Small diorama using Dragon M4A1 with the standard goodies, warriors and Dragon figures and one mostly sculpted fallen soldier.

For those not familiar with the title's meaning, in the U.S. it is custom to provide the family of a service member with a pennant, a white background with a blue star. These are often hung in a front window. If the family member is killed, the blue star is replaced with a gold star.

Barry

Damn, Barry!
That is one of the best pieces of work I have seen in a while. I really like your diorama and your excellent painting. Especially the last picture is amazing! Just one question: Have you over done the rust on the tank tracks a bit? I am in no way a Sherman expert, but I operate tracked vehicles for a living, and my experience is that a rusty track gets cleaned up rather quick when you drive the tank for a while. But then again, I don't know not much about the Sherman.

Cheers
Erik

This is one fantastic looking Dio. I am always amazed at how you are able to sculpt the figures and so accurately as well! Even the inside of the helmets are detailed with the chin straps etc. Did that come in the original kit too?

The facial expressions and the painting you did to them is very stunning. The base is really nicely done as well. I really cant praise this dio enough.

Any chance of writing up an article to outline how you did this Dio? I would be really interested to know how you made the base and sculpted the figures.

thats really good I love it.

Hi Eric,

Since I have zero experience with real tracked vehicles, I'll store your sound advice away for my next Sherman. I did "polish up" the guides where they'd scrape against the drive sprocket, but I guess I should've toned down the end connectors.

Thanks for the heads up.

Regards,
Barry

Looks very good!! I love the ground work!
Some questions: How did you do the weapon and helmet straps? How did you do the ground work? The different types of grass and the tiny flowers, please enlighten me!

And shouldn´t there be any blood on the dead soldier? Even his hands seems clean...
Otherwise I can´t give any critique. Would also like an article of it!
Cheers Andreas

Wow Barry,I like that a lot.Really nice portrayal of a powerful moment.Fitting title.
Got some more to share?
cheers!

Fantastic work! I really like the way your figures are positioned, it really tells a good story.

Congrats on a fine job!

Very nicely done. Wonderful story line, very touching.

I like the sculpted figure - nice job.

I think the color is a bit affected by the lighting - I think diorama looks much better in person (I haven't seen but I'd like too).

I see a definite style in your execution.

Tell us how you did the rifle shoulder straps -Very well done. I'm sure people will want to get more detail.

This is really good.

It's difficult for me to explain, but the overall mood of the scene is coming over very well. The arrangements of the figs is very good, I just would have prefered that the tank commander turns his head to the scene also.

All the other questions are already asked, so i join me on them.
Congrats and cheers

Claude

Good morning,

Ok, some of the things that were asked -

The slings and helmet straps are made from lead foil. Just cut lengths with small scissors. I double the strips over to get the feel of the slings and use CA to attach to weapons.

I'm still working on my sculpting skills, but sometimes its the only way to get the pose you want. I use the standard method of drilling into the torso pieces of copper wire and doing the same with the hands on the other end. Same goes for the legs/boots. After the wire has been bent to the proper pose, epoxy putty gets placed over the wire and sculpted with anything that works - I use round, tapered toothpicks and a couple of wood dowels I sanded to shape and coated with CA to make them waterproof. The tough part is getting the putty nice and smooth - still working on that.

Blood. A touchy subject. I chose not to include it here, and rationalized that the soldier could've taken a small piece of shrapnel in the chest and so might not have bled a great deal. Maybe I chickened out?

Vegetation. Static grass for the first pass, then some terrific stuff from Scenic Express - Silfor matting. Stuff comes in different heights, colors, etc., including the kind I used that has the little "flowers" already on there. We can learn a lot from the railroad guys.

Insignia. Invaluable stuff from Archer Transfers. I'm a huge fan of this stuff. Not cheap, but mandatory. The "U.S." markings on the canteens, shovel covers are decals from Hudson and Allen.


I think that covers it. Now to finish my current piece with the 101st Airborne toward the end of the Normandy campaign. Did my first piece of artillery - the AFV PaK 40. Miles to go before I sleep....

Regards,
Barry

Hey Barry! Lovely stuff matey, very well done!

Great Dio Barry. The Serman looks great. One question, What is the red stuff on the edge of the treads all around? is it rust? May just be the picture but it really stands out. The soldiers are amazing. Great job on the ground work. Your figure painting skills are great. keep it up

Barry awesome job. This is a fantastic diorama. It really tells a story and gives you that somber sort of feel. The groundwork is amazing as well. The only thing I would say is like the other, you may want to tone down the rust on the tracks a bit. Besides that it is an awesome piece.

Cheers,
Salvo

Very well made indeed. I like it. Theres a lot of great details and the vehicle as well as the figgies and the groundwork...I cant see any mistakes there.

Well done.

Brilliant Dio, Last pic is fantastic well done

redleg

Very nice, top notch work, well laid out, clear story, great construction, painting and groundwork. Evocative and moody (in a very good way).
Two things.
First, the fallen soldier looks, well, dare I say it, too stiff. Unless he's been reposition by his comrades, the arms look too tight to the body for someone who has fallen. I've seen many people fall during seizures (occupational hazard) and found one dead woman onthe side of the road (long story) and the body looses all tone going down.
Second, the gerry can at the back of the tank is being held in palce, it appears, by s single rope throughthe handle. That's going to fall off the fender pretty quickly.

Hi Al,

Doing the fallen guy was tough, no doubt about it. I sculpted his left arm undernath his chest, which you can't see in the pictures. Maybe that was a mistake, 'cause it "lifts" his body somewhat. I can't say I was 100% satisfied with the figure, but at some point I had to let it go, if you know what I mean.

Good eye on the jerry can.

"How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice..."

Regards to everyone who took time to look at the dio and thanks for the critiques. I really do pay attention.

Barry

Excellent work Barry. Top notch job, your figures, tank, and ground work are all terrific. Thanks for sharing.

A very poignant diorama telling a story that must heve effected many loved ones during all modern conflicts.

John

Gday Barry! Love to see any new Sherman dios...
Is the 2 tone brown/OD fom the Italian campaign?
The groundwork is superb, subtle, but yet effective enough by far!
Agreed on the few pointers from others re the end connectors, jerry can, commanders' head direction etc. but I think the fallen fig is well done... Anything that conveys in an instant what has happened is the principle goal of a diorama methinks...
Cheers
Brad

good work Barry