Hi all,
Here are two pics of my in progress little dio for the bulge campaign. There will be some figures of G.I's on patrol.
All comments welcome

Andy, Looks good so far. Are you going to have any vehicles or trees? I am just kinda curious about the layout. Im sure it will be great. Cheers Kevin

G'day Andy, its looking excellent mate, the mud is really good, tell us about the layout!
cheers

Thanks guys
No vehicles in this one but three figures spread around the road. hopefully pics of the layout later on in the week

should be good mate

The snow and mud are really nice. Very well done.
I would offer to put a few broken limbs on the ground to support the idea that the tree has had some damage.

Another point - don't forget an edge to the base. Just some 1/4 round molding or something like that. It will give your dio 'finish'

Thanks Scott,
Am I able to get the edging from any hardware store?
I usually just give the edging a nice coat of paint.

Great Job Andy. Looks really nice so far. Can you give us some insight into the overall theme.? Can't wait to see more..
Mary (++)

The base is very interesting. What did oyu use to make the snow?

Looks great Andy (++)

Very good so far!How many figs on the finished dio?

Hi guys,
My overall idea is to have 3 G.I's walking down the road on patrol. the overall look is to have it barren.
I will be adding scarfs to a couple of figures. They are from DML's 2nd armoured infantry set.

The snow is made from baking powder set with Hairspray and diluted white glue

Lord Kiwi Dude

This is very very good. We see lots of snow around here, and you have captured the barren/cold look of winter in this little dio base. I can almost see my breath as I look at this one :-)

The mud/snow combo is really quite effective. The addition of the figs with scarves will really present a simple, yet effective scene.

A suggestion for your consideration. Perhaps adding two small and simple road side wood posts would help "define" the edge of the road, and add a tad more interest for the eye. You could use some scale twigs from the yard, or any piece of scrap wood that is the appropriate size. Try gently placing them first, experimenting with where they might look the best--if not-- then toss the idea. A nice cheap way to add some zip to this fine little scene.

Keep us posted.

Steve

Andrew - yea - you can get 1/4 round molding at the hardware store, add a bit of stain or paint and it really dresses up the diorama.
if that's not in the budget you can also add a trim band of styrene and paint it. The styrene plastic gives a finished look at a cheaper easier task. You just get some plastic sheets from take out food containers or plastruct and cut it to fit the edge. Glue it on with some 2 part resin and then give it a good coat of contrasting color.

looking good, the footprints came out nice

Howdy andy007,

You've done a bang up job on your vignette. And your idea is a simple one, but has the potential of really 'reaching out' to the viewer with just a few wee additions......

Since you said..."....two pics of my in progress little dio...", I will assume you still have a few thigs to do? Good, then just a few nits if you don't mind, observations if you will......

All of what I'm about to say is simply input, you can chew on it and swallow it, or just spit it out and move on...

Snow is almost never uniform in colour. You may think it is, but it isn't. Especially in an area where there is any type of activity. Meaning any activity....sun melting, foot traffic, melt runoff, vehicle movement, etc. You show mud in the hollow of what I assume is tyre tracks of a vehicle that has recently passed by. You are also showing foot traffic both inside the tracks and outside (a good thing).
But here's the suggestion. First, your vehicle tracks show no apparent direction of travel......nor do your nicely done footprints. Even if vehicles were traveling in both directions there would still be some evidence....meaning, water splashing out in a V shape towards the vehicles direction of travel. Splaying outwards towards the way the vehicle went. Plus it would be a slightly different shade of colour.

Your bootmarks, or footprints would have the same evidence, but actually pointing in the opposite direction!
When most people walk in the snow, they drag their feet.....especially overtired soldiers....there should be 'scuff' marks preceding each footprint to some varying degree. It could even go in both directions (people walking both ways), but highly doubtful because of the Allied advance in that area. If there were indeed footprints pointing the other direction.....that SHOULD alarm the men walking the other way.
Also. Make sure when you create these 'tracks', both vehicular and human, that they travel off both ends of your little square. Don't stop them at the end of your creation. Because it will look like it ends. Build the tracks so that in your mind they just keep...on...going......

hth.

Tread.

Just a quick suggestion for some added realism.....toss something on the side of the road (the tree side) that might have been discarded by a soldier further up the ranks.....maybe a pack of Lucky Strikes or something.
Just a suggestion.

Hi tread,
Thanks for those wonderfully helpful comments. That the reason I post so I get constructive help like that and what steve said earlier.
I will add a bit of discolouration around the edge of the snow.(I am trying to get a freshly fallen look).
I like the idea of scuff marks and will try those too. Also the idea of a discarded item is cool......Would a pack work?

Scott I think I might just have a look for molding I will be able to use it in the future too.

Andy hi . U have done a nice job on 6this base . And i see that ure attracted more and more in groundwork as time goes by ., and thats good for a dio builder.
All comments said from our friends are to be well taken care of and the things i d like to say were in whole said by Treadhead. Think also of some piece of broken wooden fence witha piece of barbed wire, to enhance the detail level on scene. Get to work now lil man !!!!

Costas

Andy

Very well done, simple theme. Slodder's suggestion is a really good one to add that final polish to the diorama. For one this size, you may be able to use a picture frame to put it in which gives the same finished effect for the edges. Treadhead gave some great inputs from on working the groundwork details a little. Major Goose's suggestion of an additional something will add even more. I like the fence idea, or a tree stump, shell hole any number of ideas would work. The dropped piece of equipment works well also and a pack, or helmet or canteen would be logical choices. Looking great and keep us posted.

Blade48mrd

Thanks Costas and Blade,
I will have a think to night about what i could add.
I have added a sign post and will get some pics to see what you all think.