DUSTER

Or a small dog wide eyed and.............

Yea.......   Somethin' Like dis?

Karl. I have been in limbo land and just discovered this gem. You have once again succeeded in establishing a new story out of the “everyday” components of a model build.

All the kudos  are rightfully placed at your feet.  (thanks for wearing your shoes-I’m just sayin’)

The too clean-negative space problem is not an easy one to adjust without clouding your vision.  The addition of any other large element could also break the visual flow you have worked out so successfully.

As a thought though, would a drain grate help to break the paver expanse? Or a small dog wide eyed and hightailing (pun-I know, I know) it from the encounter?

SMJ has a good point as well;   the reduction to one lamp and the “forced” shadow/highlight could help create the night feeling. Though ghosts likely don’t have shadows but a soft “glow “could be used instead of their shadow which would call attention to the tagger and his shadow

  Regardless what your decide, you have a cracker-jack diorama.

This Steve is off to the sack to dream of what I could do if I had the talent; But I am taking notes.   

doog:  As I expected, you had a reason for everything you did in the dio'.  

You're right, there is a "something" missing...I still think it's related to the large negative space.  I  seem to want to "scrunch" the scene together: Limit the park area, bench, grass, etc... maybe just have one "scary" light (is that what you called it")  If you had one light source you could darken the backs of the skeleton figures and focus the attention to the more lit-up vandal. Or how about casting shadows in a direction you want the viewer's eye to go (again, one light source) Make sense?

If you're trying to relay to the viewer that parks in Germany are perfectly clean you're going to have a real tough time unless there's a storyline plaque attached.  

Hope that gets the creative juices going...and thanks for your additional explaination, I sure do enjoy thinking through stuff like this.

SMJmodeler

doog:  It's good you channeled your frustrations out this way, and I totally understand how you feel.  It has become in vogue to add graffiti to freight cars in the model railroading world and I was asked many times if that was something I did as part of my weathering...I always replied with a definitive no.  I find the graffiti to be a debasing of the property of the hardworking railroad companies and freight car manufacturers and I simply refused to add it...even if it was prototypical.  I can't even imagine the frustration I'd feel if I saw some of the great old buildings in Europe, with detailing probably never seen again, ruined by senseless graffiti.  

OK, stepping down from the soapbox...

That is one fine build Karl!  The weathering effects sure do have your consistently high caliber of attention to detail and flawless execution...but what I most like is the story!  It's like the armor dio's that depict a tragic war scene...with a different take-on-it.  Never would have thought that the dead Germans still guarded their armor so intensely, great imagination...all-be-it a bit disturbing  You haven't been spending too much time on the road lately, have you?!...

Couple things:  The park feels a bit clean...I see all the dirt on the paving but I almost want this to feel like an "off-the-beaten' path memorial with the feel of a graveyard...you know, brown grass, dilapidated bench, etc.  Also, the negative space is a bit too big IMO.  The ghosts could be right on top of the kid and really add some eeriness...or maybe the dio' goes somewhat vertical and the ghosts are coming from below.  

I love the comment that was made about the lighting, if this goes to a show you should display it as night scene!

Anyway, that's my doog, always a pleasure to view your work my friend.

 

 

Thanks for looking in on this and adding your valued opinion! To be honest, you're right about a couple of things that still bother me about the dio. I agree that the openm space and park needs "something else". The problem is that I have thought and thought and wracked my brain to think of what I could add that wouldn't obstruct the line-of-sight and focal point of the scene---the vandal and his impending fate--without feeling cluttered and redundant or unnecessary. I am a stcikler for Composition, and I hate when I see a dio just thoughtlessly filled up with copious, disparate elements as if that makes a "story".

I also think that, in this case, I may be a victim of my own travels and experience in Europe and especially Germany. If you've ever been there, you know that European parks and espeically "hallowed places" like memorials are pretty much spotless. I was very consicous of that fact while composing this scene---but now, I think that while it may have been technically "accurate" modeling, it may not have been the smartest modeling. Ironically, I'm the guy who's always ready to sacrifice technical "accuracy" for "artistry"---but I have a nagging feeling that I should have minimized that former aspect in favor of the latter. The whole "backwater graveyard" idea would have been compelling, but in the end, I don't know if I could have "sold" that as "German", they being so fastidious in their society?

The other diffficult element was the lack of any elevation. Usually that helps a scene, to have variations in terrain, but this was difficult to work into the scene in any meaningful way.

I felt that it was almost pointless to fill up the green area behind the tank, as the bulk of the vehicle blocks it anyway, and most parks are just grass in Europe as I recall.

One thing that would have helped would have been a tree of some sort behind/above the tank, but I thought that would make the removal of the top very difficult. Maybe I overreached in insisting on including that option?

Anyway, something tells me that I'm not quite done with this dio. I've been waiting for something inspirational to hit me out of the blue, and maybe your suggestions will inspire something dark and fetid and disturbing to rise from my inner consciousness...? Oh one could only hope! lol ...

Thanks again for the valuable and honest critique; you know I eat that ship up!

