Counterattack, Normandy-1/35
Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
Armorama: 698 posts
Posted: Monday, June 30, 2014 - 08:23 PM UTC
Thanks Jerry!
Treemendus "apples" doesn't look much to the real ones in my opinion, maybe I will use them for other fruits, but in the end is personal preference
Yes, trees are hard to make and I know that perfect match is very hard to achieve, so I wanted as close as possible similarity to the real apple tree
.
So, I'm proceeding with painting the apples. I've had an idea for quick and easy way to paint them nice:
1. Put the apples in a plastic cup
2. Start spraying inside with red paint in light layers-the apples will rolling inside the cup like in lottery. That way the paint will stick randomly and the effect is more realistic
And voila, I think they turned out pretty nice
:
Cheers!
Venelin
Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
Armorama: 698 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 01, 2014 - 12:57 AM UTC
With a gloss coat
Cheers!
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 01, 2014 - 01:43 AM UTC
There you go!! Those look impressive.
J
Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
Armorama: 698 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 01, 2014 - 03:33 AM UTC
Thanks!
Starting by little to put the handles of the apples and some of them on the tree
Cheers!
V
Colorado, United States
Joined: February 24, 2014
KitMaker: 3,033 posts
Armorama: 2,492 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 01, 2014 - 05:00 AM UTC
That was like watching reverse engineering of nature -- from apple sauce back to the basket and up onto the tree! They look great! Well worth the effort!
I finally found a use for the pumpkins!
--mike
Alberta, Canada
Joined: August 20, 2008
KitMaker: 1,295 posts
Armorama: 1,191 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 01, 2014 - 08:20 AM UTC
Venelin, these apples are really cool, and well done. You, ( or anyone, including myself); could make them a little bit smaller and use hem as tomatoes too...
Really good thought process put into your whole diorama. I have enjoyed watching I from a distance. Makes me want to build another tree
Okay, maybe not, but yours looks better with every new photo.
Great job V!
Dave
Do what you love, and love what you do... then everything else is simply an extension of that which drives your heart.
Napoli, Italy
Joined: April 17, 2014
KitMaker: 652 posts
Armorama: 600 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 01, 2014 - 09:46 AM UTC
Hi Venelin,
I'm impressed. Very simple but great result.
Thanks for sharing !
Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
Armorama: 698 posts
Posted: Wednesday, August 27, 2014 - 02:05 AM UTC
Wien, Austria
Joined: May 20, 2011
KitMaker: 1,744 posts
Armorama: 1,727 posts
Posted: Wednesday, August 27, 2014 - 06:11 AM UTC
Hi Venelin,
Mg34 looks great! There is just the ammo belt to paint, e voilą!
Cheers
Romain
un pour tous et tous pour un!
England - East Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: October 04, 2008
KitMaker: 369 posts
Armorama: 249 posts
Posted: Thursday, August 28, 2014 - 10:31 PM UTC
Venelin,
I have to say that apple tree looks fantastic, I will certainly be trying this out. Thanks
"Of course I'll marry you darling, even if you do paint plastic men."
..and No, I am not the editor of SMMI Magazine !
Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
Armorama: 698 posts
Posted: Friday, August 29, 2014 - 03:14 AM UTC
Thanks!
Ammo belt painted:
Cheers!
Wien, Austria
Joined: May 20, 2011
KitMaker: 1,744 posts
Armorama: 1,727 posts
Posted: Friday, August 29, 2014 - 05:08 AM UTC
Well done Sir!!!
Cheers
Romain
un pour tous et tous pour un!
Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
Armorama: 698 posts
Posted: Friday, July 01, 2016 - 05:20 PM UTC
Some progress here
I wanted a small storage farmhouse, so I cut the walls from styrofoam, then carved the stones with a pencil. The door and window framing is from 1mm balsa.
Then the building is primed with Vallejo primer (just in case, not to melt the foam with cellulose primers) and grey Lifecolor paints.
Next I used universal acrylic filler, to imitate the mortar joint. With spatula the filler is applied in thin layer on the walls, then with wet cotton cloth remove the excess. In that way the mortar joint is not very deep, and the wall is not completely flat, i.e. the stones are slightly raised
When all is dry I will finish with oils and pigments, put the door, the window and roof.
Cheers!
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Friday, July 01, 2016 - 08:29 PM UTC
Very nice effect on the stone walls and I like how you did the corner stones. This is a detail many get wrong,including guys that do the real stone facades on real houses. If you get it wrong,it looks really really fake. Yours is right on the money though. Nice job.
