American Paratroopers just entered a new town in Normandy, they finally have tank support. The advancing paratroopers are covering the streets while the 2 higher ranking soldiers have stopped and are confrencing about battle stratedgies.



Well, I have been busy for the last couple of months as you can see. I planned on putting this into the Victory Over Europe campaign but they told me I cant do any action seens. The figures are Verlinden with 1 warrior figure(the one crouching). The tank is Tamiya, an easy build and the base is VP. I love tamiya's armor. Well tell me what you think! TIA!

Three very minor items

1) The commander's cuppola needs to have the periscopes painted.

2) Pistol port on the turret is upside down.

3) Tracks are on reverse. When looking at the Sherman from the front the chervron should look like a V

I like it!

A couple small things ...

The tracks on the Sherman are backwards. Other Sherman things include filling in the seam around the pistol port -- it should be blended to the turret casting (and, as Shermie points out, it is upside down). The scopes around the commander's copula should look like glass -- some semi-gloss or gloss black or dark blue paint will fix them up.

The figures look great. Only thing I wonder about are the two guys casually talking on one side of the tank while their buddies seem to be fighting for their lives onthe other side. It's a composition issue -- the figures look great!

Looks good. I think it could use a bit more "fine" rubble out front for filler. But that's just my opinion.

hey there tsunami thats a good lookin dio u got there. Your figures look great, as well as the tank. everything is great, but i would like to see more dirt and dust filler around the rubble, seems like theres alot of big stuff and too little small stuff. Overall it looks great! keep it up
Ian

your individual items are very, very good. But I do think that this dio needs something to ty it together. It's to clean..

Watch this space, it's a master painter in the making...


Henk

The builds are nice. I like the way how you paint your models. You have a knack for painting.

However, there are some things that needs to be pointed out. Aside from those already mentioned:

1) There is a big gap where the front glacis plate meets the transmission cover. It becomes bigger towards the left side. It's like you haven't glued the top and the bottom halves of the tank. If you have glued it, there might be problems in taking it apart to re-glue again. A solution would be to put sandbags and equipment on front of the glacis plate.

2) The tank would have a lot of "color" if you put decals and stowage on it.

3) Where's the antenna?

4) The machine gun juxtapose to the 75mm is missing.

5) The tank is a tad too clean. It would be better if you could weather it more. Mud splatters, chipped or faded paint, soot on the gun barrel, etc.

6) For your figures, they are very well painted. However, it would be better if you could add straps to thier guns.

7) The figures' boots are too clean in relation to the ground. Drybrushing a bit of groundcolor to the boots will do the trick. Also, US GI's boots are brown, not black.

8) Although nicely painted, the building is a tad too clean, too. Drybrush a little dust/snow color on the walls. Add broken glass (with the use of clear styrene plastic or acetate) to the windows. You can also scratchbuild a simple door to the doorway.

9) I can't also "relate" how come there are two figures talking on one side of the tank while two others are in battle on the other side. The dio is titled "Cornered" so we assume that the US GIs would either be 1) fighting for their lives 2) huddled in a corner, trying to shoot some unseen enemy 3) firing at something while covering a "rescue" of a fallen body (a sense of retreating).

But someone talking casually on the other side while there's fighting on the other side? The dio's atmosphere is broken by this single detail. And a "tight" central theme is very important in a dio.

It would be better if you could replace the casually talking figures with ones which are talking, but crouching. Put a sense of action between the two talking figs so that it would be in synch with the other two figs that are fighting.

Personally, the Tamiya Sherman built out of the box is good but it could be improved. That is what I did to my Tamiya Shreman M4A3 for the Ardennes Offensive Campaign. I got this site from theBear and Shonen_Red as a guide to improve the kit.

http://www.usarmymodels.com/MANUFACTURERS/Tamiya/tamiya35122.html

Otherwise, it is a good dio.

Angela

Well ..what to say Angela covered me in all so ...

Could we have some pictures taken at a greater distance. It would be nice to see the entire dio in one shot.
With the exception of a few details, all over very nice work.

This is a pretty good attempt, aside from all the accurate and constructive criticism already made, which I agree with. One other point - the spare rounds in the box - they're all brass when the shell part should be a different colour - usually black, OD or cream depending on the type of round.

Dear Harrison after reading all the other comments it looks like you've just had a prostate exam by a Dr. with very large hands - just kidding. To be honest with you I really did'nt notice the constructive critiques until the above had mentioned them. The build looks good to me, but for the most part, especially the technical errors, hey they were right, looks like you and me Harrison are the first ones voted off their island. - Cheyenne

Harrison,

Excellent ground work. Love the street and the brick work on the building. As long as you are fixing things you may want to scatter some pieces of broken glass in your rubble from the broken windows.

Great job,

Shaun

Most of the things were already covered, but I have a couple more.

1. Glass for the spot light on the turret
2. The rubber portion of the roadwheels look unpoainted. Could be the pic.
3. The figures boots appear to be black instead of brown, again, it couldbe the pic or my aging eyes :-)
4. On the inside of the building ruin, there is a large seam along the bottom where wall and floor meet. I'd suggest more rubble here, or fill it with some form of putty.
5. Paint the end of the gun tube,(inside) its still bare plastic

Keep on building! "Q"

I like the composition a lot and will echo the comments about figting on one side chatting on the other needing rework.
Speaking of, the pic with the two figures talking, I'm pretty sure the ammo had shell heads of a different color than the brass bases..