Oh, and it was great to read your opinion on graffiti as well!

doog:  It's good you channeled your frustrations out this way, and I totally understand how you feel.  It has become in vogue to add graffiti to freight cars in the model railroading world and I was asked many times if that was something I did as part of my weathering...I always replied with a definitive no.  I find the graffiti to be a debasing of the property of the hardworking railroad companies and freight car manufacturers and I simply refused to add it...even if it was prototypical.  I can't even imagine the frustration I'd feel if I saw some of the great old buildings in Europe, with detailing probably never seen again, ruined by senseless graffiti.  

OK, stepping down from the soapbox...

That is one fine build Karl!  The weathering effects sure do have your consistently high caliber of attention to detail and flawless execution...but what I most like is the story!  It's like the armor dio's that depict a tragic war scene...with a different take-on-it.  Never would have thought that the dead Germans still guarded their armor so intensely, great imagination...all-be-it a bit disturbing  You haven't been spending too much time on the road lately, have you?!...

Couple things:  The park feels a bit clean...I see all the dirt on the paving but I almost want this to feel like an "off-the-beaten' path memorial with the feel of a graveyard...you know, brown grass, dilapidated bench, etc.  Also, the negative space is a bit too big IMO.  The ghosts could be right on top of the kid and really add some eeriness...or maybe the dio' goes somewhat vertical and the ghosts are coming from below.  

I love the comment that was made about the lighting, if this goes to a show you should display it as night scene!

Anyway, that's my doog, always a pleasure to view your work my friend.

  I am late to the party and not sure I'm even qualified to comment, but this is an outstanding piece of work.  I find myself hoping that if the guns jam then the shovel will do the trick.  It is going to take a number of viewings to appreciate all the detail that is present.  Thank you for sharing your work.

                                                                       knox

Sorry I just was able to admire your work, Karl.  Your dio is simply kick Azz.  I love the story and the you brought it to life.

Congrats on the spooktacular work.

Kim

Man I hate crappy hotel wifi.

A while back during a photo shoot of a SW Darth Fighter, I used a flashlight as an effect because I thought some night light may look cool. I think it gave it some nice color.

Just a thought Karl. 

Terry

Bish--thank you, man! I think I will take some pics with a black background to see how that looks, I dunno if I could capture any detail in dim light. I'm afraid it would just look washed out. I may have to wait until I get home from traveling....big plans comin up...!

Mike, thank you so much. Those are generous words. :)

BarretDuke, glad that you concur with me about the demise of Western Civilization lol. Thanks for your comments!

Bones, my hat's off to you for the great suggestion. Even my fiance' said that it was a great idea!

Tankerbuilder, thank you so much! A plane would be a real challenge! I don't normally do them as it is; I'd have to research a whole new field! In any case, I"m already onto the next model--a tribute to Buddy Baker, my favorite Nascar driver as a kid, who just passed away. Watch the Auto forum in about two weeks for the build log!

Thanks once again, guys!!

Okay ;

    Now , do you want to do the same to a 1/48 B-25 ? If so I've got the plane and obviously you got the talent .Doog ; All I can say is Incredibly , Totally , Awesome ! ! !       T.B.

Looks awesome Doog !! I'm happy you liked the light idea . I like the arm on the ghost coming out of the tank the bones are cool 

Karl, really amazing work. Thanks for sharing it with us. And thanks for sharing your reason as well. We are certainly  moving into a difficult period in western civilization.

Karl, I admire this build far more than I can express. This is what I strive to accomplish in my own work and have not yet succeeded. My hat is off to you my friend.

Wow, guys--to be honest, I'm a little bit humbled by all the generous comments and superlatives being throw out here, lol. I really mean that. I didn't expect such a great reaction. Thanks again to all of you who have followed along, commented, and who now took the time to give me a !

Cliff, thanks buddy! Those skeletal hands were a PITA to engineer! I had to cut between the fingers with a microsaw, then thin the fingers and then mount the hands on brass wire "bones" which were drilled into the hollowed-out sleeves. Thanks for calling those out--now I feel like it was worth the effort! :)

Dave, thanks so much for such kind words. I really am humbled by the comparison, and I'm not really in agreement, but it's so generous of you to say so.

Cat Daddy, Tony Lee, thanks guys, much appreciated!! Good to see you still around, Tony!

Mike B, yeah, that would be cool wouldn't it? If only I had the smarts and skills to pull that off! I thought about it, but then realized I would probably break something in frustration, lol. Thanks for the nice comment!

Steve, thanks so much, and for the cool graphic too, lol. You're always a reliably consistent guy to make us smile and I thak you for your consistency in following along and offering advice and encouragement!

Eric, lol, oh, you noticed that tattoos, huh? Great! I was wondering if anyone would see them? Yeah, not my thing, but I figured they fit the profile, lol...thanks man!!

Mike--you get off that Facebook!! Hey, thanks for looking in here and promise us you won't disappear! You're an old salt here, and it wouldn't be the same without you. Thanks as always for your kind words! And Gerhardt says "woof!"!

