Hi Everyone, its been awhile since I have posted an update. Well this one is on the figures. I have gone crazy with figures!! This dio when finished will have around 35 figures give or take a few. I have included some photos here of where the dio sits now. Any thoughts on the figure placement anyone might have, just let me know good or bad. These pics include just the walking soldiers and one civilian. After the figures I will start basic ground work then do the water then back to finishing up the buildings. Also I am just starting the weathering on the Marder so keep that in mind.so here are a bunch of pics so please feel free to share your insights and comments both good and bad.







Thanks for looking and any comments you may have Cheers Kevin

Ciao jackhammer81,
Awesome!! I really admire your talent and ambition! When do you think you will finish this award winner? Russia, I assume? Looking great. I, for one, don't have any negative comments at all. The figures are shaping up well, the vehicles look really good, and the overall presentation is really dramatic. Congrats!!
Ciao for now
Rob

Rob, thank you for the comments. As far as the setting goes, its going to be June of 1943, the Germans are moving towards the Kursk offensive, thru a small carpathian village. Two seperate columns are converging at a bridge head to cross the river. I am thinking of naming it "Traffic Jam" or something along those lines. As far as when it will be finished I am not sure thats a lot of uniforms to paint, and I have just started playing around with the water, also there is going to be a lot of color in this dio as it is set in the early summer. So I am not projecting a finish date, just hope its done before thanksgiving. Again thanks your comments are appreciated. Cheers Kevin

hey kevin, nice lookin figs there, whose are they? im really interested in the civilian. in my opinion, the civilian looks too upscale for rural russia. however, im sure it isnt easy to find good civilian kits, and this fella will do in a pinch if you cant get a hold of a more peasant looking guy. your armor is looking fantastic! the only thing i might consider changing is the color of the german uniforms. the current color looks like luftwaffe, not so much wehrmacht. i use tamiya's field grey for uniforms. here is a pic of a standard field tunic in the earlier years of the war neway, great job on this so far! i cant wait to see it finished!

Justin thank you for the kind words. The figures are all just in primer yet, there is a group of fallshirmjagers(crossing in front of the halftrack) that will have the blue gray pants and the camo shirt. the rest of the grenadiers will be in either the fieldgrau or reed green uniforms. The figures used so far on this are: dml sets 6142 Ramcke brigade, 6180 wehrmacht Infantry barbarossa 1941. Revell set02612 panzer (figures in dio with no heads)grenadiers. Tamiya sets: 35184 german machine gun crew on maneuvers,35129 german soldiers at rest. The civilian is from a tamiya british tank kit that I can not recall the kit. Also in this will be a wolf figure, andreas "rascals," and the vehicle crews possibly the SP gun and pz3 will get tristar figures. I hope this answers your question correctly Again thanks for the comments. Cheers Kevin

Wow thats really coming along. Keep it up, and one question. The bridge, how did you do that? Hand made? It really looks good!

Thanks!

~Chip

Chip, thanks for having a look and the kind words. The bridge is scratch. I built it on spruce beams and everything else is balsa. I just googled wood bridges and with a little help from Slodder this is what I came up with. I have lots of assembly pics. If you would like I would email some of them. Cheers Kevin

WOW! I love the updates...it's been forever since the last. Roughly 35 figures....assembly line fashion :-) . Kevin beautiful work, can't wait to see more...

Brent

Brent thanks for the comments With all the figures it takes awhile to be in a position to update lol Once the figures are done the updates should be coming faster. Cheers Kevin

Kevin,
looking very awesome!!!! I really like the skin tones of your men they look very realistic.
And as with your last dio everything fits together well

Very nice progress, very well done.

Couple of things I'd toss in the figures walking up the hill need to be adjusted for it. They may need to lean forward a smidge if they are walking under load, or at least bent a bit more at the ankle so that it is flat on the ground and the body is straight up not tipped back. Give it a go, walk up a hill and feel your body lean.
The figure sitting on the wall could use his feet to relax down at the ankles. This isn't so much a must do as a nice detail. I've seen fisher man who do keep thier feet flat like this so it's your call.
I like the barter story line, I'd keep it.
Turn the 25x's front wheels more to the bridge if you can.

Great job keep it up.

