So, would you like to comment my first model sdkfz251/1 hanomaq in stalingrad. It's pretty much straight from the box but i think it's OK ?

First and foremost, Turnu, welcome to the big "A", the best site on the net...I can see that you are a new member to the forum, and please don't be shy about asking questions...I think that you've done a very good job on your Dio, but I've got one nit-pic...the third photo, closeup of the front of your hanomaq....that seam showing in the front tire, a little more sanding would make it more realistic...other than that, overall a nice build, I really like your base...What did you use for the groundwork??

Gunny

Welcome to the Big A ....
Your ground work is rather interesting, what did you use to make it?

Hi Turnu: Welcome to the best modelling site on the net! I really like your dio! One thing I did notice was that you had some slivering on your decals. Did you you some sort of glosscoat/floor wax on the decal spots to give you a nice smooth surface for them to stick to? This is an easy trick which eliminates alot of decal problems.
I like the way you have dirtied up the 251 and the troops. How did you do the street? The smashed wall is also very nice. I definately think you did a good job. This kit seems to be an almost premade dio, I recently finished a very similar scence with the same kit, HAHA!!

Welcome to the Big Armorama
nice dio for the start

Turnu -

Welcome and as the others have said, I'm sure you'll enjoy your association with Armorama. Incredible amount of help and feedback available as well as the opportunity to share this great hobby "globally." Very nice build and especially the way you've made the Panzergrenadiers "come to life." Outstanding detail and shading. Let's see more!

Blade48mrd

welkommen! glad to have you here, i have the same kit, tamiya, and i think you've done great for a first diorama, what did you use for the base? 2 nitpics from me, the 4 on the side of the hanomag is a bit crooked and where the decals are, shade it in cuz you can still see the clear plastic, but thats easy to touch up with a brush or some quick weathering!

welcome!
-shain

HI

Cool, does that ever bring back memories :-) I had my guys jumping out to run to the Flak 88....

Good stuff!

Tom

as has already been said, nice groundwork, and I also like your weathering. I cannot welcome you, however, since I myself am a recent addition to the Armorama community so far I love it here, though.

Welcome to Armorama -the best site around.
Nice job for your first diorama. Tamiya's 251 is a notoriously Bad kit, some poor fit, lacking detail and accuracy. You've done a good job. You've included a lot of details left out of some early dioramas, rifle straps, extra 'stoage', frame on the base, name plate. Nice, nice, nice. The ruins look pretty cool too, different, very nice.
The decals could use a smidge of work next time. I would also recommend that you cut away the excess transparent film on the next decals. Use a BRAND NEW hobby blade and a ruler that you can press down on a block of wood with to hold the decals firmly. Just hold the decals down with the ruler along a decal line and cut away the outside extra. This will cut down on the silvering. Also use the previous post of putting down some gloss coat. I will even go to the extent of cutting out the inside excess like in the middle of a 4 or 8.
A very minor nit pick is the tracks, on a 251, they sagged and touched the top of the road wheels. With this kit what you can do is take some hobby wire (thin) and thread it up through the holes in the tracks and go up from the bottom through the top over a wheel and back down through so you have two loose ends under the bottom of the track. Twist the two loose ends together and cut off extra. Do this 4 times, one at the front of each track over one wheel and one at the back of each track over one wheel. This is a small thing, so don't sweat it on this one.

If you have any questions - just ask.

Turnu:
Firstly - welcome to "the Big A"!:-H

Secondly - for a first timer this looks brilliant. Ok, so you missed a few seams and so on... not the end of the world You've already taken the first step in improving your modelling knowledge, skills and friends by joining the Armorama community.

Enjoy! Have fun! And once again... welcome from sunny South Africa!

Well first i wanna say welcome to the best modelling family of the world.
u have done much and good work as i can understand to complete that first dio of yours.
Its an all time classic one vehicle and a classic scene that u have reproduced .

all other nipicks that guys told u before are to be noticed under consideration and kept in mind for next time works.

Id like to say some things about your figure painting . What to take care:

1) try to use less paint on your brush , better dilluted
2) prefer to paint with several light passes over a point than with one thick pass.
3)I saw u try to do shading and highlighting on your figures and thats good .well if u want your shading and highlighting colour to be simliar to the base colour , the last has to be some mix of the main uniform colour alighter one (some yellowish or light gray ) and a darker one (some darker green or dark blue). Then when u make the base coat and u wanna go to the highlighting colour u add some of the light colour . When u wanna do shading u add some of the dark colour , to ur base 3 colour mix.. That way since your base mix already includes these colours the highlighting and shadowing variants will be similiar and dont differ tonically. Dont use straight white for highlighting or straight black for shadowing , or a dark seperate colour , like a dark brown to shade a green .Cause the difference will show and can ruin a good figure impression u have achieved.

Same goes for flesh parts . Try to paint thin dark flesh (almost brown) lines between fingers to pop them out . Also u can outline with a dark wash (highly dilluted colour) items on the uniform that u wanna give some volume and depth, like collars, pockets, medals, straps and all these. Study carefully other peoples work and u ll see that all the above are in their place doing figures more likeable.

Any other help u may want i ll be happy to give u .

Good luck in this wonderful world.

Costas

First of all, THANKS to all of you who had the time to look my pictures and give me very helpful points. I feel very welcome!

This is how i made the base: First I cut some styrofoam ( Styrox in Finland) as a flat base. Then i coated it by a about 5mm layer of quick spackel ( the stuff that is used to cover up holes in the wall...i'm not sure what's it called in english). I used the same stuff for the ruins. When it was all dry I used a knife to carve those "rocks" on the base. Next I glued the ruins in to it's place and glued "rubble" in front of it. I also used cat sand (??) as rocks and real sand as...sand! HEH HEH. Ok, when everything was in its place i painted it with my Vallejo model colours. I also used my old Citadel Colour Inks ( leftover from my roleplaying times..) to do the shading and darker parts between rocks etc..you know.

I'm really happy that i've found Armorama, and i'm about to start my next project: Tamiya Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.H.

Turnu, thanks for your method breakdown of your groundwork on your Dio, sir...I really like how it turned out, was very curious how you achieved that effect...As of your next project, you might think about entering one of the fantastic campaign competitions that are going on or about to begin, it's a great way to participate here at the Big " A ", and maybe you can win a best of show!

Sincerely,
Gunny

Nice thing Turnu. Have you ever thought about making Finnish- Russian war dio? It is interesting topic and not everyone heard about this war.

Hello!
I have indeed thought about making a dio of Finnish-Russian war. Russian troops and tanks are easy to find but the problem is finding Finnish soldiers. I guess they could be made from german soldier kits but it just wouldnt be the same..

-Sami

Looks very good esp the groundwork.. I did that same kit when I started.. didn't do a dio.. but it was a terrible build.. anything I would say would just be nitpicking.. but i'll give you a tip

the easiest way i've found to get rid of the seam in tires is after glueing them together.. I place a sanding pad on my desk and hold it down and hod the tire between my thumb and finger and move the tire down and around it in an easy sanding motion.. gets rid of the seam and helps avoid flatspotting the tire..

can't wait to see more. :>

You are right Turu! There can be some problems with Finnish soldiers, but it is also a challenge. I had a lot of problems with vigette Warsaw Uprising 1944. To build Polish Home Army (AK) figures i used parts from German, Britisch and Polish fihures. And I was right with history!
Finnish army used a lot of Russian captured equipment, helmets were simmilar to German, and "Suomi" machine gun looks like Russian "Pepesza".
I remember when i was surfing on net i found Finnish model website. Those guys build dios and models we are talking about, so you'd better ask them.