Hey Guys!

Im not a normal diorama maker and I just finished a small vignette/diorama of some Russians at Stalingad. Since this is my first effort in trying to do a scene I would appreciate some input and suggestions for my future projects from some diorama builders

The ruin and debris is plaster thats been scribed, the whole thing is painted in acrylics and weathered with pastels. The figures are from the Tamiya 1/35th scale Russian Assault Infantry kit.

Anders

You just answered my question in the figure forum here :-) :-) :-)
Just as in the figures forum I will comment you on the nice action scene you just made. Great job on that.
Looking at the pictures the only small nitpick I could come up with is that the bricks look a little large. But I don`t know what measurements you took so possibly this is another size brick then regular. Further I really can`t add much to that. The figs are well painted and the Brick wall is superb with the Different colors on several brick wich makes it more natural.

A great addition to your Shelves that`s what I have to say

Hi Anders!

Actually I think this one of your finest, at least that Ive seen.

Try to trim down the eyes on the last guy and he will be fine.

In my humble opinion there could be one or two more details on the ground, for example:
Bent and broken bicycle.
A few spent shells.
A rag or a dirty piece of clothing.
Partial piping or an I or H beam.
Perhaps a bit of sooth on the tap of the back wall.

But all of these suggestions are just personal taste.

Anders,
I really like it...I know how much work scribing the brick wall must have been, and you definitely nailed it! I also like the "shadow box" effect you have created. It is very effective.
As for 'nitpicks'.... I agree that maybe an odd item or two of junk or pipe, or something to add to the rubble. Great job, sir!

Nit-picks ----- really want them? I suppose you´re a big boy now and can handle it! #:-)

On the image to the right, the ruined wall the soldiers are running from, the destroyed part is too neat! The curves are almost perfect if you know what I mean. Its better to have a more dissruptive style with missing bricks to break up any curves or straights. As there might have been a cavity between the inner and outer layer of bricks, some bricks from the inner layer missing showing the outer layer is a nice touch.
And to be very nit-picky...... on the outside where its all painted black ....... its easy to see the joint as its a bit rough! Although its all painted black, this can be seen because of your lighting. A good sanding would easily take care of ths and gives a more professional image!

In honesty I would be proud if this were mines! I love the vignette! There will always be a nit pick from every viewer, so dont get too hung up on the small things. But we all kow the small things, bring a dio, figure, tank, etc, to the next level.
The good points of this vignette, by far outweigh any little "flaws". But I too agree, that some extra rubble mixed in with the fallen bricks adds so much. the bycycle was a good example. The back wall could have had something extra if you wanted to push it as well! A street lamp, gutter pipe, poster, etc. Maybe even an arm of a crushed body!
I love dios where every time you look at it you spot something new. I know its not easy to cram everything into something small like this, but a few extra pieces give an impression of more. And the case of less is more applies as well.
Be very proud Anders. This is first class stuff. I hope to see more of these in the future.

hi Anders,
I made some comments on the other post ,here I can say you are a normal diorama builder from now on :-)
no critics on your figures because they are awesome as always. I usually use static figures in my dios and vignettes ,now i see action figures are also good to use.
wall is very well done and painted.I especially liked the few different colored bricks.
I think the wall on the right had a sanding problem at the bottom and looks a little concave in the front view .I dont think this is much important but it could be better to add some broken bricks to the debris.the hole that soldiers running towards looks like a window,you could add a damaged balsa window frame with some broken microscope slide covers.

finally this is a very good vignette,my critics are for the next one...best regards

To nitpick or not to nitpick?

Depends on the reason. If the reason is to bring someonde down its no good.
In this case I believe most of us think that Anders have good potential to become astonishing and thats why we point this small small nit out.

Hey Guys!

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I really don't mind nit picks, as its the small details that makes a figure/dio or anything a lot better.

I also think that the scene is a little too clean. I really thought about what I could add to make it look better but came up epmpty or thought the idea was too ambitious this late in the build. I also think I am a little too logical, in the sense that something that would or could really be there seams to crazy for me so I pass up on the idea, but I think I should try harder to push my 'limits' within this area. I can see that the bricks may be a little too big, will change the measurements for the next one for sure. I see what you are saying PB about the bricks, and about everything else for that matter I wasnt really sure how the bricks would have been built up behind the first layer, so I just kind of winged it. But you are correct that the cut is very clean. Also about the back of the walls, yeah that one spot is very rough looking, I'll try to sand it down and see how it works out. Thanks again guys, now I am certian that I can do it better next time,all thanks to you guys!

Great figure work as always. They are wonderful.
I agree with PB about the exterior joints, I also agree with him that overall the look and feel far outweigh that nit pick.
I personally would have used a bit darker wash in the brick joints on the big un-plastered wall. The mortar can tend to dirty a bit with age and since the wall was plaster less it may have accumulated the dirt - but again - it is a personal choice and does not distract.