J
Overijssel, Netherlands
Joined: July 01, 2010
KitMaker: 1,322 posts
Armorama: 1,239 posts
Posted: Friday, July 01, 2016 - 09:48 PM UTC
Hi Venelin,
great build!
Thanks for sharing.
One thing: the whole Normandy battle took place in June. Also, it is close to the north and the ocean, which affects a quick grow.
Therefore, your apples may be too red for the time of the year.
Have a look in your own garden: they are still pretty small and green.
But it is only a minor detail, if you allow.....
Enjoy the weekend,
P.
Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
Armorama: 698 posts
Posted: Friday, July 01, 2016 - 10:13 PM UTC
Thanks for the feedback!
Stones and bricks have to overlap, it's like a law in construction, otherwise the structure is not stable and may collapse
As for the apples- yes, they should be green, but I intend to make another try with the tree, this time better I hope
Quick painting of various stones with oils-Buff, Light and Dark grey. Then brushing pigments-Europe Earth and Dust:
Cheers!
V
England - North West, United Kingdom
Joined: April 17, 2005
KitMaker: 751 posts
Armorama: 740 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 02, 2016 - 01:55 AM UTC
Manche, France
Joined: March 20, 2007
KitMaker: 340 posts
Armorama: 328 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 02, 2016 - 01:27 PM UTC
Quoted Text
One thing: the whole Normandy battle took place in June.
And July and August....
Agreed though the apples are a bit big, but they grow at different rates of course. A friend of mine who fought in Normandy said how they stuffed their pockets with apples. He also said that if you eat only apples, there are, erm, consequences...
A couple of comments on the building, which looks really nice, btw.
If you're going for the Caen area, the stone has a yellow ochre tinge to it.
The door needs some sort of lintel. I wouldn't want to stand in the doorway
For a small building like this, wood would be OK. Should be easy enough to scrape away some of the foam and insert some balsa or similar.
Some photos
here which may be of use.
Cheers
Sean
Arizona, United States
Joined: October 20, 2015
KitMaker: 304 posts
Armorama: 293 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 02, 2016 - 02:41 PM UTC
Venelin, just great work here the cat looks first rate. The apple tree is coming out very realistic. I can't wait to see more work.
Robert
Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
Armorama: 698 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 02, 2016 - 02:50 PM UTC
Hi!
The stones are no problem to be colored with oils several times, thanks for the hint, very informative.
The door and the window have lintel, Sean, I made it from balsa, now with the oil wash it's better visible I hope
Door is from balsa wood, added hinges and lock, and then oil wash with Raw Umber and Black. Nails I will add later:
The roof I intend to be from slate stones, like on the picture, is that correct for Normandy buildings?
Cheers!
Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
Armorama: 698 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 09, 2016 - 07:10 PM UTC
Manche, France
Joined: March 20, 2007
KitMaker: 340 posts
Armorama: 328 posts
Posted: Saturday, July 09, 2016 - 07:39 PM UTC
Quoted Text
The door and the window have lintel, Sean, I made it from balsa, now with the oil wash it's better visible I hope
The roof I intend to be from slate stones, like on the picture, is that correct for Normandy buildings?
Sorry, I didn't see the lintle. Wasn't wearing my glasses. Keep thinking I'm younger than I am...
Tha lates look good and are perfectly fine for a stone barn on Normandy (clay tiles and -to a lesser extent- thatch or corrugated iron being the main alternatives).
Cheers
Sean
Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
Armorama: 698 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 10, 2016 - 02:03 PM UTC
Many thanks!
Almost ready, the tile cover is from thin brass sheet, primed and Gunze Stainless steel paint. Some weathering will be needed later.
Cheers!
V
Ontario, Canada
Joined: November 03, 2012
KitMaker: 2,275 posts
Armorama: 2,233 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 10, 2016 - 04:35 PM UTC
Quoted Text
By the way, anyone experienced bubbles on Alpine figures?
I just found one unpleasant hole on the nose of one of the spare heads, I think is from bubble. There are some 1-2 tiny ones on the back of one of the hands, although I filled them with putty, no real problem. But on the faces it will be harder to fix, maybe I will try later.
I'm really start to love those figures, and considering buying other sets, but I wonder if this is a common issue or maybe I had bad luck
You got to make sure your not buying counterfeit...alpine does not come with bubbles.
I seen a guy from China trying to sell counterfeit Alpine products on ebay so I contacted Taesung Harmms . Soon after he issued a warning that someone was copyng his products & to be careful.
Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
Armorama: 698 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 10, 2016 - 04:49 PM UTC
I bought them from Lucky, pretty sure they sell the original, but who knows.
Thanks!