Also, is that sherman ammo? How did it get there?
Personally, I'm not a big fan of using ammo/weapons/gear as space filler without there being a good reason for it to be there.

For overall effect I'd give it an 8, with tweeks a 9

Mike

Thank You guys so much for all your excellent comments. My mind is made on the the list below:
1.)I will be changing the 2 casual figures.
2.)More rubble(glass and common stuff)
3.)I dont understand what a pistol port is and a commanders coupala?
4.)I will be touching up the tank, but no stowage.
5.)I will be painting the shell heads for the sherman ammunition.
6.)I will be adding gun straps.
7.)I dont want to do anything to the buildings because although they might be to clean, if you tried to replicate it too much, in my opinion it looks like crap.
Also about the 2 figure that are casual, and the ones that are fighting. I had baught them seperate not thinking I would put them in the same diorama. So I saved some money and threw them in it.
Overall I think its pretty good for a second dio... I am working on another one, this one will be even more better!

Well all "errors" are already told by others, so I just wanted to say I like your painting work on your figures and the dio, for instance the bricks and street look very convincing!

Martin

Harrison---- I'm looking forward to seeing number three.
So S-L-O-W- D-O-W-N and plan in advance.

I couldn't help it but I was a little disturbed when I read this.

Cheyenne, no one is "voting you and Harrisson off our island." These are just remarks and constructive criticisms that we think could improve the work being presented.

They were never meant to drive Harrison off. In fact, they were meant to make his work better.

I think the only when people don't follow forum rules are driven off to maintain the peace in the forums.

Angela

After 40+ years as a modeller I still take note of any CONSTRUCTIVE points that are raised by others - we are all learning and trying to improve and that's one of the best ways to do so. At the end of the day though we're all modelling because we enjoy it, so no-one is driving anybody else out but simply trying to help another modeller to learn.
In a diorama it is especially important to get all the points right, more so than a stand-alone figure or vehicle. It's like a painting - the whole composition has to gel together with the story line. From this aspect TsunamiBomb HAS NOT made a bad call, or a bad model, just perhaps hasn't stood back and looked at the whole piece as a single composition.

Angela guess you missed the part of my post - just kidding, and that I stated that the critiques were correct as constructive criticism. Everyone can learn from everyone else. I also stated that at first glance I really did'nt see the things that others did see, I was just trying to lighten things up a bit as in humor, did'nt mean to imply that Harrison was getting bashed - sorry - Cheyenne

Hey guys,

This isnt the first time ive posted my work on here, but it is the first time ive actually enjoyed people critisizing my work. When I first finished this diorama I thought to myself "This is my best work yet, this diorama could win a contest" or somthing like that. But after a week n a half I mellow out a little and actually look at my work critisizing it by myself. I think to myself, I really cant do this by myself because i have this picture in my head that this is the best diorama ever, and it cant be improved. So im waiting here for a week not wanting to post it on armorama because im waiting for a guy to finish my base. The guy came over yesterday finished with my wooden base, we put the resin base into the slits and amazingly it doesnt fit! He takes it home to redo it and i get fed up and decide to post the diorama on armorama without a base. I really do appreciate all you guys criticising my work because it brings out the little details and somtimes the big details that could make or brake a diorama. Like for instance, "Your tracks are on backwards" not a big deal and 90% of people dont notice it. But I want my work to be the best as i can get it no matter what. So if I have to take off the tracks for that 10% of people to approve, than I will definatly do it. If I have to order, build, and paint new figures to tie a diorama together I will. I am still a begginer beleive it or not, I cant really think of these ideas that will really add flavor or composition to the diorama. Overall I think that comes over time. My next diorama that im planning, I have been thinking to myself alot when im searching for figures and whatever I want in my dio where can I place these figures to show the most emotion? Can I put this Halftrack on a hill and make it slanted downward? Could I have a medic holding a wounded man be passing by? What i cant think of is how I tie these all together to make a emotional/flowing diorama. So in no way have these posts been bashing me at all, atleast i dont think you guys are :-) I reall find this stuff helpful and I do hope that my next diorama will be my best. Afterall thats why we do model, is to get better. I know im still a begginer and most of my stuff isnt very good, but when I buy a model and am driving home I think, this model wont be my best but it might be 3 or 4 till i can do my best. Thank you guys.

Way to go Harrison, that was a well thought out and mature response. Its nice to see you evolve in your skills on the site and to evolve as a mature and responsible individual on the forums as well. Good show. Keep them dio's coming I really like your enthusiasm.
Cheers,
Bryan

Great attitude you have there Harrison. You are right. That is exactly why I post my stuff here, too. I can ask my wife and the people at work what they think but they don't really know, do they? I for one am impressed with the diorama and know that the next one will be better. After all, it has to be after the input you have gotten.
That is why we do this. I don't think that anyone of us glues these things together to get famous, we all just do it to have fun and make the next one better than the last one.

Thanks for sharing your efforts with all of us.

Shaun

Harrison,

what a great reply !! That's a good attitude to have when one is involved in modeling !