WIP 1/16 Germans in Europe "Countryside Assault"

[Dr Force]

Rather then a figure, perhaps an idea from the old Verlinden school of filling the corner.

No, not an empty Jerry can, or artful stack of empty ammo crates. How about some kind of kit (such as a spilled back pack) from the opposing force? Like an Adrian helmet with a backpack. (if French foes)

It would help fill the corner, not crowd the base, give a hint of who these troopers are assaulting, and wouldn't involve a whole lot of work.

Either that, or a small bush in flower. Or a Squirrel bolting for it across that log

Cheers

Hi Jamie

thanks for your help and some great idea's you have.

I love the thought of a squirel, or maybe a crow just taking off from a rockon tha corner.

I'll do some experimenting with the magic sculpt to see what it looks like, failing that a Tommy helmet might do the trick.

Thanks
Dave

 

[1969]

failing that a Tommy helmet might do the trick.

yeah and maybe a spilled cup of tea next to it .

Steve

 

[Dr Force]

Hi All

Bit of time away from the bench but back on to continue this project up to completion.

I have completed the basic tones for the groundwork with some area's at the bottom awaiting a small treatment of water to continue with the river bank idea previously mentioned.

I have yet to add in the vegetation, grass, more blending is required and all the roots need painting.

The tree's also need a lick of paint which will combine the "living with the dead. The tree on the right actually has some last bits of foliage to depict a dieing landscape.

The green algae/damp effect has come out a bit bright in the pics, but you get where I am heading:-

 

[JasonB]

Forget the Germans, get ya a couple of Woodland Indians chasing a deer or something. That landscape is super. It just screams North America 300 years ago. Something like these guys

Its too nice just to have a couple of Heer privates stumbling around it it! Nice work. The water will really set it off.
Cheers
Jason

 

[Dr Force]

Hi Jay

you are spot on with that.

The vegetation and water will bring it to life with some nice deep ferns and the odd water plant.

Talking of the water, it will only be in areas where it has been trapped to give the impression of a drought to compliment the rolled up sleeves on figure 1.

Back to the bench and will update in due course.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Dr Force]

Hi

Bombing along with the groundwork now.

I still have quite a bit of vegetation to add, not to mention the tuffs of grass at the top and around the banks. I am also going to add some moss to the lower rocks, add some more homemade ferns and some woodland flowers for colour.

You can just see on the pics where the water is trapped beneath the old log. This needs around 5 more coats of clear varnish to give the sense of depth, so just waiting for it to dry between coats.

The ferns are made from the end tips of real ferns found in the garden, just place them in a book and wait for them to dry straight before covering in matt varnish and gluing together (you can see how effective it is in the close up).

The trailing bush is made from a small rockery plant, once again await a few days for them to die and dry, clean off excess dead matter and then matt varnish befor painting in the desired colour.

I reckon another week and it is figure time!!!

 

[housecarl]

Seems a shame to put the figures on it. Only joking Dave, superb work.
Carl.

 

[Dr Force]

Seems a shame to put the figures on it. Only joking Dave, superb work.
Carl.

Ha ha..........it's a thought!!!!!

 

[Dr Force]

Ok after loads of huffing and puffing I have ditched the homemade sculpt (although great practice) and added a figure worthy of the groundwork.

The groundwork is now done with only a few bits to tidy but its on to the figures now

I have this wonderful Jeff Shui effort that fits in to the scene perfectly, carrying a MG34 & in a hurry!! :-

 

[JasonB]

Can I give ya an honest opinion? Its not working for me (not that it has to). The groundwork is superb, but almost appears to be a smaller scale, probably because in my mind the rocks resemble much large boulders that I have seen locally in gullies, left here by glaciation. The figures are great figs...but I don't know if they go so well together in this scene. Perhaps because its far more common and photographed, I could see this happening in a setting more like the last one you did, the Stalingrad vignette. The landscape in this one is so pastoral it just seems a shame to have modern figures doing battle in it. Another consideration is the guy with the MP-40 standing bolt upright while the other guy is running a bit hunched over, implying more danger than the other guy. Just overall you have a lot of great parts that for me, don't go together well in the same scene.