If you are looking for ideas of little things to add, maybe a horizontal steam pipe or water pipe running along the top of the tall wall. This would serve as a frame to draw the eye down to the figures, you could even dent the middle to add more eye movement. It would 'fill in' the wall a bit. Maybe remanents of a door (metal or wood) and a frame on the opening the guys are about to exit. Maybe a pipe or two sticking up out of the rubble if you want a bit of variety in the rubble.
One thing I do with exterior walls is to take a thin sheet of styrene, cut it and dremel it to shape. Paint it then glue it to the plaster wall. This gives a nice smooth uniform surface. Sometimes a bit of putty is needed at the edges to fill gaps between the styrene and plaster.

Wow thats what i have to say , if you take off the last guys strange eye look, the whole scene is a masterpiece of setting painting and pastelling. Great work , make the next a bigger one !!!!!

Hi AndersHeintz
An excellent effort...I love the different views created by the gap in the wall and the window.
The bricks are superb, but maybe need a little more weathering as the building is roofless i.e. some damp patches and stains.
Faust mentions the bricks might be a little too big. He might be right but I don't think so.
I know in Poland, bricks of that period, are large compared to say what we use in UK. So I imagine bricks in Russia were also on the large size.
Also in some cases in Eastern Europe they might lay the bricks up-right (the tallest width up), not flat (the shortest height up).
Minor things.
Cheers
Peter

Awesome Job...

Most of the Critics you have read are excellent and helpful. One thought from me, I am a storyteller and I love what you are doing in this diorama – and this is really nitpicky, but since I see you taking your work to the next level, I add it in hopes of being helpful - your black exterior walls are not uniform and black enough. What I mean is there is lots of texture on walls, particular the one they are heading toward. It catches the eye, distracts for a moment from the vignette from that angle (Maybe only in the picture, R/T it may not show –so shut my face), so that it almost appears to be a burnt wall. My mind wants to include it in the diorama, not view it as a frame. Sound silly, but I always remember the one time I heard Shep Paine speak and he emphasize what the Masters all did… everything focused to your subject, nothing distracting – UNLESS distraction is intended.

So...

1. If you intent was to frame the diorama in black for focus the viewer... GREAT JOB, but work on getting that exterior portion of the wall as uniform and perfect as the rest of your diorama.

2. If it is not a framing idea, then consider finish the exterior walls area (currently black) as a regular wall. It COULD add more to the storyline and still focus the viewer to the central theme, your figures.

Great work! Keep it up, as D’Vinci said,

“It is not the single masterpiece, but the journey that quickens the blood.”

John

www.johnneill.com

I really like how you've made this vignette "accessible" from a couple different angles. I concur on the eyes in the last guy. As always the focal point of a figure AND the most difficult.

Hey Guys!

Thanks for the all the comments and suggestions. Im going to try to sand the walls as you are all right, it looks very unprofessional.

As for the eyes on the last guy, when I planned this scene he was supposed to be in the middle, and I wanted to attract some more attention to the center of the scene. So I painted the guy different, hence no beard, blue eyes and little brighter skins. I wanted to show more exitement in his face, and figured by painting the eyes a little larger would show more of an exiting and happening expression. Guess I failed in showing that But I tried anyway

AJ, I would beg to differ that the eyes are the hardest part, to me they are one of the easiest parts acctually, to me the hardest parts are the shadows on the face and painting hands, never can paint a good looking hand.

Anders,

The figures are awesome! I really like the variation in the colros of the uniforms. I do agree with other posters the eyes of the caped figure are too prominent. My only nitpick on the figures.

Overall, the background is good. the rubble looks realistic and chaotic. The walls, as has been said, look a bit to regular as to the amount of damage they sustained.
My nitpicks on the base deal more with the storytelling than the finished work. I see the three guys running from a damaged wall to either a ground level window or a doorway. In either case, nothing tells me which it is.
second, apart from the uniforms, nothing says "Russian" or "Stalingrad" in the dio itself.
Perhaps a slogan painted on the wall of something more characteristically Soviet/ Russian would add flavor to the scene.

I think that's about it. Technically well done, but lacking on emotional impact. With a few simple changes it could become much more impactful.

Do you etch your own plaques or have them done?

Well done,

I like the concept of depth. That is creative. It's gutsy to post pix of your work for criticism. That's the sign of someone who wants to improve.
It good of your modeling web-clan to offer good suggestions withjout being super critical or condescending.
I'll be crucified when I finally post the one diorama I've been working on... for 10 years, but I'll do it anyway. How else can I get better.

Sealhead (Kansas Sunflower)

Looks really good to me. I really like the way you've made the telegroika padded jackets and pants "mix & match". Thats how they were. I have an origional and it still has the 4 minor wound badges, combat service, order of the red star, and order of valour patches sewn on, and naval infantry bottons!! I cant say anything from the diorama viewpoint. Good luck.

Katyusha

I have one really big thing. The uniforms are Modle '43 gymnesteirka shirsts, and stalingrad happened in 42-43. The change didnt come about until a few months after stalingrad.
Here is what the shirt collars should look like:

Sorry
Maybe you can make it berlin or warsaw, It looks like you worked really hard on the figures (Even down to the white collar liner!!), but the only one really needing to be changed is the person with the rain cape.
Katyusha

Hola Katyucha!

Thanks for the heads up! Im not doing any more changes to these figures, but I will remember this in the future