Hello, i'm new to the forum stuff, and wanted to show off a bit of work and allow some friendly criticism. I know the street needs more rubble, and the dirt would mostly have fallen off but these two were really not meant to go together originally, but sometimes you have two pieces alone and they just fall together, interested in all comments.
Thanks,
Gary
http://www.smithmilitarymodeling.com
[email protected]

You are into weathering your vehicles for sure. It looks like real metal. And I agree regarding the mud on the tracks and on the spare road wheels on the back for this setting.
The building looks well built and painted, esp. the wall paper inside, looks real. Is the building scratch built?

well, yes and no, i build and sell resin diorama pieces either as kits or as modular pieces, so this is scratch built and i have molds for each piece as well as many others. thanks for the compliments i love the destroyed backgrounds most people now days overlook...

thanks again,
Gary
http://www.smithmilitarymodeling.com

Tons of potential, you show a great knack for detailing AFVs.
The mud on the tracks is really nicely done, it really fits the scene. Its a light enough color to show the mud was 1-2K away and is drying as they go.
The street has tons of variation which I like a lot. Along with the rubbel that is there. Its nice.

If I were to do anything I would do is to add more inside the building, window frame, move the door closer to the frame, a few beams that have fallen. I like a figure or some type of life in a diorama, maybe a bird or rodent scurring around trying to fend for a scarce meal.

So - is the groundwork kit 49? I looked at your web site the other day and like what I saw. Now that I see more of one (assuming it is one). You really need to show these off with a bit of paint on them. The photos of the bare kits are nice, but if you really want to sell them show them with paint. I will sooo consider your stuff next go round.

i agree i'm really working on painted samples of each item, as well as more built pieces to show them in use, thanks so much for the compliments i will try to keep putting out work that will be liked, and i'm hoping to add many items monthly.. if you want go back to the site and sign up, i will be putting out an update newsletter that will also usually include coupons....glad you like the stuff so far,
thanks again,
Gary

I signed up when I checked to see if the kit was in the catalog and got the Kit#

Lots of potential, and the individual pieces are finished to a high standard. But, as mentioned, there is a need for much more rubble, and the Stug has winterketten, which would be used on the Ostfront, in the snow and quagmire as found there.
This looks just to clean and clinical. I.E. unfinished. So while your pieces are very good individually, they cerainly don't "fall together".

Is that door from the MiniArt set?

Good start, please show us your progress

Cheers
Henk

wow, good eye.
I had it left over from the Italian house kit I believe, it was laying there one day so i threw it on.

the look i was after on the Stug was the muddy end of winter i found some actual pics of them with the tracks and no whitewash so i thought it may be a different idea to try.....

To help tie the Stug into the dio try having a trail of mud behind the Stug. This will give the impression that it has just left a muddy area and the mud is falling of as it drives.
Robbo

I think i may try the mud on the street, i needed to add more to the ground work, rubble, mud etc. the trail would be a great addition to that, thanks for the suggestion...
Gary

hey
the dio looks good and the building is excellant. I would have added more props to the street to fill some empty spaces. overall very nice.

a lot of dead space - especially inside the house

This is a good looking dio, that has nice porportions, and balanced layout.

One comment/question however, (and with no intent of being abrasive), but its the bare metal look of the Stug. Doesn't bare metal rust fairly quickly out in the elements--and granted there is rust on the Stug,--- but the bare metal look on the top of the main gun tube & the edges of the top decks---would this much bare metal show on an operating piece of armor in combat? Perhaps its the pic lighting but its almost appears to be absent of paint.

Again, not being a stinker here, this is a wonderful rendition of a damaged building, rubble/street, and solid build on the Stug----just the comment on the paint/weathering.

Congrats on a well thought out build here.

Steve

Hey Steve, no need to worry, i take no offense at helpful comments. i appreciate any and all replies, and any comment is meant to help not offend. I admit some of the problem such as the glare on the very top is lighting, but much is weathering. the bare metal was to suggest rough ongoing combat and wear, maybe a bit much steel showing without rust kinda hard to judge sometimes you see so many tanks with the corners steel showing without rust so kinda the same deal they would rust fast too. on my next one i'll try it with less bare metal. but i would also like to thank you for the compliments as well as the criticism it all helps me become better,

Thank you,
Gary

youre on the right track but IMO opinion it would look much better with some troops/crew members in the scene...I would also put the whole thing on a thick wooden base ..your weathering looks killer,too...good work keep it going..rR

Thanks Mike,
I agree completly, i need to do some figures, i spend so much time getting my buildings the way i want them that i lose track of the people that should be there, i have the dragon set of the Red Devils they look like their taking cover and about to shoot a tank, whats your opinion on adding those along with some more rubble?

thanks again,
gary