Terry, thank you as well for your generous compliments. I wish I could just get those stupid stores closed somehow; it's unbelievable to me that anyone would encourage such destruction for such foolish reasons!

Tojo, thanks too, and for following along here! I shall be writing this one up in the future!

Thanks too, Silent Bob! I am pleased to hear that you took something modeling-related from my methods here. That's a side-benefit to doing these blogs here in the armor forum; you reach people who are in the mainstream forums, not just members of any given Group Build. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and for your words!

Thanks again, guys! I genuinely appreciate everyone who has looked in!!

This takes what we do to a whole other level and what you do to genius. I've always thought that what makes a great piece of art is that any one thing, by itself, can stand alone. Karl you've skillfully combined every aspect of your work, all the techniques, the imagery and the vision to make what I think is a perfect piece of art. 

Maybe you should print some up stickable posters, and next time over cover their filth with them. Better yet, paper the front of that vile store who makes money out of destruction. 

Karl congratulations I think this one will be around a while.

Terry  

Karl

I have been off the grid here  at FSM for a bit....I return to see this work of art. Outstanding. Love the concept of this work of art. You never cease to amaze. Proof as always you are still king of the finish! Give Gerheart a good belly rub for me!

Rounds Complete!!

Beautiful work Karl. Love the scene and detail. I even like the tat on the guys leg. Ha-ha.

Karl... This is awesome!!!  :D:D:D

The only thing that would improve it would be glow paint and UV LED's in the lights. Tell me there's a glass case for this display!

Karl you are

Well you are

My friend amazing you are

Tony lee

Mere words cannot express how much I love this diorama. Wonderful and inspiring work.

Karl- this is absolute brilliance, in vision and execution. We all know the names of Shep Paine, Francois Verlinden, etc. who are legends of model building and storytelling, and I daresay that your efforts are on par with theirs.

Dave

Thanks Karl, you're going to give me friggin' nightmares!!!

Absolutly spectacular work, I only now noticed how you'd given the ghost troopers skelital hands to go with their skull heads, I love all the little details like that!

Bones1977

I don't post much but I got to say this is pretty awesome !!! It's would be cool to paint the lens on the the street lights a bright neon green to make it look more spooky !

 

 

Here are the last steps and finished photos!

I painted the Plus Models street lamps with a craft store acrylic mix--details in the article to be written soon--and then added a dash of white to the mix to paint the squiggle texture on the lamps. It kinda looks like marble to me. The white of the lanterns was again craft store acrylic, with a trimming of yellow and bright green to impart that eerie glow as suggested by Bones. Testor's enamel Brass was used for the trim. Here, I'm making a base for the lamps to slide into and which will be then placed in the grass.

I'm using a Dremel tool to scrape away a place for the lamp base.

The base in place. I drilled holed for the lights and epoxied them in, and then used superglue to fill in around the edges with some more grass powder.

After installing the park bench (Mini Art), I use the Dremel again to rough up the ground for realism.

The base awaiting the elements.

The finished diorama: "Death to the Defiler!"

The tank was attached to the base with epoxy cement.

The top DOES still come off to show off the interior.

I added some litter--water bottles and coke cans, etc--to the scene at various places. I aso added two rifles stored inside which were locked securely with a dead bolt and chain.

The memorial boquet, public viewing stair and "Kein Eingang" (no entrance) sign and chain.

The boquet was painted with craft store acrylics. The banners come with the kit--Plus Models again--and are simply soaked in water and draped over the piece with a light coat of white glue.

The soldier coming through the tank and the vandal...the graffitti is decals by Uschi.

I think that this scumbag came out pretty good, face-wise? Again, painted with 90% craft acrylics.

One more of the soldiers. Note how I painted the reflection of the "spooky light" on highlights of the "bones". I think this draws a more cohesive link to the overall story line and feel.

The park bench...yup, craft store acrylics. Painted by simple blending of colors on the brush. There were no oil washes used here.

The back of the tank and dio..Joefix leaves added an aire of cold October..

And one last angle..

This diorama was inspired by the genuine horror that I've felt in my many travels around Europe. There, the willingness to deface and destroy what are gorgeous old monuments and incredible buildings of beautiful marble and granite by people who have a need to be recognized by the illegible scrawls that they leave rather than the good that they do apparently knows no bounds. I remember being outraged in the town of Nurnberg when I found a small store which apparently catered to this sickness, and sold the wares of the trade--small, easily-concealable paint cans, masks, and gloves, etc. The whole store was actually dedicated to "tagging". And of course, in the beautiful old city, the ease of access showed..Ugh!

So anyway, this is my fantasy, my "release", to get it off my chest in an artistic way. I hope you find both humor and empathy in it. As always, thanks for following along, and for all the nice comments which everyone has been so kind in offering!

I don't post much but I got to say this is pretty awesome !!! It's would be cool to paint the lens on the the street lights a bright neon green to make it look more spooky !

Reaper420

 

 

I love how the ghost soldiers are about to blast that vandal for defiling their tank. And Hell, why can't they actually hurt him? It's very possible based off most ghost movies!