"Speed Bump" diorama (lots of pics)

QUOTE: Originally posted by mmaker Excellent work! I especially like Mercedes!

As a 'car guy' I can dig the car... just getting back to a little auto modeling--- but to get on the subject... I'm of two minds on this.... as far as a "fun" project it is a great piece of work! ....if you were taking this to a judged show then the 'historical problems' would be justified as well.... most folks [myself included] would marvel at all the [excellent] work done.. especially "scratch-building" a camel! The overhead photo really tells the story! I appreciate the 'historical problems' and "addressing" those would add another level to the piece; adding 'something extra' to the fun piece it is [great concept, did you remember the "jacka$$" scene from Patton ? Where General Patton 'took care of' the animal blocking the road.] Anyway I appreciate all the work that when into such a piece and love the story it tells... a story that anyone [rivet-counter or not ] can immediately "get." The 'historical' aspect would add another level for a different audience. {Like the jokes on the old Bugs Bunny cartoons that only the adults of the era would 'get' while the kids would laugh at something that was 'silly'... and I get both aspects as I have aged, and learned of the era [my parents young adult era] in which the cartoons were made.

BTW: I'm not up on the latest "milspec" but as someone who was a budding car guy/race nut in the 1960's... I'm sure I could bore some folks with little details about accuracy of US cars of the 1960's!!!

... a great piece I certainly was impressed!

OUTSTANDING!!!! I LVOE IT! Great job on the whole thing! I can see how you might have thought that it was more than you could chew, but you pulled it off!!! EXCELLENT!!

u da main man!
dude! look at all the details!

Historical inacuracies or not... awsome, at first glimpse I actually thought those were actual pictures taken overthere

You can still be frivolous, be accurate and have fun in model building. Coloring outside of the lines is good for the soul.

Your sig tag reminded me of this Drucifer. Did this a while back as a result of the accuracy and "fun" of model building debate. Sort of a fantasy, paint job on a historical vehicle. As expected the authenticity police did not come to my house and confiscate my work bench. Proof that us rivet counters do get a bit of "wild abandon" once in a while.. Even won a couple of first places in shows with this.

Now that is a really thought out and painted dio, I love everything thing about well done mate.

Ron

QUOTE: Originally posted by HeavyArty The standard "wow, that looks great" comment doesn't do anything to help the modeller or others improve their skills and to build better models,

Of course if the said comment is given for the sake of just being able to make a comment then maybe you are right...but if said honestly then I think it counts a lot...

Sometimes the feeling of appreciation could not be described in details. And a simple "that looks great" comment can really give a modeler some sense of fulfillment that he somehow did OK.

Not everybody can give a very valid comment on the accuracy of every subject presented here. If somebody steps up on the podium and do so then we can only thank him/her for taking the time.

BUT if somebody can ONLY show his/her appreciation (being unfamiliar with the subject at hand) through simple words like "wow" or "that looks cool", then we would have gravely missed the whole purpose of modeling if we treat those remarks as of no value at all.

I have great respect for those who are experts in their respective fields that take time to teach us a thing or two about accuracy BUT I hope that simple and honest comments that comes from others would also be treated with respect.

Thanks, Scorn, for the feedback!

QUOTE: Originally posted by Scorn The characters need no further explanations as they tell their stories so well. The camel and figures themselves are wonderfully detailed.

This is what I hoped to achieve with the way the figures were posed, and it does me good to see that it seems to have worked.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Scorn Only critique I have would be that the streets are too clean! You have the buildings and windows beautifully weathered and dirtied. Just make the streets the same.

Y'know, you're absolutely right. When I painted the street surface, I made it a point to streak it with blacks and dark browns to simulate the rubber-and-fluids stains you'd expect from any ordinary street, but I never got down there and laid on any plain old everyday yucky dirty filth. Good eye, and thanks for pointing it out.

Thanks again for the comments!

Don't really know how to say this , but amazing. I am very impressed. The scene explains itself. The characters need no further explanations as they tell their stories so well. The camel and figures themselves are wonderfully detailed.

Vehicles are well constructed and fit wonderfully.

Only critique I have would be that the streets are too clean! You have the buildings and windows beautifully weathered and dirtied. Just make the streets the same.