 

[Dr Force]

Can I give ya an honest opinion? Its not working for me (not that it has to). The groundwork is superb, but almost appears to be a smaller scale, probably because in my mind the rocks resemble much large boulders that I have seen locally in gullies, left here by glaciation. The figures are great figs...but I don't know if they go so well together in this scene. Perhaps because its far more common and photographed, I could see this happening in a setting more like the last one you did, the Stalingrad vignette. The landscape in this one is so pastoral it just seems a shame to have modern figures doing battle in it. Another consideration is the guy with the MP-40 standing bolt upright while the other guy is running a bit hunched over, implying more danger than the other guy. Just overall you have a lot of great parts that for me, don't go together well in the same scene.

Hi Jay

Great to hear from you matey and thanks for your input.

It's become a big challenge this one as it's evolved over the build so it's changed from my original intention. I can see what you mean about the groundwork fitting in perfectly with older figures but I have my heart set on incorporating Jerry because thats my bag.

The trouble with Diorama's, vignette's are the fact you have to incorporate an element of imagination of what is happening around it and thats bloomin difficult, absolutely anything could be happening to make the two soldiers react in the way they are, so its impossible to say the guy standing up is "wrong" although I get exactly what you mean.

Did you prefer my original composition? or are you simply saying the groundwork does not fit??

I would not mind other peeps helping me with this aswell so fire away guys.

Thanks
Dave

 

[JasonB]

Hi Dave,
I don't know, perhaps its just I've been conditioned to see German guys fighting in certain environments, and one so nice and "woodsy" as we might say isn't the first that comes to mind. Unless of course its Germans in overcoats and camo fighting in the Ardennes. Anyhow, its just my initial impression. Usually with a vignette I go off the initial impression and try to understand why I feel a certain way about it, but I can't exactly say why in this case. Perhaps because the Tamiya figure isn't my favorite, I think hes a bit statue like. I think he should definitely be behind something. Its just natural when firing in combat, unless you are moving, to either be behind cover, or otherwise crouched and making yourself as small a target as possible. I don't see the interaction between the figures thats desirable in a vignette or diorama, they seem to be 2 guys doing their own thing independent of each other. For example, if one was shouting at the other, or perhaps (cringe) pointing out the enemy or directing the other where to go, would show interaction. Anyhow, I'm just rambling, you should probably just go ahead and do it as you see fit and see where it goes, I don't have any good answers.

 

[Dr Force]

The jeff shui figures blows the tamiya effort to bits so that does not help.

I think i will have a look around for a better figure that is likely to compliment the figure and the scene.

Maybe one lying down shouting orders? Or pointing ( as you mention)? Any recommendations for figures would be appreciated, I could always do my usual conversion if it is not 100% right.

I also think something larger needs to fill the void behind so any suggestions here would also help (maybe a very large rock, fence, that wall afterall?)

Thanks for your support

Dave

 

[ryall]

Great ground work.
I agree, I think it is rude to put Jeff's figure together with Tamiya figure his is so much better. I also don't think the two figure go together

If it were me I would just have Jeffs figure on the base by himself. Uptop where the Tamiya figure was maybe you could think of putting some type of enemy equipment/helmet or gun, or the start of a sandbag bunker.

Ryally

 

[Dr Force]

Great ground work.
I agree, I think it is rude to put Jeff's figure together with Tamiya figure his is so much better. I also don't think the two figure go together

If it were me I would just have Jeffs figure on the base by himself. Uptop where the Tamiya figure was maybe you could think of putting some type of enemy equipment/helmet or gun, or the start of a sandbag bunker.

Ryally

Thanks for your help.

Ok so Tam figure is being withdrawn to the paint later box.

