Glad to see you back inda ‘hood Gareth & the new weeds look great, I think you’ll have to employ a gardener soon. Re Ms A., one word – Walkabout (she was actually 18, I had to check…alas I was only 15!)

I agree with the others, it is turning out great.

I posted pics of the Hellcat pit on the campaign thread. https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/281749&page=4#2387096

Hi Erwin,

Glad you think so, I always appreciate your critical feedback...keeps me on my toes, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi Tim,

I'd forgotten about 'Walkabout', and 'Logan's Run'...seems to me that the delectable Ms A got her kit off in most films...she even stopped a speeding train by waving her red bloomers in 'The Railway Children', .

Thanks for the positive feedback, much appreciated, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for the kind feedback, .

Thanks for the link, love the detail you've put into the cockpit, it's looking great.

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

Not much progress today, but I've started to work within the walls. I've started to paint the woodpile and the bare earth elements (see images below).











I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with the bare patch of earth on the opposite side of the door opening from the wood pile. I was thinking of a fire, with a couple of the crew in the process of making a brew...it's usually the first thing us Brits would do, .

But if anyone has any other ideas please feel free to share, .

Cheers, ,

G

My pleasure Missing your's on my dio,which I recently continued though!

Hi Erwin,

My apologies, wasn't aware you'd restarted your titankic iceberg build again, will pop over and give it a look, .

Cheers, ,

G

Concerning your bare patch of ground. Making a brew is a great idea but maybe also consider showing what comes out the other end ? Take it from a long service soldier. It has to happen every day! LoL
J

Hi Jerry,

Thanks for the feedback, it's certainly given me an idea to put a figure relieving itself against the wall, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

I decided that the grass within the yard was too well manicured for a dilapidated farm so have spent the last few hours roughing up the 'lawn' (see images below), .











The downside is that I now have to rough up the area outside the wall, , but luckily it's a smaller area, .

Cheers, ,

G

Just keeps on getting even better Gaz. Jerry’s suggestion’s good but strap in for a broadside from the guy who took great offence at a urinator appearing in a Photo Feature a couple of months back…it really pissed him off I guess it depends what’s happening in the dio, are they lurking in ambush, in action, or resting? Just had a thought, how about scorching some of that dead grass (black pastel/charcoal/powder paint dust) for more variation, if a shell hit the wall I’d imagine spot fires might have eventuated

That roough "grass" makes it even more interesting to look at! And I fully agree with Tim... What are you trying to depict?

Hi Tim,

Thank you for the positive feedback, it's much appreciated, .

Not sure why modelling a figure taking a leak would be considered offensive, but then there's nowt so queer as folk, ...but thanks for the heads-up. Least now I know that I might get some grief if I decide to flow down that particular stream, forewarned is foreskinned, .

Thanks for the suggestion re. the scorched grass, that thought had crossed my mind but I decided against it as, in my eyes, I've sort of modelled the damage as if its been like it for some period of time. So, in all likelihood any burnt grass would have been grown over...least that's how I imagined it would be, .

This is only my second build that has come anywhere near completion and is really an attempt at practising techniques and trying to develop a 'style'. More of an experiment as opposed to having an end goal, however, that said, I have always thought that I would show the crew in more of a relaxed state...hence my thoughts on a brew, .

Thanks again for taking the time to give support and advice, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi Erwin,

Thanks for your continued feedback and support, and glad you think it looks more interesting, .

As for what I'm trying to depict, well...as mentioned above to Tim...I have no hard-and-fast goal as to the end result. That said, now both you and Tim have asked, its made me think that I do need to give some thought as to what I do with the crew, .

To be honest, I've sort of been avoiding that as I'm not great at modelling and painting figures, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

Managed to 'rough-up' the area outside the walls so that they're more in keeping with the overgrown look of the yard (see images below).









Tomorrow I'll add some 'plant growth' to the farmyard side of the wall as it's too 'clean', and I have a few bits of set decoration to incorporate.

Then I'll finish painting the groundwork, the wall and the 'foliage'...then I'll have a go at the crew, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

Decided to bite the bullet and start on the crew, something I've been avoiding due to figure building and painting being my weakest weakness, .

I have roughed-out the first figure, it's meant to be a crew member acting as lookout whilst the others go about their tasks (see images below).









I wanted him to look semi-relaxed, as if the crew were some distance from the fighting and not expecting any imminent threat.

The gaps left by 'juggling' the stock pieces into the sort of position I wanted to achieve need filling and sculpting to blend in with the rest of the uniform.

I also need to add something beneath his derriere so it appears a little more comfortable than perching on the knife edge of the rim of the hatch, possibly a rolled blanket, .

Cheers, ,

G

Hi all,

I have roughed-out the next two figures, it's meant to be one crew member clambering on the tank and handing down a container of water, or fuel, to his comrade (see images below).









The pieces are assembled using the bare minimum of glue which should allow me to disassemble, clean-up and tweak the parts for a better fit, .

I'll also have to clean-up or replace the can as I've made a bit of a hash of it, .

Again, I will need to fill the gaps left by 'juggling' the stock pieces into the sort of position I wanted to achieve. There will be a lot of filling and sculpting to blend in with the rest of the uniform.

As mentioned before, I hate figure building and painting, they being my weakest weakness, .

Cheers, ,

G

so this will be in colder weather? Given the pixie suits?
J

Nice G , the figs make a good fit for your scene . Looks like you've got to add a dumper to the rear fender kneeler guy .

Talk about being separated by a common language - Glenn are you suggesting the fender guy should be taking a dump? Sure would raise bodily functions representations to a whole new level, and I just know it give Gareth a wealth of title possibilities

Putty man , putty , needs more booty .

Yup, I agree... The setting looks realy nice, but the guy on the fendere has kind of a square bottom... Hey, don't play yourslef down on the figgies. Take your time and be gentle... I never seriously painted figs before my Steam Engine dio either, yet I managed to paint 40 for it, and I am quite happy with them.

Hi Jerry,

Yes to cold weather, ! In part this is down to the fact that I thought the muddy look of the Cromwell, plus the predominantly yellowed and dead grass suggested, unintentionally, late Autumn (Fall) or early spring, one of those cold but sunny days sans snow, .

The other contributing factor was that I only had figures for the crew that were in pixie suits, ...and I've spent my months modelling allowance already, .

Cheers, ,

G