Great dio!
We have the same taste for figs!I can see the Tamiya German machine gun crew on maneuver and Dragon´s Walking Werchmat Barbarossa kits!They are very well done and with your skills,they will turn out really nice!Congrats and keep them coming!

Guys again thank you for the nice comments. It means a lot to have people let me know I'm on the right track here. Scott, as far as the hill and figures walking up it thats a good tip and I will keep it in mind when its time for final placement for the figures. And just before I took those pics I decided to place the one guy sitting on the timbers. I also get your point on relaxing his feet and will look into that. I think that figure was made just for that spot lol. Thanks and Cheers all, Kevin

Glad to see you finally did an update. I know how hard you have been working and how many hours you have put in so far. And its really paying off. The figures are really good. Keep up the good work.
Mary (++)

Mary, thanks for the words of encouragement. I may have to switch back and forth between figures and ground work. Its easy to get bored doing the same thing over and over. That way maybe there will be more updates. Cheers Kevin

35 figures, Whew! It will take me at least an hour looking at your photos when your'e done to take in the details. Very impressive. Love the bridge.

I hope you won't keep me drooling too long waiting to see the final dio coz there's only so many baby bibs I can use to soak up the mess on my shirt.

Well, i have been watching this dios progress from the very first pin of it.
Its going super Kevin. I admire your patience with all these figures , and thinkin of sending u my 40 russian ones to basecoat them !!!!!
Flesh is looking good and face work is fine
Your armor work is very fine
As for the setup of figures and dios , i think u ll find the final best after all is finished (paintings , groundwork and all).

This is going to be a great finished dio , and elements like the bridge , the stream , the kids , the buildings will add some different touch on this one.

Keep working Kev ,u re doing Just great .
I am by ur side as u know in anything u need

Costas


Good camere there , enjoy the new one

wovvvv. i think this is enough to show what i think great work Kevin. lots of figures,a few armor and another super groundwork.
congrats brother

first I want to thank you guys for the words of encouragement.I am pleased this is meeting with approval, I really enjoy doing this stuff. I am having a heck of a time with the camo shirts for the fallschirmjagers,so i took the weekend off. Almost built a wingy thing to take my mind of the dio I am looking forward to starting the ground work, and the water. Is there a article out there that can help me thru the camo shirts on the fallschirmjagers? Costas, I will keep your offer in mind if I cant figure out these shirts. Beachbum, I have extra bibs but I hope it wont be that long :-) Cheers Kevin

Kevin,

Awesome stuff indeed. The thing that strikes me the most is the way you handle your wood. You handle and weather wood to perfection. What products and colors do you use for painting and weathering wood ?

You give the wood a grayish color (the sides of the bridge for example) that I found very hard to replicate.....

Hi Danny, thanks for the compliments. The secret to my old wood is when I finish building what ever it is out of wood, the first step is a highly thinned mix of black and white ink to give me a gray color. I brush this on and depending on color i want, after a few minutes I wipe the ink off. then I procede with washes of burnt sienna, sometimes followed by a wash of burnt umber. it really depends how much you want the wood to appear aged. Its a very easy technique to master. First time I used it was in "Brave Souls" dio and i think it turned out great. The bridge has no drybrushing whatsoever done to it but I think it looks fine the way it is. Hope this answered your question and I hope you give this technique a try. Cheers Kevin

Hi Kevin,

The diorama looks very nice. The figures look good so far. I must say, I don't envy you having to coplete 35 for this one diorama though!

By background, do you mean adding the grass, etc. to the base? If so, what methods do you use?

Keith

Hi Keith, Thanks for the comments. As far as the ground work goes I am using a lot of new techniques I havent even had the chance to experiment with. will be trying rubberized horse hair, fake fur with plaster, some weeds I have been rounding up,flowers(both natural dried and pe sets) and of course static grass. I will be keeping you posted as I experiment with each new thing. I cant wait to get started on the water but the ground cover has to come first. In playing around a little I am getting some good results with that paint that you sent. Thanks again. Kevin

Definately cool, i cant wait to see the finished dio. The faces of the figs sure do looks nice.

and one funny thing about one of your figure...the one at the front in the second picture looks like my friend from sweden..hahahaha...im emailing the picture to him.

:-)

Suffian, I am glad you like it. I hope also your friend likes it too lol. Cheers Kevin