Hey all, just wanted to show you this dio I've been working on. It's about 90% done now, just a few small things left to do. It depicts a pak 35/36 in the early stages of operation Barbarossa. The crew has hastily deployed their anti-tank gun in a destroyed log barn which has recently been hit by a shell causing dirt to fly everywhere. The gun and crew are an old Tamiya kit, and definitely made me realize how much the quality of figures has improved since this kit was made. This is the first dio I've ever done, and one of the first models I've finished in about 10 years.











Let me know what you think.

This looks good!
But if i were you id add some more dirt to the tires!
But other than that it looks pretty well done.

Stump looks good

Great diorama for the first one. For those being tamiya figures, you did a gret job on them. It looks like it is raining, so I think leaving the figures as glossy as they are would be sorta cool. But they are a little glossy. The detail is very good. The pak is great.

...as Max mentioned, some dirt on the tires and the PAK's lower shield area would be nice.... also nice job on detail-painting the figs. how about a few overall or birds-eye-view shots?

Hey there i like your dio too! its a great first try if you ask me. Some suggestions for your next dio is to varyate groundwork textures and add some bigger rocks or clumps of grass to make it more natural looking. In response to tsunamibomb, the uniforms wouldnt be glossy if being rained on because it would just soak up into them, the only way to model this on cotton is to have a darker area where wet. But for boots, leather, and water resistant things like rubber, you may get away with glossy things. I would suggest just getting a dull cote rattle can and just hit em with that and youll be fine. Great work!
Ian

I agree with bodymovin in the context of rain. Wet clothes are darker, not shinier. But in all, I think the figures need to be treated with a flat overcoat.

Overall, I like the dio. It's very simple and conveys a feeling of an ambush or sneaking up on an enemy.

Aside from the other suggestions made by the guys above, let me add mine:

1. Add a broken glass on the window frame.

2. Since there are cut logs at the other side of the log cabin wall, it would be good if you add some farming implements (i.e. an axe or a scythe, rake, etc.)

3. How about some spent cartriges lying around the gun? It would denote action.

4. The gun itself needs to be weathered a bit. Put some rust or fading unto it. Apply a little black pastel chalk on the barrel tip too.

5. How about a little camouflage in front of the gun?Maybe a few branches tucked into it or a shrub in front of it?

Overall, I like this dio. I plan to make one like this as a fun build someday.

Angela

Thanks for all the replies so far.

There definitely is a problem with the figures being somewhat shiny. I posted about this in the figures forum not too long ago for some advice, and I think I'm gonna give them a dull cote to try and fix that.

I'm planning on possibly adding some grass around the outside of the building, and perhaps I'll take up the suggestion of adding some kind of farming equipment and shell casings as well as weathering the pak a bit more.

Again, thanks for all the suggestions so far

I like it, Angela had some very nice suggestions, in addition to hers and everyone elses, move the figure with the binoculars to the side, hes looking at the soldier's back, cant see many tankes like that, just switch him with the soldier infront of him.

The guy with the binoculars is looking at the butt of the soldier in front of him. It's like he's saying "oooh, what a nice butt..." :-)

Sorry, can't resist it. On with the thread.

Angela

You might add some shredded toothpick that is partially painted like the logs.I mean,ya gotta have splinters when your cabin just took an artillery shell,right?
Great dio!Have fun.
cheers

Ola Westcon

Well being this your first dio I have to say you definately are on a good trail here mate.
The glossyness of the figures have already been covered and the location of the guy with the Binoculars is too.
Do some good dusting of the wheels and the lower side of the PAK. Do the same with the lower parts of the legs of the figures. Looking at the shed I can imagine it was once quite a big structure but not much is left at the moment. Make sure you have enough Derbis lying around. Best is having A couple of those beams that are broken with jagged edges and pointy spikes on it. A good explosion would easily snap those logs like Matchsticks.
I agree with having some tools lying around in the shed itself, a broom or a shovel or something like that. Maybe even an old Cartwheel if you manage to find one.
There are 2 details of this diorama that I particularly like. The pile of chopped wood for a furnace or a stove and the dirt on the windowsil (or something like that I don`t know exactly how you call that lowest part of the window.)

Great job can`t wait to see more of your future work