I want to thank every one for their suggestions and help with this diorama...most everything I have done here I learned from this site... I have applied the suggestions made and hope everyone enjoys the finished work....I do have one question though, there was a comment about dirtying it up from the troops leaving trash around, I could use input with that...like wine bootles and old containers? but the pics are posted have a look if you would, its the 1st dio redo and any more suggestions welcome. Once again thanks for everyones help :-)

Very nice work. Impressive I must say.
I've two things to add, one you can still work on, the water side of the retaining wall is IMHO still to clean. The image I have of walls like this is algea laden muck. Now that's also a personal preference, if you're pleased then stop.
The second (I learned after my first time too). The wallpaper looks like it was one big piece per wall. Next time I'd cut the big piece into stips and apply the strips as you would 1:1 paper.

Very nice - you've done a great job. For a 1st dio to see such attention paid to the base is great.

the wash helps doesnt it?

that is one excellent diorama, and the improvements make it even better

cheers

joe

Oh yes the wash does help it considerably. Slodder do you have any pics or know of any links to pics of a canal wall like that...I havent found any and i sure wouldnt be afraid to add any algae to it i would just like to have a reference to go by...and would any one out there have a suggestion for a name for this diorama? and once again thanks for the kind words

I"ll see on the images.....

A name hmmmmmmmm

"That's my bridge."
"XXX Corps?"
"Protect at all cost"
"Other side"

I like that title "thats my bridge"....and thanks i would appreciate a look at the pics

Here's a link to a Paris canal. Right at the waters edge is a black line of 'growth'
http://www.virtourist.com/europe/paris/07.htm
Go through the slide show to 25/50 Point des Art and look at the bridge pilings for another view
The 48th photo Point au Change is cool too. It shows the staining that water level changes make.
Hope those help give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

your dio is awesome jackhammer. i just finished my first dio too and yours looks lots better than mine. i did notice one thing though, the color of the soldier's uniforms and helmets. It looks from the pictures that the uniforms are painted dark grey. the typical german field tunic was field grey, a greyish green. the helmet's green color looks a little bright, but thats all. and by no means am i any kind of expert on dios or figures of the like, so you dont have to take me seriously. again, awesome dio!

I added a few more pics of the diorama i redid and algaed up the walls around the water....slodder i hope this was what you had in mind. But one of these days I will figure out how to take pic's with consistent lighting, I know natural sunlight is the best but the weather is doing not so great for that here in the midwest, any thoughts from anyone on how to do better indoor pics would be appreciated...once again thanks to everyone for all there input and kind words about this diorama...I really enjoyed buidling this, but its time to start another one...I'll keep everyone posted

I Like It... The algea looks good. You got it.

Lighting is hard, there have been some threads about it. Lots of light to avoid a flash. You can purchase 'natural light' light bulbs ($$). Personally for indoor pictures I use up to 3 60 -100 watt normal light bulbs at different angles to avoid shadows.

I want to again thank everyone for there comments and praises it really means alot to me. And thanks again to Slodder for the help on the canal walls and the idea for a name...i used the "That's my bridge" and had a plaque made after i translated it to german so its name is "Das Ist Meine Brucke" also i finally got a tripod and the lighting sorta right so there are much better pics of it posted...Hope you all have a look, and enjoy them

look different
nice work

Jackhammer81 , i want to congratulate u for this excellent work especially for a first dio. Your dedication to detail is remarkable. If i want it to say 1-2 thing s to help more, i dasay that the broken concrete pieces that are over the inside area of the building look a lil "planted" vertically. I mean when a constryction breaks down the pieces tear apart in ubnormal formations. Also some of your pieces look a lil triangle shaped and maybe should have been ruined in a more random way. Further more when the first big pieces fall a lot of dust and smaller particles fall over them and cover them so they should be more dirty. That my contri to help u and i believe that u have the skills to be great builder. My congrats again (:-)