Hi all,

A while ago i started with my first Diorama, the idea is to give an image of german force launching a counter attack a couple of day's after D-day. I got the idea when i almost finished my Stug IV model, i tought i need a base to display it on.

The idea is to make the Stug driving on a dirt road with some infantry walking behind it and sitting top of the Stug. At one side of the dirt road i want to make a little stream and behind that a Weath field. at the otherside of the Dirt road i want to make a typical bocage hege and behind that a gras field. I haven't desided it if i want to put water in the stream or make a stream wich run dry.

As pic's tell more then a story here are some pics.

The Stug:


The wooden base plate with pencil outlined where the dirt road is comming.

I used polystyrene to make some relief in the base, most of the techniek's i use are comming out of the book "Lets build diorama's":


Over the Polystyrene i applied some layers of toiletpaper with white glue and wallpaper paste.


I am now working on aplying soil and painting this. My building time is limited so it might take some time before i post an update. If anybody has tips or tricks for me please let me know. Any other opinions or idea's are also welkom

Looking good...but its a StugIII not a StugIV

Looking good so far. Here's a good tip: add paint to your plaster mix - I use a variety of browns and a touch of black. For rural scenes, I also add a large amount of string cut into small lengths that add to the texture of the soil (like little roots). Hope this helps. (In fact I'll stick a thread up for the new dio I've started so you see what I mean!)

I havent used plaster in my base, so thats why i haven't added color to it, i use dried Clay soil for the base, wich i airbrush after the aplication.

But i am curius about your pics.

Yo Leon,

Good start!! Keep up!

Greetz Nico

Hi Leon,

You have made a nice start there. The stug looks well built and nicely painted and the base is coming along nicely

I think you may wish to rethink your setting though. The stug you have built would not have been around during the normandy campiagn. As it has no zimmerit and is painted in the ambush camo scheme. This would place it as being built much later in the year, say October-November time. It would be more approriate for an Ardennes diorama.

That being said, it is your first dio so maybe throw historical accuracy out the window for this one and just go for it! Historical accuracy can wait until you have practiced your techniques.

I look forward to seeing what you make of this

looking good so far, nice Stug. i like your toilet paper/ white glue on styrofoam technique use to set out the diorama base before adding the groundwork, dont mind if i use your ideas!

im looking forward to seeing the progress you make.

I finally manged to make a little progress.

First i made some soil by gluing sand/grinded clay on the base.


After that I painted this with my airbrush, The path has gotten a bit of a lighter collor then the rest of the base.


After that i applied some static grass to the sides of the path and the center of it. I made a shot with the Stug and some figures in place.


I placed some tall grass next to the stream, I made this of and old paint bursh wich i colorred with some oil paints.


I wonder what ya guys think of it, any tips or idea's are welcome.

Leon looking good so far, how did you get the taller grass to stand up Also you may want to tone down the color of the grass it looks a little bright, unless thats your flash Looking forward to seeing more

I took the tall grass in a bunch togheter between my fingers, dipped the bottom in white glue and pressed it on the surface, after that i spreaded it a little bit with my fingers. Worked pretty easy.

I am not really happy with the color's eather, but i don't know how to change them. Maybe airbrush them a bit of a darker color. If anybody has got some times on how i can town down the grass and wich color's to use please tell me.