Hi everyone,

Here I'm gonna place a build log of my latest diorama. It's gonna be a step by step with photo's and text and off course a blue background.

The idea is to have a bridge with a T-80U and a figure laying next to a ravine with a lot of nature. The tank has hit the wall of the bridge and destroyed it and the figure is looking like: "OOPS!".

The figure is from Tank:



www.militarymodelsandaccessoiries.nl

Russian Modern Infantryman, kitnr. 35053

The kit:



i've completed the build of the tank and started building the bridge. I've made photo's tonight but they didn't turn out ok. So tomorrow morning I'm gonna make new photo's and try to upload them immediatley.

Lars

The build was allready finished when I started this log. One side of the bridge was also finished. That's why I'm not having a big build log in this update. ASAP I'm gonna prime the tank and place a new step by step update.

The build of the tank went pretty smooth. There were no big problems on the hull. The turret had some more problems. Not everything wanted to fit well and the machinegun was a hell. That's why I'm leaving it off.







I've made a mixture of putty and water. By putting this in a thin layer on the turret, you can get a very nice structure.



The wheels are first sanded with rough and later fine sandingpaper. When finished, I've damaged the rubber on the wheels with a sharp knife.





The side of the bridge is made with roofmate (isolation material for roofs). I've picked a slice of it and hold it above my groundwork (a photoframe). That way I could slice two sides off, so it would fit in my diorama.
With sculpting tools and a sharp knife I've made the stones and damages in the bridge. After that I've picked a pencil and drew where the ravine would come against the bridge.

Untill next update.

Lars

P.S. it's hard to make any photo's right now. At my place it's very misty, so there isn't much light and much water.

great idea are you going to have the T-80U with damage?
or any crew for it?

great idea though

I'm gonna make it a bit heavily chipped. Not many damage. The only figure I'm gonna add is the one from Tank mentioned above.

Lars

o right cool =]

im a bit puzzled about ur idea is it crashed into the bridge or something?

Hoi Lars,

Not a period I'm interested in per se (even though I have the DML T72 w/ERA in my stash ) , but definitely an interesting sounding project. Looking forward to following this one. I'm especially looking forward to seeing how you handle the camo on the figure.

Heilige Kerstmis mijn vriend

Rudi

James:

I think I'm gonna place it with one mudguard hitting the side of the bridge. The TC didn't steer it that well or "Lost Control" and hit the bridge with one of the mudquards. It's not like he rammed the bridge or something like that.

Tarok:

Thanks for the comment! I do think the camo on the Russian is gonna be a hard one, but I'll try. I

've only one comment, you can say "heilige kerstmis", but it's common to say: "prettige kerstdagen" (which litterly means nice christmas days = merry christmas) or "prettige feestdagen" (which means merry christmas and a happy new year together). After prettige kerstdagen, you can also place "en een gelukkig nieuwjaar" Which means and a happy new year.

No, I'm just kidding, my English isn't perfect either. Where did you learn Dutch? I mean living in a huge country, and then learning a small country's one. You're Dutch is very good.

Now back on-topic:
I think I'm gonna prime it today. If so, I'll immediatley place an update.

Lars

Hey Lars,

I grew up in South Africa and speak Afrikaan, which has Dutch roots - although it's probably close to the Dutch spoken in the North of your country. My Dutch isn't great, but I can read it better than write or speak it

Have a good one mate

Rudi

oo i get it great idea sorry it confused me abit to start with

Rudi:
I see. Afrikaans can be compared to old Dutch, from around the 18th century.

Update:

I've made better photo's now the mist is gone. I've also primed it with Vallejo primer in a rattle can.

Photo's:











Until next update.

Lars

Update:

The tank has been painted in his camouflage colors

The yellow color is a mixture of Vallejo Model Color Yellow and Pale Sand. I've lightened up some places with the same mixture but with extra Pale Sand and White Grey added (this isn't seeable on the photo's I see).

The green color is a mixture of Tamiya Nato Green and Flat Green. this is airbrushed with free hand with my Harder & Steenbeck Evolution Silverlinde with 0,2mm needle. I've first painted thin lines and then colored them in with thicker lines. The camo scheme of the kit was used, I only leave the black off.

Photo:



Lars

Great start Lars looking forward to seing this develope!

Martyn

Nice work, as always, Lars!

I'm a big (secret ) fan of Soviet/Russian armor, and I have to say, I really love the look of this T-80 with the extra armor.

Marek

Thanks guys!

i'm not such a big fan of Soviets, but the later vehicles with extra armor etc., different camo schemes then all those Western vehicles and the heavy weathering like many chips, can be put on. That's why I'm liking them more and more.

Lars

After my modelling dip I've picked this project up.

I'd started to weather the T-80. Unfortunately I've had a little accident with it and now all the wheels are broken off at the axles and one sideskirt is fallen off. Luckily, this all can be repaired with second glue.