I like the sound of sandbags with maybe some US machine gun and other equipment left behind?

I could always do a couple of dead allies strewn across it aswell but my minds running away now so I'll have a play about and see what fits best.

Any other idea's would be a great help.

Thanks
Dave

 

[Dr Force]

I have taken some much better photo's using natural light and some tree's as a backdrop from my garden.

IMO the figure looks great on it's own and have no qualms about using him as positioned, however we need some interest on top (taken a pic so you can see the space) and I reckon a heap of sandbags and some US helmets/weapons may do the trick??????

What do youy guys think??

 

[JasonB]

Couple of things. I think I would go more early war, perhaps France, than I would US. The guy has the rubber band around his helmet for holding branches, etc, for camouflage, and the gas cape bag on his chest. Both of these are more associated with 1943 or earlier (though they could be seen later), especially the gas cape. At some point they figured it was extraneous equipment and they disappeared rather early on. The helmet band went the same route.The high marching boots and earlier version of the tunic (scalloped pocket flaps) also give the impression of early war, though once again, these could be seen later, though being much less common. How do you feel about sculpting a dead Frenchman??? This could be a German moving through the Ardennes in 1940, maybe you could do another with a the same scenery in winter and the German going the other way as part of the Battle of the Bulge and make them a contrasting set. Maybe if you go that route it could be something as simple as a uniquely shaped tree stump, that would be obvious from one scene to the next. Again, just thinking out loud.

 

[Dr Force]

Couple of things. I think I would go more early war, perhaps France, than I would US. The guy has the rubber band around his helmet for holding branches, etc, for camouflage, and the gas cape bag on his chest. Both of these are more associated with 1943 or earlier (though they could be seen later), especially the gas cape. At some point they figured it was extraneous equipment and they disappeared rather early on. The helmet band went the same route.The high marching boots and earlier version of the tunic (scalloped pocket flaps) also give the impression of early war, though once again, these could be seen later, though being much less common. How do you feel about sculpting a dead Frenchman??? This could be a German moving through the Ardennes in 1940, maybe you could do another with a the same scenery in winter and the German going the other way as part of the Battle of the Bulge and make them a contrasting set. Maybe if you go that route it could be something as simple as a uniquely shaped tree stump, that would be obvious from one scene to the next. Again, just thinking out loud.

Great stuff Jay

I love the idea of a dead frenchman, but I have not seen any french stuff in 1/16, are you talking from scratch or a conversion. You are right about the time frame as the US did not enter the war until later and his dress is from 1941.

Ok we are getting somewhere any help with the frenchman is appreciated, I need some uniform reference or better still, any 1/16 french figures????????????

 

[1969]

That Jeff Shui`s figure definitely looks like he was made for that basework mate, he looks just right where you have him and I have to agree the Tamiya one had to go compared to this one. Maybe loose the gas cape and carve of the rubber band and he will be Ok for the Western front, the Mg34 is no problem as that was used right up till the end of the war as there was short supply of the Mg42, you could then go for your U.S bunker idea for the top of the embankment.

Good to see you still at it mate,

Steve

 

[Dr Force]

That Jeff Shui`s figure definitely looks like he was made for that basework mate, he looks just right where you have him and I have to agree the Tamiya one had to go compared to this one. Maybe loose the gas cape and carve of the rubber band and he will be Ok for the Western front, the Mg34 is no problem as that was used right up till the end of the war as there was short supply of the Mg42, you could then go for your U.S bunker idea for the top of the embankment.

Good to see you still at it mate,

Steve

Hey great to hear from you Steve.

Dead fenchman in a scattered bunker or french equipment left behind in the said bunker.

I don't want to touch Jeff's masterpeice (and it is just amazing) so i am fitting everything around it now but so glad I have you guys to help, dropping the tamiya figure has actually made all the difference and my sculpt was no way good enough to compliment the effort I have put in to the groundwork.

Hopefully see you soon mate?

Dave