Gareth,

Don't forget the cabling etc on the crew's headsets.

Brian

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the reminder, i've made a note so i don't forget.

Regards,

G

Hi all,

Thought I’d start on the base next, on the suggestion of ‘BootsDMS’ I have decided to try to keep my bases/dioramas to an A4 size. An advantage of this is that, when complete, I can drop them in to relatively inexpensive picture frames that I can pick up at B&M, or similar...a nice, quick and easy solution to framing the scene, .


Yesterday, I roughed out the shape of the base using polystyrene and plaster. I mixed fine sand/grit, gathered off of the beach, in to the plaster mix (see images below).







To get a feel for how the finished article might look I positioned the Conqueror on the base (see images below).









Unfortunately, the revetment top looked too flat, so will have to revisit this before i start painting and 'dressing' with undergrowth, .

Regards

G

Hi all,

Below are some images of my second attempt at constructing the base. As well as creating a more irregular top to the revetment the additional ‘spoil’ has given the Conqueror a more ‘hull down’ feel to scene…least that’s my opinion, .















I’ve also added a piece of dowel, this will form the stump of a tree. Below are some images of the revised base with the Conqueror in position…does anyone know whether they would reverse tanks in to revetments so that they could be driven out more easily as, and when, they had to bug-out?









That's all for now.

Regards,

G

Hi all,

I found an old sheet of plasticard so have spent a couple of hours today tidying up the sides of the base so as to hide the polystyrene. I have also filled the gap between the new sides and the curved edges of the diorama (see images below). Once I’ve cleaned up the corner joints, I will paint the sides black. Tomorrow I will add some Milliput roots to the trunk and hopefully start to paint the base.















Any comments, critical or positive, always welcome. Also, what medium do people use for painting their bases, oils or others?

Cheers, .

G

Hi all,

Yesterday I added some Milliput roots to the trunk and also added some ‘bark’ texture to the trunk (see images below).







Today I have started to paint the base, I have added a dark wash plus two paler highlights (see images below). On top of this I intend to add various grass and grit and foliage to build up a more realistic finish.







I have also added, using oil paints, some basic shading and highlighting to the tree stump (see images below). Once this has dried I will ‘grey’ it down to give the appearance of dead wood and add moss and other foliage associated with decaying wood.











Regards

G

Take 1 looked pretty good to me but Take 2’s even better & a nice stump. When you say “painting bases” I assume you mean the surround – maybe just buy some wood laminate?

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the kind words, i'm not sure it's me having been away from modelling for so long, or whether it's the same for others, but i do something and think...'that looks fine'...and then look at it again the following day and think...'that doesn't look right'...i'm sure i'll look at it again and change something...guess it's knowing when to know one's limitations and say...'enough is enough', .

Also, the hint on wood laminate is much appreciated, thanks again.

Cheers, .

G

Hi all,

Yesterday and today I have added the ‘stonework’ to the basic plaster-formed base and have started to add some, hopefully, subtle colouring, below I have included some images as an update.









Over the next few days I hope to add some grasses, foliage and general detritus, then any washes and dry brushing that might be required to finish it off.

I'm also thinking of adding two small puddles where the tracks would end up against the collapsed earth...any suggestions as to how best to do this?

Then I shall start to paint the mighty Conqueror…a task I have been putting off as I’m pretty nervous about mucking up the paint job, .

Please feel free to comment as you see fit, .

Cheers, .

G

Hi all,

Today I have begun to dress the base, I’ve added some ‘moss’ to the banks and floor of the revetment (see images below). This looks a bit too vivid at the moment due to the paint still being wet, I’ve also added some exposed roots to the tree stump and a few dead ferns.











I have ordered some different static grasses which I will add at a later date. Tomorrow I will add a few more ferns and some more detritus.

Cheers, .

G

Wow, looking very good so far!

Hi Colin,

Thank you for the kind words, much appreciated.

Regards,

G

Hi all,

Today I have toned-down and tried to blend in the ‘moss’ as this still looked a bit too vivid even after the paint had dried (see images below). Once the adhesive used to fix the ‘ferns’ has dried I will paint the leaves.













Below are a few images of the base with the unpainted Conqueror in-situ.











Tomorrow I prime the beast, .

Cheers, .

G

Hi all,

One of many of the great bits of advice people have shared with me during this build came from Tim Martin (callsign, Dioramartin). Tim’s suggestion was to take photographs and look at them some time later, it would show up things that wouldn’t be noticed with the MK1 eyeball, e.g. defects, inaccuracies, or things that simply didn’t work, .

This morning I looked at pictures of yesterdays work and really didn’t like the look of the few bits of long grass I’d added. The old decorators paint brush I’d used looked too little, too straight, too thick,…too artificial…think it must have been a nylon bristle jobby, .