I've also finished the bridge excluding a couple of details. I'm keeping the two parts together by using metal pins and white or wood glue. The roofmate is going to melt, when using normal, second or plastic glue. Soon I'm gonna make a wooden box around it and place it on a groundwork. When that's done, I can fill the gaps and start priming it.

Photo's:











The lines, drawn by pencil, are the tops of the groundwork / nature that will be next to it. I've also started to work on the figure. Right now it's waiting on a couple of metal pins to be primed.

I think I'll need to weather the top of the side wall of the bridge a bit. It's too flat now.

Lars

Lars, nice to see you back on track. Sorry to hear about the little accident, funny how this project started as an accident/small crash. Maybe the TC had a bigger bump than he thought. Love the bridge, the stone work looks great! Also like the Dio's level. I can see that the T80 is going to look great parked high up on the top of the bridge. I love the way you've created alot of hight out of quite a small Dio. Its going to look awsome Cheers Geraint.

Geraint:
Thanks. You're right, it is.

Lars

Next update:

Once I had everything done, it was time to prime this diorama. I've always used Vallejo Aerosol primer (rattle can) for groundworks. I thought this was acryllic, but apparently it wasn't. The bridge, which was made of roofmate, couldn't handle some materials from the primer. So the roofmate started to shrink at some places and melt. First I thought, the entire base was ruined. But then my dad came with the idea to change some things and spray some paint over it. That's what I'd done and now it looks like a very old wall (some kind of castle idea). The street wasn't so straight any more, so this was an improvement to. I'd made 2 craters, created by mortars, and removed a lot of tiles. I also gave the other parts some extra weathering.

Used paints:
Vallejo Model Color 70967 Olive Green (bridge)
Model Master Acryl 4695 Gloss Black (wooden base and the shadings)

Normally I don't use Model Master Acryl, but these were still in my stash, and these need to be used someday.

Photo's:































The wooden base will be lightly sanded and then given 2 coats of Vallejo Model Color Matt varnish.

Used materials:
Photo frame
Hardboard wood
Lichtgewicht nadenvuller (Don't know how it's called in English)
Roofmate - Plates isolation material used in roofs.

So, this is a cheap way to make a base.

Do you guys got some tips to improve the bridge? If so, I can improve those and then start painting and weathering.

Lars

I've also continued to work on this one.

Last wednesday I ordered a name tag which can be picked up next week.

As I changed the idea, this is what will be on it.

"Nice View" (in big letters)
Chechnya '94 (in small letters)

I've also added the MIG Productions Burnt Out Modern Car.

I've tried to repair as much damages as possible. The ones that couldn't be "saved" will be covered in a later stage.

The sides were covered in tape and after that, I sprayed a coat of Tamiya Nato Brown over the entire model. After this, I gave everything a thick wash of the same paint to come in the deeper parts which are hard to reach with airbrush.

After this I gave many tiles a different colour. I've used: Vallejo Model Color Iraqui Sand, Sunny Skintone, Flat Earth, Burnt Umber and Light Flesh and Tamiya Desert Yellow. Later on, a lot of acryllic filters will follow to mix all the different tones together.

The concrete part behind the wall got a coat of Tamiya Sky Grey, followed by a wash of Tamiya Sky Grey mixed with Tamiya Nato Black.

The whole front of the wall got a filter of the same mixture to give it a very old look.

As you can see, I still got a lot to do.

The figure isn't finished either. The helmet, 1 arm and the head need to be added. I've also added a few highlights, of which more will follow and I also need to add some shadings. After this some filters follow. The barrel of the AK-47 is broken and will be repaired.

I didn't do much work on the T-80. The sideskirt and a couple of wheels are removed during the photo's. I need to do a couple of washes etc. and then it will be followed by a coat of Vallejo Model Color Matt Varnish. Finishing it up with a lot of pigments ofcourse.

I've just started the car, so there isn't much that can be seen.

Photo's:



The used paints, excl. Nato Brown.





The idea.

















The next update won't be untill Saturday as that's when mum will be home with the camera.

Lars

Lars,

Sorry, there were no replies the last time, but i want to add two things here.

Your cobbles and the stones on the bridge are making some sort of bulge on the sides.
My advice is to sand the whole cobbles to eliminate the bulges and then you need to fill the gaps between the cobbles more.
You can use plaster (look up Guygantic's post "Willkommen, he has nice pics),or acrylic paste.
This will also close most of the holes in the cobbles, because i think that there are a few to much.
I would also cover your wall. I think that the two visible rows of stones are not very good. Take a piece of Balso wood (2 mm) and glue it on top of ot. Ad some Acrylic paste or anything else to ad a bit of stucture to it.


Hope it helps

Cheers
Claude

Thanks Claude!

I think I'm gonna start off with filling some of them and see how it looks. Then I will have a look what to do next.

lars