Thanks everyone who commented here!

sasd, coming from you that's a high compliment indeed. I've been keeping tabs as much as I can on who's who around here, and your name sticks in my mind as one of the best (and busiest!) dio builders here. Of course, it may be because your name is small and easy to remember

Seriously, though, some of you guys do stupendous work, and you inspire me to do better...so when I get praises from the members on this site, I always feel just a little bit honored and a whole lot inspired! Makes me want to keep building (which I have--my next dio is finished, just waiting for a clear day to take pictures!)

Thanks again to each and every one of you who took the time to tell me what you think.

Very nice piece of workmanship,I don`t know too much about the modern war theatres
but I like what I see here Dru,excellent work!

Surely there must be some better way of keeping my thread at the top of the page...

Really, the debate will go on forever...some of us are bent toward "license" while others are bent toward accuracy, and still others are floating in the middle. Me, I consider myself in the middle (although the use of the obsolete Bradley still bothers me and will probably someday be replaced, the rest of the details that are "off" don't faze me much).

I like the "Wow great job" comments--although I like the more detailed feedback a little more. If someone can tell me a few things they like and why, then it's more effective praise IMHO. Same with HeavyArty--he could have simply said "I'd prefer if it had been more accurate" and I would have been completely in the dark as to what I could have improved. I can understand and appreciate those who are defending the modeler who employs artistic license (in a sense, defending my work) and those who are defending historical accuracy (in a sense, helping me improve my work). But I think both sides have been heard from now...and while I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes or slap anyone in the face who "came to my rescue" so to speak, I'd really prefer that this thread not spiral out into a weeks-long argument.

Now...if it holds onto the first page for a month just because everyone is commenting (good or bad) that's another thing entirely :)

QUOTE: Originally posted by kingme The wanted poster is historically inaccurate as is the color of brown used on the camel! Give me a break! I thought modeling is supposed to be fun and allow for some creative expression. This model is really incredible. I love the detail, accurate or not. It’s full of great ideas. I am inspired! Good work!

Modelling can still be fun if it is done historically accurate. I was only providing the constructive criticism that drucifer67 asked for. The standard "wow, that looks great" comment doesn't do anything to help the modeller or others improve their skills and to build better models, that is why I don't give those type comments. If you don't want your models given the same type of constructive criticism, don't post them here. I never said is was not an outstanding dio. It does look great. Just not historically accurate.

The wanted poster is historically inaccurate as is the color of brown used on the camel!

Give me a break! I thought modeling is supposed to be fun and allow for some creative expression. This model is really incredible. I love the detail, accurate or not. It’s full of great ideas. I am inspired! Good work!

The overhead shot really conveys the bottleneck created by the camel. Great idea.
You just know that the Abrams crew would love to clear it........

Thanks for sharing this last pic.

Thanks for the tip drucifer67. And the pics. Once again great job. Who cares what the nitpickers say. TORA TORA TORA.

The only shot I have showing the whole piece is an overhead view taken in bad (indoor) lighting:



I should definitely take some more...I got so caught up in the smaller shots that I seem to have overlooked the big picture.

Thanks for the praises!

Very nicely done. It's a beautiful diorama, beautiful in it's simplicity and ability to bring a story accross very well. I surfed through your photobucket postings. The work trully is amazing. I just wish you had a shot or two showing the whole piece.

QUOTE: I agree with you skarpotchi that it sometimes goes overboard, and in some cases I'll help you get up on your soapbox, but we progress as artists or modelers because we take that criticism and do something with it other than make sophomoric comments (*cough*someone'srivotcounting*cough*) and improve upon our own work.

Great, thanks for your input. Point well taken.

Thanks, everyone!

Jaysun, the sidewalks were made by cutting foamboard sections as building foundations. The foundations were oversized to allow for the sidewalks, which were "sectioned" by pressing grooves with the edge of a ruler. I applied spackling to the edges of the foundations and used a little homemade tool:



The curved part of the tool was used to shape the spackling into something like a curb. The foamboard/spackling was then painted with tan and gray (blended but not mixed) and stained with a wash of burnt umber artists' oil.

Thanks again everyone for the feedback!

That sidewalk looks great. How'd you manage that? To get it to look so real I mean?

Excellent work!
I especially like Mercedes!

