Panzer IIV and Normandy Church diorama scene

[Saber]

Well having done a couple of smaller Dioramas and getting into tanks I thought it was time to combine my tanks in a bigger scene. I was having a look at Forgotten Heroes 2 a mod for a battle field 2 and there was some cool maps of Normandy so I had a few ideas cooking. Also found out that my Panzer IIV and M5A1 would have been in that battle so ideal for putting into a church scene in Normandy.

Any way got my self some reference pics and started to chuck it together with just some old bit of packaging and some polyfilla and this is what I have come up with. I want the M5A1 behind the church ruin and the Panzer IIV coming down the dirt track in front of it ,More pics as the progress carries on..

View attachment 56733View attachment 56734View attachment 56735View attachment 56736View attachment 56737View attachment 56738

View attachment 58781

View attachment 58782

View attachment 58783

View attachment 58784

View attachment 58785

View attachment 58786

 

[mobear]

what you come up with is smart mate,gonna keep my eye in on this one

mobear

 

[michaelm]

Love the Churchyard idea with the tombstones, great! M

 

[Saber]

This is making me laugh I never do stuff like this and I am very surprised at how much I am enjoying doing this. Have sprayed it up with some cheapo acrylic paints 1.00 from QD they go on great with some warm water and a bit of washing up liquid.I must thank Ron for his amazing bridge diorama that really got me inspired to have go. I whizzed up some kitchen sponge in the blender and stuck that on a bit of golden rod stalk from outside to make my first tree lots more to do... then the tanks!

View attachment 56758View attachment 56759View attachment 56760View attachment 56761

View attachment 58806

View attachment 58807

View attachment 58808

View attachment 58809

 

[phalinmegob]

wizzed up some sponge in a kitchen blender.....wow what a cool idea,will remember that one.

 

[mobear]

and so the dio comes to life,those trees look quality to me,cool idea with the sponge lol

mobear

 

[Sky Raider]

Excellent workmanship. Looks fantastic.

Andy

 

[Saber]

wizzed up some sponge in a kitchen blender.....wow what a cool idea,will remember that one.

You have to add some water to it or it just goes round and round and does not get chopped up then I stick it in a metal sieve and leave it on the radiator to dry out. Now I got to find some way of making creeping vines to go on the brick work?

 

[phalinmegob]

get one of those net bags, the type that you get onions in, cut some decent size pieces out of it and then spray it light brown. leave it to dry. then nip to your local supermarket and go the dried herbs and get one to suit the colour of your leaves, cant remember the name of it. mix some pva with water and paint over the mesh and then sprinkle herbs over it. when its dry you can cut it to size and stick it on your walls.

 

[Saber]

Thats a cool tip andrew I will try that out got some in the pantry. I was looking at some pics on the net for ideas this is the look I want to get..

View attachment 56767

View attachment 58814

 

[backonthecase]

Fantastic work Mark, have to agree with the sponge idea, crazy but genius!

I'd say oregano or basil would be the right colour for ivy or the like. I'd like to help you but I'm clean out after making a monster lasagne the other night

Stuart

 

[mossiepilot]

Great job so far Mark, and that golden rod and sponge tree is the bees knees mate, inspired.

Must admit though, your first shots, all backlit, looked very gothic. I expected the Count to make an appearence at some point LOL.

Keep up the great work.

Tony.

 

[aaron]

Tea from a teabag makes good ivy.

Your tree looks great.

 

[Saber]

Great job so far Mark, and that golden rod and sponge tree is the bees knees mate, inspired.Must admit though, your first shots, all backlit, looked very gothic. I expected the Count to make an appearence at some point LOL.

Keep up the great work.

Tony.

Cheers Tony yes I agree it would be the ideal place for vampire to haunt might do a vampire castle next time. I like the idea of a Gothic theme mixed up with the Nazis pretty scary. I am stuck on getting an idea for some bushes now, any ideas for some good bushes I don't want to use wire wool as I have heard that it will rust and tried some but it didn't look right..

 

[spanner570]

I like the look of this Mark and thanks for your kind remarks about my on running dio. I'm well pleased it gave you the push to have a go......Great fun aren't they?

From what I have read so far you are encompassing the thoughts according to 'The Scrounger Club' and thinking through how to make every day items work in a diorama.

Regarding your last picture, how about just a simple green wash on the walls and then wind some thin fuse wire around to simulate the vines?

Keep the pictures coming...

Ron

 

[Saber]

Cheers Ron, yes this is great fun and I enjoy finding every day items to turn into bushes and trees. I stuck a load of my minced up washing up sponge on a bit of roughly broken polystyrene and painted it green for a bush effect seems to coming along now. Tomorrow I will go on a search for more bits and bobs to turn into stuff. I still have load of fly tying materials in my old fishing box so will dig that out and see what I can come up with cant wait. Thanks for inspiring us all with your great work.

View attachment 56779View attachment 56780View attachment 56781View attachment 56782

View attachment 58816

View attachment 58817

View attachment 58818

View attachment 58819

 

[geegad]

superb looking dio buddy coming along nice

 

[Saber]

Decided I need more brick work in the back part so have made another broken wall and covered that in Polyfilla also adding food blender kitchen sponge to smaller chunky bits of polystyrene to give me some bushes. Pretty much making it up as I find stuff to use around the house.

View attachment 56785

View attachment 58822

 

[mobear]

for someone who is making it up as they go along,its looking awesome,im liking this more and more

mobear

 

[Saber]

Cheers Ole, the only issue I have with making these dioramas is where on earth do you put them when your finished making them? I think I will have to take a visit to my local air museum and see if they would like to have display this summer. I ordered an 88mm anti tank gun with German crew for this one but its not big enough to fit them all in. Funny though as instead of the anti tank gun they sent me an SAS pink panther jeep! Pink Jeep might have been interesting though lol