So, this morning I decided to revisit the long grass, it still needs trimming and the loose bits tidying up once the glue has set, but I think it looks a tad better (see images below)…but then I would say that, .















I have also begun painting the ferns and have added a few more, these will be painted in the next few days, again, when the glue has set.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a good base colour for longer dry grass?

Cheers, .

G

Hi again,

As mentioned earlier today I have now given the ‘new’ ferns a basic paint and decided to give the grass a basic green. I have also started to build up some ‘shrubbery’ on top of the revetment (see image below), not quite sure how much I will create and how it’s going to evolve, .



I have, over the last fortnight, oft procrastinated regarding painting the beast but have, today, eventually picked up the courage to start painting the beast…let us spray nowt goes wrong due to my inexperience, .

Below I have posted some images of the spray primed beast…now I have no excuses, a painting I will go…well, actually I do have one excuse, ...there are so many methods of painting; lowlights, highlights, pre-shading, washes, filters, etc,...what route does one take, .























On a serious note, is it okay to use both acrylics and enamels on the same model?

Cheers, .

G

Hey Gareth,

Great job on this so far! I am really impressed with your work.




Here is a link to a post I did regarding my techniques for painting, weathering and finishing. I hope it may help you.

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/262945

I use acrylics as my paint of choice, following up with enamel and oil washes.

I will be following this one.

vr,

Tim

Hi Tim,

Thank you for the compliment, it was very kind of you to take the time to post. I hope you continue to enjoy this build topic.

Hope you don't mind me copying your guidance notes on order of battle when it comes to painting, it was an excellent and useful article.

Thanks again for your feedback and help.

Regards,

G

Before subjecting your Conqueror to any of those wethering/shading techniques I recommend trying it out on something else first, an old model, scrap plastic with lots of surface structure/details, make an "installation" by gluing together left over parts and sprues.
/ Robin

By the way:
Are there untreated scratches on top of the little turret?

Hi Robin,

One step ahead of you...yes they are/were very fine scratches, not sure if they were in the plastic or the primer, but they were so fine I couldn't see them with the MK1 Eyeball, even when using a small magnifying glass. There were also three tiny 'blips' which I have also removed (see image below).



Think they're more-or-less gone now, but whilst the primer cures I have been taking the time today to study the pictures I took, and the actual parts, closely and have removed a few blips and bits. Not saying I have got everything but it's a case of diminishing returns, .

Regards,

G

Studying photos is a great assistance in reviewing ones work before calling it finished. Somehow the eye/brain sees it differently when it is a twodimensional photo instead of the real thing.
/ Robin

Robin,

You're not kidding, , this was my first attempt at spraying and when I looked at the finished article with the MK1 Eyeball I was quite pleased with my attempt, but then...the photographs, .

It's all one big learning curve, .

Regards,

G

Isn't modern technology amazing?
It has given us this wonderful tool in the shape of a digital camera. Imagine 40 years ago, snapping photos using expensive film and then handing them in for development, wait for a couple of days and then pay more cash to get the prints
B&W film was cheaper, using colourfilm when it wasn't necessary was wasteful.
Now we can make as many pictures as we like and then erase the useless ones
Pictures are available directly and the model can be adjusted before making the next photo.
/ Robin

Conk’s really looking the business now, great progress. I use enamels & acrylics recklessly together although only matt/flat enamels under acrylic, the latter doesn’t stick to satin/gloss too well. PS on a point of order re your Feb 19 post, Robin’s too modest to say he was the first to suggest taking progress photos, I only amplified his comments

Hi Tim,

Apologies for the delay in responding but have had to take an enforced, but brief, sabbatical due to circumstances beyond my control.

Thanks for putting me right, , you are correct to point out that both you and Robin touched on the benefits of photos, so thanks goes to you both.

Regards,

G

Hi all,

My first chance in a week to move this build forward, , so today i have firstly completed the base (see images below)...unless something else springs to mind, .













I have also managed to do some preliminary shading and highlighting of the base colour (see images below).













Apart from the preliminary colouring of the tracks, which was done by hand, the base colour has been done using an airbrush. As previously mentioned, this is the first time I’ve used an airbrush and, whilst I appreciate it’s not perfect, I’m quite pleased with the results. There is a small amount of white ‘flecking’ which, I’m presuming, is due to me not mixing the different colours adequately, , but I am sure I can hide this once I start weathering, .

Although a number of folk have suggested using something to practice my airbrushing techniques on, before starting on the kit, I unfortunately don't have anything to hand, so this model is my 'canvas'...but then i have to start somewhere, . This whole build, tank and base, is, in reality, one big experiment after 40yrs away from modelling, .

I have also roughly 'blocked in' by hand the first coat of paint for the camouflage nets (see images below).













Tomorrow I will give the Conqueror a coat of gloss varnish in readiness for weathering.

Please feel free to comment, or advise, as you feel fit.

Cheers, ,

G