One Month Challenge: COMPLETED

[GazzaS]

Hello Friends...

     Welcome to the Reader's Digest special font. (Inspired by P.P)

Anyway...   figure painting today has taught me a new respect for sculptors.  My 'sculpting' was pretty laughable.  And it became even more apparent once I started detail painting.  But...   with only a month for the entire project, I decided to live with any errors.

So...  today I started today with face painting and blending.  I did all five faces and then started blending black into boots, gloves, and the AMMO.  Then I used the remainder of the black, mixed in some white and worked on the tarpaulin some more with a light gray.

After blending in boots and gloves, I used darkened Tamiya Feldgrau to fill in all of the lowlights of the field gray parts.  Then, after blending in the lowlights of feldgrau, I did the highlights and lowlights of the two white camoflage jackets.  And then ran out of time.  

In the morning I'll add the field gray highlights and then clear coat everything.  Then a few washes where required, and the figs will be done.  

Here are some pics...

 

     

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Figures look just fine and add in your time restraints, that's a lot of pressure to finish all the various elements of the diorama. My money is riding on you that you will cross the line in time.

 

[DocRob]

I like the figures a lot Gary, macro shots can be cruel, but I can't see fails with your guys. I also love the problem solving with the tarpaulin covering the shells. That made me smile.

Cheers Rob

[GazzaS]

13 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

Figures look just fine and add in your time restraints, that's a lot of pressure to finish all the various elements of the diorama. My money is riding on you that you will cross the line in time.

 

Thank you, Peter!

12 hours ago, DocRob said:

I like the figures a lot Gary, macro shots can be cruel, but I can't see fails with your guys. I also love the problem solving with the tarpaulin covering the shells. That made me smile.

Cheers Rob

Thank you, Rob!  Photos of tarp usage are pretty hard to find.  I even perused photos of German supply columns....   Even tarps there are limited to actually covering trucks and wagons...   the wagons...  It boggles the mind to see the wagons.

[KevinM]

Once it gets pieced together Gary all will be good to go.

[Winnie]

Bundaberg Rum... Haven't heard about that since I read "Hungry as the sea" by Wilbur Smith... I must renew the search!

Cheers!

Oh and the scene is going to be masterful!

[GazzaS]

6 hours ago, Winnie said:

Bundaberg Rum... Haven't heard about that since I read "Hungry as the sea" by Wilbur Smith... I must renew the search!

Cheers!

Oh and the scene is going to be masterful!

 

6 hours ago, KevinM said:

Once it gets pieced together Gary all will be good to go.

Thank you, Fellas! 

 

And speaking of the scene....

    Today I laid down the air drying clay over the foam base.  It's 16cmX16cm...   though not perfectly square.  I mixed a little PVA into the clay to make it more malleable and adhere to the base better.  Once I got the shaping done, I used a wet finger to smooth out the details a little.

    Then, I laid a sheet of plastic wrap over the clay and positioned everything, mashing the clay in where appropriate.  Then I lifted the clay off and added a lot of random footprints.

Then I removed everything from the base.  The Air-dry clay cannot be hurried.  I've learned by experience that an afternoon in the sun will dry it out...   then crack it to pieces.

Here are some pics...

Thank you for looking!

[Martinnfb]

Brilliant idea with that plastic wrap!

great composition as well. 
 

cheers 

Martin

[GazzaS]

46 minutes ago, Martinnfb said:

Brilliant idea with that plastic wrap!

great composition as well. 
 

cheers 

Martin

Thank you, Martin!  Can't claim to be the originator of the plastic wrap idea...   I know I saw it on a modelling video somewhere...   but I watch so many, I can't remember who.

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Always something newly discover in your builds and the plastic wrap is now added to the list.  The diorama clay base as all the beginning elements and the footprints a well defined for naturally blending into the scene and not looking like an addon later on.

 

[GazzaS]

Thank you Peter.

[Kaireckstadt]

This will be another perfect diorama Gary!

Great surgery on the figures and composition of all items on the diorama. The tarpaulin looks absolutely realistic.

[GazzaS]

14 hours ago, Kaireckstadt said:

This will be another perfect diorama Gary!

Great surgery on the figures and composition of all items on the diorama. The tarpaulin looks absolutely realistic.

Thank you Kai!

[GazzaS]

HI everyone,

    Yesterday and the day before I spent a lot of the day weathering the howitzer.  The first step was highlighting all of the bolt and rivet heads with a lighter shade of grey...  using acrylic paint.  Then, using black oil paint, I did a pin wash and carefully blended it in.  Finally, I used pastels to add dirt and rust. 

Yes.  Rust.  The uniforms put this diorama at either winter 41/42, or early to mid winter 42.  At either point, the troops and equipment involved had been campaigning for 5-6 months of continual fighting or marching.  Broken down vehicles, and vehicles without fuel had to be left behind.  And the supply columns continually struggled to catch up.  So, this allows me a little room for artistic license.

I also finished up the rifle stack.  I thought it came out pretty well, all things considered.

I also glued the framing to the base which was allowed to dry overnight.  This morning I removed the thumbtacks which pressed the wood to the foam, and put on some wood putty.  It will need to dry overnight before I dare sand it.

