"How the gods kill"

[Johan Fohlin]

Hi all,

I like to share some pics of my latest diorama, depicting German grenadiers on the Narwa front during the early spring of 1944.

The story:
The soldiers has been tasked to cart last nights casualties from a near by field hospital to the rear lines for burial. However, as the men and horses make their way down a narrow, muddy and shell scared road, the horses are suddenly aghast by a near miss from a Russian stray artillery shell. The cart slides of the muddy road and in the turmoil is now dangerously close to getting stuck in an old foxhole just beside the road. The men, who despite the early hour, are already loaded on alcohol try desperately to save the cart and its cargo...

The figures I have used to crate this diorama are either converted stock plastic/resin figures, or scratched built. I used Vallejo colours for both the paining and weathering.

regards,
Johan

 

[Johan Fohlin]

Below are some pics on the individual figures.

Fig.1) Originally an old Warriors figure with some minor modifications.



Fig.2) Also this is an old Wariors figure.


Fig.3) I used a figure from the Miniart range as base to create this fig.


Fig.4) once more, a figure from Miniart came in handy.


Fig.5) One more oldie from the Wariors range...


Fig.6) Scratched built figure.


Fig.7) This Russian POW (Hiwi) is also scratched built.


Fig.8) Warriors...

 

[Johan Fohlin]

The horses are converted from the old Dragon kit "German Cossack Cavalry"





I used the wagon from Master Box and converted/scratched the stiffs.



Finally, a picture of the painting that inspired me to build this diorama. I saw it at the Museum of Military History at Vienna, back in 2010.


Thanks for looking!

 

[pmfs]

Hi Johan!

Splendid work sir. This dio tells us a terrible story of these soldiers... Well done!!!

Pedro.

 

[Colin_Fraser]

Awesome. My only slightly critical comment is that the figures are too clean for the scene IMO. The painting and composition are superb as are the soldiers' and animals' facial expressions. Nice to see all that effort going into a scene with no tank to be seen.

Colin

 

[Mjølner]

Wow... I just love it you have managed to capture the intense atmosphere in the moment. Great expressions in there faces, great work on the dio and paintjob.
Indeed.... well done

 

[swralph]

Excellent diorama

 

[Kisifer]

I'm speechless. That's indeed an awesome diorama. Well done sir.

Xenofon

 

[housecarl]

Very poignant, superbly done.

 

[tonydawe]

An amazing diorama. Great figures and amazing groundwork.

 

[Nicolaos]

To cite a French expression: "Chapeau bas!"

 

[NickM]

A perfect diorama, Johan. The atmosphere and story are captured perfectly, but the painting is also superb.
Thanks for posting pics of how you converted the figures too, nice to see.
Cheers

 

[Mark S]

Wonderful work.....Bruegelesque!!

 

[yeo_64]

Awesome piece of Top Notch figure modelling and diorama story-telling ! Kudos !
Thank you very much for posting it here for us fellow "planeteers" to enjoy .
Cheers!
Kenneth.

 

[YongA01]

Hi John
Brilliant animated diorama , always like how u used the expressive hornet head in your dioramas.

Allan

 

[smudger1960]

That is just superb Johan,the detail is fantastic,congratulations

 

[taff edwards]

Hi Johan
A superb dio of musem quality the attention to detail is superb , telling a harrowing story faced by infantary soldiers who ever they fought for outstanding yet another I will be sitting down with my glass of wine to look at an absorb the work and detail you have put into this .
Cheers Chris

 

[lopee]

Hello Johan
very well done. Painting is excellent, so do pose of every figure but the main - and the best for me - is the story in it. It's much more better than the picture you saw in 2010.

 

[Helm]

Excellent the horses in particular stand out like Colin I think the faces and hands could do with some mud but otherwise excellent work
Steve

 

[schley]

Hi Johan Absolutely excellent diorama well done! I do have an observation, I think that the lower parts of the figures horses and the wagon wheels would benefit from some extra mud effects as it looks as if the soil is pretty fluid and mucky. I think this would enhance the diorama considerably. Just an observation on a fantastic job.

Regards

John Schley
www.grailmodels.moonfruit.com