Hi Guys

Well after 2 years of not touching a model kit due to moving interstate and having to leave all my beloved models and kits back in a friends shed, I have finally got all my gear back with me and what better way to celebrate than to attempt my second diorama using Dragons 1/35 U.S Navy SEAL Team 3 (3025)



I have always wanted to attempt a river/creek and some bushland scenery, so I thought I would combine the both. I wanted to have both wetsuit clad troops half immersed leaving the river. so I molded the terrain to have a gradual exit point at the front and raised the bank on the opposite side. I have been reading up on Woodland scenics water products but have checked out the other topics on this site and for the volume I'm after resin may be a better option if it doesn't eat away my dio

Here are my WIP photos, my first time attempting this so any constructive feedback would be appreciated any suggestions for a better title are also welcome


















I wasn't quite happy with the dimensions so I added anther 50mm each end of the dio as to add more scenery, may be overkill but I like it so far/ My plan is to get maybe two trees up the back with more bushes/ground cover, and add smaller shrubs and long grass in the front, with maybe a tree somewhere where it wont block the view of the troops. Pics of the new 50mm front and rear sections with detail added will be added when I take them, still working on blending these new pieces into the existing ground work.







I have now started adding more detail to the divers, my painting sure has suffered taking that much time off! I will give them a black or blue wash once they are fully assembled, Ive yet to try and give them eyes, and only a base coat of humbrol enamel flesh is present

First of all, glad to see you are modelling again. Great progress so far, what did you use for the base? Figures are looking good, over here in the UK i have not seen that kit in the model shops, i might google it and buy one.

also, i think a small title such as 'covert' or something like that will work best.

Good start. The idea sounds like a good one.
I'd be more worried about resin affecting the 'green stuff' you're using for the base. I've had resin really eat away at some of the styrofoams I've used in the past. Test it test it test it. Do a test pour on the green stuff and include a piece of the sprue from the kit so you get a sense for how soft the plastic will get.
If it does affect the base, you need to make sure you get a good water tight seal with some type of polyacrylic sealer.

As you move along on the ground work make sure you even out everything colorwise. Right now it's very distinct and separate. The colors are bright and stand alone. If you apply an even 'dust' layer it will blend everything.

Thanks for the replies guys

Although it may be my undoing, I found these bricks of wet Florist foam, and have used them as the base. They are very fine and easy to detail but also very porous. Have yet to melt test it with anything other than woodwork PVA glue for the groundwork.



Here are some more with the groundwork starting to be added to the new 50mm sections, very basic as yet, haven't blended the colors yet or really "joined" the new pieces, they still look tacked on at the moment.

Photos snapped quickly before work

Well the figures are done, I'm quite happy with how they turned out. Only had to use gap filler on the tops of the vests where they connected to the torso and where the air hoses mount into the vest on the left shoulder. I have used Humbrol enamels on all parts and gave them a black wash using Citadel "badab black". I used Gryphonne sepia to wash the flesh tones.

After studying the box art and having used flippers myself I decided to add the straps to the flippers in the kit to give them something to hang from when attached to the SEAL's belts.

I used an empty super glue tube, primed then painted grey and given the same black wash. The same technique I have used to make rifle/weapon slings and tie downs







Now for lots of pics of the finished SEAL's















Still no more progress on the base itself but now that the figures are completed I will try and get stuck into this a bit more

Comments Welcome

Welcome back to the hobby Hayden! Your scene is coming along nicely, great idea! Nice work on the figures, the eyes turned out well. One minor comment, may want to drill out the ends of the gun barrels, adds a nice touch to them.

Keep at it, looking forward to more progress! Cheers -

Tim

Looking good keep it up

Wow a year has gone since I last worked on this!!

Well, after getting knocked off my Mountain bike riding home from work and suffering a compound fractured collar bone, I had three weeks at home to kill. So what better than to try and finish of this Dio from last year

After doing some more blending and groundwork, attempting for the first time to make some trees and add water to a Dio. For my second dio im quite happy with how its coming, should be finished this week, just gotta finish adding borders and painting, need to varnish the divers to make them look wet also.












Touchups are a sinch with a soldering iron/blow torch












I have now filled the river to a higher level, added ripples and floating debris, added a some more grass,shrubs and small trees, but have not taken pics of these

Hi Hayden. Ive read through this thread from start to finish, and the same question keeps popping into my head. Would they use/need divers or wet suits for a stream that you could literally jump across ... or in the worst case, easily wade across? The base doesn´t make sense to me. The other two guys from the box may suit the base better?

Have had the same thought myself a few times, even considered using 4 other figs completely. I like to think that they swam in from a bigger inlet.

I remember seeing a pic of some Aussie 4RAR commandos coming out of a similair small stream at the library but cannot for the life of me find the thing to reference again or online

I can buy that explanation ... didn´t think of that ... but neither will the majority of the viewers. Theres nothing to indicate this unfortunatley.

Nice watching it come together, sorry about your injury, sounds painful. Keep up the good work, nice dio.
Warren

very good work! can't wait to see this finished!

i have a couple of sets of this kit, and will do them in austcam and make them 4 RAR commandos.