Some pics.  Hopefully the weathering on the howitzer will become more prominent after the matte coat.

 

 

[belugawhaleman]

1 hour ago, GazzaS said:

HI everyone,

    Yesterday and the day before I spent a lot of the day weathering the howitzer.  The first step was highlighting all of the bolt and rivet heads with a lighter shade of grey...  using acrylic paint.  Then, using black oil paint, I did a pin wash and carefully blended it in.  Finally, I used pastels to add dirt and rust. 

Yes.  Rust.  The uniforms put this diorama at either winter 41/42, or early to mid winter 42.  At either point, the troops and equipment involved had been campaigning for 5-6 months of continual fighting or marching.  Broken down vehicles, and vehicles without fuel had to be left behind.  And the supply columns continually struggled to catch up.  So, this allows me a little room for artistic license.

I also finished up the rifle stack.  I thought it came out pretty well, all things considered.

I also glued the framing to the base which was allowed to dry overnight.  This morning I removed the thumbtacks which pressed the wood to the foam, and put on some wood putty.  It will need to dry overnight before I dare sand it.

Some pics.  Hopefully the weathering on the howitzer will become more prominent after the matte coat.

 

 

Looking great! Your post is practically a tutorial on weathering armor, thanks!

[Kaireckstadt]

Great looking Haubitze Gary. Lovely details and weathering!

[HubertB]

Great job, Gary !

An ignoramus question: shouldn’t the anti-recoil plows be deployed when firing ? Deployed or not, I would think that their « inside » (deployed or not) would be the most weathered and rusted area of the howitzer.

Keep it coming 

Hubert

[GazzaS]

1 hour ago, Kaireckstadt said:

Great looking Haubitze Gary. Lovely details and weathering!

Thank you, Kai.

51 minutes ago, HubertB said:

Great job, Gary !

An ignoramus question: shouldn’t the anti-recoil plows be deployed when firing ? Deployed or not, I would think that their « inside » (deployed or not) would be the most weathered and rusted area of the howitzer.

Keep it coming 

Hubert

Hubert,

    The spades (recoil plows) only required deployment with heavier charges.  There is some great video of the weapon firing in combat with them up as they are here. 

RE:  the weathering, they are dirty and rusted on the insides as deep as they might have dug in.    It's pretty hard to see what I had done in the photos.

The USMC, was using a slightly updated version of the M-101 105MM howitzer used in WWII when I served in 84-90.  We took ours to Okinawa and the Japanese mainland.  Our battery had eight M-189 155mm howitzers and four M101 104mm howitzers.   Despite the size difference, the M-189 is much nicer to use, being more ergonomically designed.  Emplacing the M-101 takes a fair bit of work.  Because the spades are fixed in place, once the gun is laid on the aiming devices, the trails are lifted, and holes are dug for the spades to reside while firing.  Those spades just never really got dirty on the upper halves.

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Terrific progress as the weathering on the Howitzer and rifle stack look so well done.  Completely agree that clear flat coats help allow the colors, hues and textures to be more easily seen and appreciated.  Nice work on dio base sides as well. Always appreciate adding to the background bio as it brings us closer to the scene being portrayed. 

 

[GazzaS]

Twenty days, friends.  I wanted it done in a month and I came in ahead.  It's not really totally finished.  I have yet to apply the matte coat.  But the weather is shitty today, cold and damp.  Good weather for taking outdoor pictures if you can dodge the rain....   But no good for clear coats.  I find they fog if you spray them in less than excellent conditions.   Anyway...   here are the photos:

 

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Awesome diorama and all in only twenty days.  Just seems we were sitting with you at the bench as each part of the diorama was built. For me, one key element of a successful diorama is the story and no question as to what the story is.

Beautiful work and the snow looks cold and realistic. A tease as we're in the midst of a record heat wave here on the island. 

 

 

[GazzaS]

11 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

Awesome diorama and all in only twenty days.  Just seems we were sitting with you at the bench as each part of the diorama was built. For me, one key element of a successful diorama is the story and no question as to what the story is.

Beautiful work and the snow looks cold and realistic. A tease as we're in the midst of a record heat wave here on the island. 

 

 

Thank you, Peter!  I'm glad you like it.  I really wasn't keen on a winter dio, having recently finished one.  Often, I am finding it's figures that direct which season and place a diorama will be set.  So often, I see a figure set that looks ideal online only to find it's long OOP and out of stock everywhere.  

It's chilly, wet and miserable here today.  I'd be happy to trade.

[Peterpools]

Daz

Love to trade our heat and humidity for your chilly and wet weather for a good while.

 

[Bomber_County]

Gaz, just caught up. Simply stunning, congrats on beautiful executed dio…….I built an 88mm wen I first came back into the hobby but never painted it…..hmmm you have inspired me Gaz….

[GazzaS]

1 hour ago, Peterpools said:

Daz

Love to trade our heat and humidity for your chilly and wet weather for a good while.

 

Queensland is supposed to be known as the "Sunshine State".  Not this year, I'll tell yah.  More like Waterworld.