Hello again!

As I had got a Marder III Ausf M some time ago from a retailer with my promise to show the finished modell in his shop´s showcase, I made only a very small diorama (vignette) to save time. I delayed the compliance of my promise for nearly two years...

The flowers are elder blossoms that were painted with oil colour. The long and short grass is from NOCH railway supply. The foliage are real ones that were collected in spring somewhere in the woods. The trunk is made from bark. Moss on it was made by sprinkling some amount of baking soda onto spots of white glue and airbrushed with Green afterwards.

Wow. Good job. You've done a good job with the groundwork. It looks very realistic.
A couple of figgies in the Marder would add realism, to an already realistic scene.

Nice job.

Ciao Viking,
I can only echo the comments of Simon. You really have done a fantastic job on this one. So realistic and I really like the "busy" look of all the foliage. Some figures would really be a jewel in the crown. Congrats on some wonderful work!!

Viking, thanks for sharing the detail on the ground works. Very convincing and nicely crafted. I'm sure many here will benefit from your valuable information.

WC

looks great viking, the groundwork is amazing! and hte marder is beautiful!
Frank

Excellent work!!! It looks real. Cheers Kevin

I really really like the feel of this , I just realised one of the things that makes this so appealing is the way how the Marder looks weighty , it looks like it has driven over the groundwork & not been placed on it .
Very very well done
Jenny :-)8

...but it was worth waiting for it. Exellent work, Viking

Cheers
Erik

I love this Marder..You have an excellent model here. The Groundwork is amazing. It looks very realistic. Everything flows together nicely. I also love the look of the actual base..what did you use?

Fantastic job on the marder and the ground,but with some figures it will be awesome.
congratulations
Pedro

Excellent build Viking! The marder looks great... love the camo. I think the retailer will be happy when he sees your vignette on his display shelf...

Really top notch, Vikes!
You must be proud to stand back and look at it in a completed state after all this time.
Cheers
Brad
P.S. I hope no wildlife was harmed during the placement of that German thingy :-)

excellent work viking... the marder is very very good (camo+weathering) but the groundwork is what makes the vignette more special..... great stuff!

show us more pics please? like to see how you did the interior of the tank

Great job. The Marder and teh groundwork are excellent. Thanks for sharing the details.
Pictures are fantastic. How could you take them?

That is one good looking Marder, you've build Viking. Great paintjob (Love the camo) and great weathering. Groundwork look great as well.

Viking -

A truly masterful piece of work. As others have commented, the groundwork is exceptional and really looks life like. The Marder itself is very well done and blends right in (though Iagree that adding a crew would make this look even more convincing). If an ambush scene for a touch more realism, I'd add some foliage to the Marder as this would have been done to help break up it's outline. The only problem would be that it will cover some of the outstanding detail and camo on the Marder. Outstanding job and thanks for sharing,

Blade48mrd

Great Work Viking

Especially like the ground work. Amazing. Keep it up

Hoohah! Great job all around. Yours should be an object lesson to all these people who over chip their paint. You nailed the effect, in realistic placement, amounts and in coloration of the exposed metal. As the others have commented, the groundwork makes this a standout.
Congrats!

Holy [auto-censored]e, That has to be one of the best dio's I've seen in a long time your eye for details is exceptional and the ground work is very realistic.

Ron

Hi!
Thanks to all of you for your kind replies!
Simon Bering P.
You are surely right and I actually planned to have also figures in and on the vehicle, but a contest "took me by surprise" and I had to postpone this for that time. I only consider wether to take stock figures or alter or scratchbuild some...
Jenny
This was a real challenge, as the running gear could only be attached to the tank, when I had finished the base. Adding to this quick to do work came that I screwed the chassis from underneath, which was a real challenge to "hit" the hole, while the tank sat somehow on the base only held by two and a half of my fingers and the rest of them fiddling with the screw and the base. Completing this desastrous phase the tracks departed several times, as they are old system ones from friulmodell (they have to be snatched together without a pin). But this was the only way to get the impression as if the springs of the wheels are expanded or pressed together just as the slope demands.

Mary
You mean the wooden curved plate? This was available at a local craftsmen´s shop and I only had to paint it with burnt sienna oil colour and sealed with clear varnish afterwards.

Bradley J

:p of course not! I had to seal the plants prior to adding it in my base and stored it for nearly two years. Any animal would have already fled during such a long time...

Mojimbo
I have written an article on this Marder including the construction of the vehicle and the hints on painting. If you are interested, you can have a look at: Marder 3M article

Alguhan
I have an Olympus C5060, used a small table tripod, a remote-control release and the smallest lens aperture at zooms of 1:50 to 1:35. The pictures were taken outside during sunshine but the base was positioned in the shadow. Important is also a manual white balance.

wundervoll !!!