster of a wintery scene would really bring out the artistry in this one.

Steve 

Several things jump out here and a little research goes a long way.

First the trees have all this greenery under the snow but have the shape of a deciduous tree. The Ardennes offensive wa in late December. The only foliage left on trees at that time are browned out oak leaves.

Secondly, you have a guy about to fire a Panzerfaust, the range of which is 30 meters, under a hundred feet. No one seems to be takkng any cover, including the officer in the Nashorn, who looks pretty darn casual.

Further, the backblast will cook the two guys on the berm.

I have to agree with AJ about the trees. The forests in the Ardennes were mostly coniferous and managed.  The trees were replanted at the same time and at set intervals. Along the pasture edges there would be different types of trees, and the spacing would not be uniform with the excepting of wind rows. Many of these trees in the pastures would be deciduous types but there wasn't any evergreen deciduous trees there. As AJ noted about the oaks is correct, just a few leaves would be left on the tress at this time of year.

A common practice of the German infantry was to wear the white side of the camoflage uniform out and the upper portion be the camoflage pattern. This was so that when they walked through the trees their lower torsos would blend into the white snow and their upper torsos with the trees.

Except as noted I like this one as well.

Mike T.

ajlafleche wrote:

Secondly, you have a guy about to fire a Panzerfaust, the range of which is 30 meters, under a hundred feet. No one seems to be takkng any cover, including the officer in the Nashorn, who looks pretty darn casual. Further, the backblast will cook the two guys on the berm.

That nagged a bit--along with the fellow standing up aiming his StGw-44 (which looks very much like he is shooting "over" the 12'-15' tall trees.  But, at that level of pickiness, that looks like a PzF 60.<g>  However, with all of this weapon pointing going on, where's the rest of the Nashorn crew?  Nobody is running to disengage the travel lock?

Ok, so it would have been better with some 6-7" evergreens; still a good dio for the effort, though.  The snow is not overdone, and there's good visual balance without any clutter.

Despite all the other comments,(that are true)I think the ground work is great,and the paint work on the tank,and figures are fantastic.

Good job

Pedro

Many thanks for your kind comments and compliments! Aj is right about the leaves which should be brown, not green and about the shape too. detailfreak is right about the track traces, and I myself had noticed the unlocked position of the gun. All these things will be passed on to "Art Instructor" - the modeler - for future improvement.

BTW, I've changed the name of this dio to "Battle of Stalingrad" because someone on another site told me that the real Nashorn "Puma" actually fought in Russia, here's the real pic :

I love it, I really like the backround color of the cardboad, most of us use bright colors like blue, yellow, orange, red and green etc. White good too espesally with your diorama, it make a appearance of a thick winter fog coming in, very realistique.

Now that my photos works, I can send some great one like that. Good work!

Many thanks for your kind comments, T-rex! I used white towel as ground and white T-shirt as background so as to make the dio blend with the winter environment. As for summer dio. I used to use blue as background, but recently changed to black. It would be great if I have some pictures or paintings to be used as backdrop, but I don't have any.

BTW, I forgot to answer MadMel's question about the snow. "Art Instructor" used fine salt and sodium bicarbonate to simulate it.

MM,

I really like it overall.  One thing I may add is that if you look at the third photo from the top, it looks like the track of vehicle is floating off the ground. 

It would be great if I have some pictures or paintings to be used as backdrop, but I don't have any.

You have an internet full of pictures you can print and use as backdrops!

ajlafleche wrote:

you have a guy about to fire a Panzerfaust,   the backblast will cook the two guys on the berm.

but AL this is wwii, anyway you can get rid of 2 of the enemy is OK    lol

Well i think any one who can produce a dio to this standard is ok in my book. I think it looks great. If i could make just one critisism'ette i would ask where are the shells in the back of the tank? Not a lot of point having it on the frontline without ammo lol.

...Guy

Luftwoller wrote:

Well i think any one who can produce a dio to this standard is ok in my book. I think it looks great. If i could make just one critisism'ette i would ask where are the shells in the back of the tank? Not a lot of point having it on the frontline without ammo lol. ...Guy

Many thanks for your kind compliments, Guy! The "Puma" Nashorn had used up its ammo, here it's waiting for resupply. ;-) 

LOL, N1 Maniac. I would question the chappy in the back though....On the front line...In a huge 'Target'.

Only messing, great stuff.

...Guy

         Wow,you people out there are PICKY!The leaves are the wrong color-

this guy had better duck-that guy doesn"t smoke the same cigarettes as me.

I find total satisfaction with this diorama.It"s excellent.

Hey, im only joking. My comments are by ,no strretch of the imagination, a 'Critisism'  I think the Dio is awesome. I only hope one day i may be able to produce something as good as this. I was only having a laugh chummy.

...Guy

Sitting here in Arizona where it's nearly 115 outside, that dio is making me feel a little bit cooler. The scene looks cold! The dio base looks almost like some of the pics I took at the Grand Canyon last February when it was snowing up there. I like the way you layed out the snow on the Nashorn, looks very natural.

Scott

Model Maniac wrote:

Many thanks for your kind comments, T-rex! I used white towel as ground and white T-shirt as background so as to make the dio blend with the winter environment. As for summer dio. I used to use blue as background, but recently changed to black. It would be great if I have some pictures or paintings to be used as backdrop, but I don't have any. BTW, I forgot to answer MadMel's question about the snow. "Art Instructor" used fine salt and sodium bicarbonate to simulate it.

Note to other modellers--do NOT use this mix for snow!! Especially if you live anywhere with less than 101% humidity!!!! You'll be sOOOOOrry! 

Hey fella,

I think your diorama is awesome.  I'm getting cold just looking at it!  You made excellent use of snow.  As an ex-infantryman, I can see the Panzerfaust guy getting ready to repel an attack and the guy with the MP-44 popping off some random rounds while hiding beside a tank, so don't let the "experts" put you off.  War is random chaos, after all, especially with poorly trained Jerries, which these could have been.  I personally wouldn't set my firing position quite so close to an armored vehicle, but, then, the chaos of combat says this snapshot could be interpreted many ways:  they are just setting up position, they are just leaving position, etc.  Good job!

Fraser