Excellent work there. Lots of action and lots to look at. Very well done.
Ryan

WOW!!!! when did you get back from IRAQ from taking those pictures!!! THAT CANT BE A DIO!!! AWESOMRE WORK!!! the detail is mind blowing!!!

Renarts, couldn't agree with you more.

QUOTE: This is a hobby, and for some people it's more than that, and that's fine. In MOST cases if the modeler had fun building it then thats all that matters. And for the new builders out there build your scene and have fun, because it is not required that your model or dio be historically correct. The only thing that is required is that you enjoy it and share it and pass on what you learn.

Then what does it matter if Heavy arty or anyone else makes these constructive criticisms? If it really is only about having fun then it shouldn't matter what anyone says should it? So long as you had a good time building it and obviously we do since there is a lot of posted pictures on this and other forums showing off the pride in our work. drucifer asked for comments, good and bad. No one has given a bad comment yet.

Heavyarty was only pointing out some errors in continuity. If it is a case of it being wrong then its wrong. Kind of hard to call it OIF if its using Desert Storm armor and equipment. History is history and in order to say something is from a particualr time in history then we should at least get it right. If we put it in terms that are more easily visualized it makes sense. i.e. I don't think I would put M3a1 Stuart tanks in a Korean War Dio, yet they were only 10 years apart in realtive history. Much like Korean era US marine uniforms and equipment in Vietnam.

Constructive criticism is just that. I agree with you skarpotchi that it sometimes goes overboard, and in some cases I'll help you get up on your soapbox, but we progress as artists or modelers because we take that criticism and do something with it other than make sophomoric comments (*cough*someone'srivotcounting*cough*) and improve upon our own work. Its what makes us better and improves the status quo. I'll rib with the best of them and I'm an incredible smart a** but in context and an onlooker may think that you guys are giving heavy a hard time. This will make the next guy or someone new hesitate to offer constructive criticism that may help all of us. Equipment and uniforms that are 10 years phased out isn't rivet couning. Having the correct manual for mini blinds.....thats rivet counting besides if they wee mini blinds that were originally looted from Kuwait then they could very well be the correct blinds as the US was a large importer of miniblinds to kuwait.Or they came in on an earlier arms shipment we made in the 80's when we were still allied to Iraq.

Rivet counters aren't so bad either. Its because of those rivet counters that there is a whole multi million dollar industry of aftermarket products, books, better kits, figures, updates to kits, etc. that we all enjoy. If not for this desire for accuracy and willingness to go tothis extent, we'd still have some pretty bad monogram, airfix and heller kits that could keep us busy in filler putty and styrene plastic for years to come.

QUOTE: Comments welcome! Even bad ones! :)

drucifer solicited comments and hopefully got what he wanted. Information, praise and constructive criticism. Not only do I applaud your diorama and builds drucifer, but I also applaud your willingness to accept criticism and help. Good job on all.

Oh of course the fun is the first and foremost part of the hobby...nothin wrong with ribbin' each other once in a while, god I get it from Bugsy everytime we go for coffee, so it's just part of the fun! LOL

I agree with you 90% on this one, Skar. I have always felt like the fun was the thing, and I still do. I can see why a glaring error like including an IFV that had been phased out a dozen years earlier might bother some people (it even bothers me, and I eventually want to replace it). On the other hand, if you don't want to do research and you don't know the different, build it anyway, and for cryin' out loud, enjoy it!

What I think would be awesome would be if a band of us were able to get together (never happen) and do a real one-on-one group build, with everyone contributing their particular strengths. Historically accurate types could oversee the planning and choose the right vehicles for the scene...the best of the best builders, landscapers, figure painters and detail fiends could all apply their killer skills to one grand project.

Of course, since we're talking about involving people who are really really good, that would leave me out anyhow

Yep...have fun, that's the bottom line, whether it means laying on a generous helping of artistic license or being accurate to the last detail.

Just my

I REALLY really should leave this alone BUT....

This is a hobby, and for some people it's more than that, and that's fine. In MOST cases if the modeler had fun building it then thats all that matters. And for the new builders out there build your scene and have fun, because it is not required that your model or dio be historically correct. The only thing that is required is that you enjoy it and share it and pass on what you learn.

Sorry, now I will go back into my hole, and build my models.