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Campaigns: Tank Destroyers!
This DG is for Garry Beebe's Tank Destroyers campaign.
Hosted by Richard S.
ELEFANT - TD Entry pt. 6
warthog
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Metro Manila, Philippines
Joined: July 29, 2002
KitMaker: 1,460 posts
Armorama: 1,080 posts
Posted: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 12:45 PM UTC
Hi Guys,

Its me again.. . I'm almost complete with the ground work for my Elefant dio entry to the campaign. I've added grass both tall and short as well as real earth. Now what I need to do is paint the figs and the schwimmwagen. Below are some pics. Thanks for looking and BTW, criticisms +/- are very much welcome....









Cheers
moJimbo
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Shah Alam, Malaysia
Joined: October 06, 2004
KitMaker: 986 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 01:08 PM UTC
awesome dio! i like those 'in-action' pose of the figs. great layout too! and the tank looks good as well....
rv1963
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New York, United States
Joined: December 07, 2004
KitMaker: 1,888 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 02:16 PM UTC
So far i really like the Elefant and the ground work, i have one question the 2 road wheels that have been blown off the tank look a lot cleaner than the rest maybe you need to weather them a little more, unless they are new replacement wheels, looks good anyway.
warthog
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Metro Manila, Philippines
Joined: July 29, 2002
KitMaker: 1,460 posts
Armorama: 1,080 posts
Posted: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 02:32 PM UTC
rv1963: The roadwheels are not yet permanent, I'm still at a loss on how to put situate them on the dio. It really needs some weathering and repainting coz everytime I move them some of the paint got removed :-) . I'll work on it...tanks
Orffer
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Gauteng, South Africa
Joined: February 16, 2005
KitMaker: 44 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 07:07 PM UTC
I am following your posts with GREAT interest!

Every time it looks better and better...

Would you be so kind as to tell me how you did the grass and earth effect?

What was your steps to do the groundwork?

Regards
Dieter
DutchBird
#068
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Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Joined: April 09, 2003
KitMaker: 1,144 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 08:15 PM UTC
Hi,

I think posing them that way is quite possible... though if blownof the vehicle, I would roughen them up a bit more. Because if the blast was powerfull enough to blow them of the vehicle, I doubt that they would be undamaged.

For the rest, the dio looks realy good so far. Keep up the good work!
warthog
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Metro Manila, Philippines
Joined: July 29, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 08:35 PM UTC
Hi Dieter,

No problem.

Tall Grass:
I used bristles from a paint brush (used for painting walls ). The brush I think is not the synthetic type, I think its horse hair(?)...I got it cheap, it cost me only 50 cents.

First I decided on which area to place the tall grass and then put holes on the ground using toothpick. I then cut about knee length (1/35) group of bristles and plant them into the holes. I glue the bristles using PVA glue.

Static Grass:

Just cover the desired area with dlited PVA glue then scatter the static grass. After laying them, gently blow on the glued static grass to make them stand.

Grass Clumps:
First I got a small amount of wall putty or spackle and then placed them on areas where you think the grass clumps should be. I mixed small amounts of diluted PVA on the wall putty to make it soft and at the same time sticky. I cut the same bristles for the long grass, but this time I just used the tips...cut the length as necessary. The cut grass were planted on the diluted wall putty (initially they would stand straight). Using the tip of your finger press on the tip of the standing bristles and then gently make a round motion until the bristles spread.

Once dry, I placed PVA glue again on the grass clump so that I could apply some static grass on top.

Ground work:

The ground work is made from layers of styro foam covered with wall putty. When the wall putty is dry, I painted it with black and red brown acrylic paint. I applied diluted PVA glue over the entire surface of the ground before I poured real earth.

I painted and washed the real earth with the desired ground color.

Hope this helps...I know what I wrote down may not be very clear, if so just post your questions here or PM me.

Cheers and thanks for looking
Martinnnn
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Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Joined: April 26, 2004
KitMaker: 5,435 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 01:40 AM UTC
Hey

Very cool, I like the camouflage and zimmerit on the Elephant, the composition of the diorama and the groundwork (not just flat grass but nice variation in the groundwork.....looks very realistic and alive!)

One thing though......the damage on the wheels (mine damage?) looks good, the damaged zimmerit and the wheels, but I doubt if those blown of wheels would be laying in the crater (I think they would be blown away, could be wrong though). Also, I miss something.....that gives the feeling of an explosion..in weathering. Maybe a bit more black with pastels or something like that? Plus a bit white for the burned rubber on the road wheels? I think that would do the job.

Great work!
Martin
warthog
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Metro Manila, Philippines
Joined: July 29, 2002
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Posted: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 10:34 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Also, I miss something.....that gives the feeling of an explosion..in weathering. Maybe a bit more black with pastels or something like that? Plus a bit white for the burned rubber on the road wheels? I think that would do the job.



Martinn: You are right, the explosion area needs more weathering...I already gave it a wash of pastel chalk, but I guess I need to add more even on the ground where explosion took place. BTW, I can't put burned rubber because Elefants/Ferdinands have steel
wheels -- what I plan to do is to roughen the wheels as suggested and scatter some metal shards/debris within the crater....

"Tanks" you very much

Cheers
3442
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Quebec, Canada
Joined: March 23, 2004
KitMaker: 2,412 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 10:54 AM UTC
wow, the groundworks looks amazing. going to be painting these figures soon?

frank
warthog
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Metro Manila, Philippines
Joined: July 29, 2002
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Posted: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 11:06 AM UTC
Hi Francois,

Hopefully...but I'll probably finish the schwimmwagen first.

Tanks you and Cheers

Arvin
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