I've been practicing my air brush technique (or lack thereof) every now and then, and I've been playing around with the colors I'm not afraid to waste- on a small diorama base.

The figures I've got were thrown together last fall, and sat for over a year in my cellar while the project at the time was forgotten. So, being pretty good figures IMHO (save for a few touch ups I've recently seen), and given that ValleyCon is next weekend, I'll try to get this together for then.

Very straightforward idea as in the old diorama- https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/225739#1902197 - a nervous trio of GrossDeutschland grenadiers hanging on by a thread in Memel... A seasoned veteran trying to keep a newer recruit calm while stalking a JS-I, whilst a rather inexperienced NCO looks on- perhaps too eagerly.

IMG_3811 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3817 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3818 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3821 by mullinator7, on Flickr

And my favorite one-

IMG_3822 by mullinator7, on Flickr

I mainly notice errors where the skin meets the uniforms, i.e. no paint at all.

So! I've got a week. The clock is ticking...

Thanks for looking!

-Conor

Looking good! Your faces are really improving. Hope you get it finished in time dude.
J

Thanks J. Yeah, these were some of the first faces that I was really happy with. They don't have some of the effects I got on more recent ones, but the expression is all there at least.

-Conor

Great concept and the layout is just right. The figures look first rate. I can't wait to see the finished piece.

Hi Conor ,

nice man ! I like the expression in the eyes of the guy with the Panzerfaust. It must be a big monster that appears to him !

Well done , i like it !

Kurt

Thanks, Kurt! You're right. That landser's face, I might add, was chosen based on the numerous accounts I've read on man versus tank fights. Hey, if it were me, that would be mine...if I had the nerve to see it through!

IMG_3829 by mullinator7, on Flickr

Your comment made me want to take that little snap. Eventually I want to try a scene just like that.

Anyways, I've started to really hit this building chunk with different Vallejo colors, and it's taking shape.

IMG_3824 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3823 by mullinator7, on Flickr

It's pretty fun adding different colors and shades to this, but my end goal is to get it so that the figures really sit well in the diorama, and don't stand out.

I realized while going back to these 3 figures that they're some of the last that I finished under the watchful & vocal help of Romain So at the very least, I feel like I owe it to him to get some use out of them.

-Conor

Coming along nicely little brother! I love the pic you posed with the tank and grenadier.
J

Thanks J! I think the picture with the tank lends perspective to the bigger picture in this scene hahaha. Soon enough I'll have a diorama of that.

I got in another afternoon to weather the chunk of house and get at the nitty gritty parts of the figures.

Here is the standard camera setting, far too much light:

IMG_3834 by mullinator7, on Flickr

And after audjustments...

IMG_3833 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3832 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3831 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3830 by mullinator7, on Flickr

Pigments and washes! And air brush techniques. And small adjustments and additions. I think it still needs something though? At least my figures really blend well with the scene now.

So! If anyone spots anything please let me know! I've got one day left for final adjustments....

Thanks!

-Conor

I like the picture with the tank Conor ! It's a nice little scene you have there , great paintjob and the house number on the wall is a very good idea , in fact it's a nice touch.

It all looks well to me , so i wish you a lot of fun !

Kurt

The base looks great.

Robert

Hi Conor - I agree with the comments above, looking good!

Nick

Did you get done in time? Inquiring minds want to know?
J

Thanks guys! Nick I wish I could accomplish such big scenes that you do, all of my big ideas boil down to tiny scenes like this!

To Jerry and the other inquiring minds, I did manage to get it done Took home a silver medal as well.

I'll get pictures up tomorrow, and throw in a few from the show.

-Conor

Cheers on the medal! Cool!

As for the projects, the best part of this hobby - or maybe on some sort of philosophical level - in my opinion is, none of us have a boss or anyone else telling us what to build or not - subject, scale, color, good, bad, size, whatever - build what you want to! I think as soon as anyone told me to build big dios, I'd go small! Haha! At work I worry about many, many rules - the delegation of authority and who needs to approve whatever I'm supposed to be doing, or what I'm required to approve - and so on, and on! Not here!

Build good stuff, and congrats on the medal!

Nick

Very nice scene Conor , and good on you for the silver !!!
Cool debris work and I like your figs .

OK man! Nice job. I am happy you get it done in time.
J

Thanks guys, this will be it for the next week or so as the end of the semester is beginning to kick me in the butt. That said, here's the finished product. Picture heavy.

IMG_3919 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3920 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3921 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3922 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3923 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3924 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3925 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3926 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3927 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3928 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3929 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3930 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3931 by mullinator7, on Flickr

IMG_3932 by mullinator7, on Flickr

All done with Vallejo and AK products on the base, and pigments and water effects on the figures. Lots of fun this one was.

I also was financially irresponsible at the show, and left with these:

IMG_3918 by mullinator7, on Flickr

The TANK figures sell for around $40 on ebay. Those were $12.90 and the guy cut me a deal when I picked up three more. The Verlinden radio operators were cool, and the wounded panzer crew could be of imminent use. The fella that I got the Mig products from was at Mosquitocon the day before and got cleaned out, otherwise I'd have more of those products. I built the Gen2 Kharkov set a few years ago, this time I'm just going to frankenstein the figures. If there's any clue in the nature of the sets, I've been thinking of a Kharkov diorama. But, for the most part, I just wanted to get the TANK figures. There's literally nowhere else I could have got that deal.

Happy modelling!

-Conor

Thanks for the pics of the finished thing! Nice.
I always wanted to get those Tank figs. They look pretty good. I probably got some stuff from the same guy you did in NJ.
J