Normandy Bocage Diorama
Just working out tree and bush placement
Selecting moss stems to act as bushes.
More trees being prepared before painting and adding foliage
Hmmm taking shape....well a little bit 🙂
As it's summer. Some flowers need to be added
More flowers added
Cleaning up the dried branches ready for some seafoam and painting
Cutting and shaping the gate to size. Made the end bits for the gate out of the twig above
Painting bramble (Blackberry) bushes
Just seeing what they'll look like on the dio. Need to add some leaves now
Leaves added to the bramble (blackberry) stems
Tree building starts.....
Working out the positioning for the smaller trees. Placed the brambles around the base of the main tree to get a feel of what it needs.
Started to make the 'wood aging' solution
Foliage is made from seafoam and Treemendus (dark and mid-summer) flock.
Some more bushes made
One tank track removed. Didn't like the way it looked. Was too fake. So now to remove the other one.
Both 'fake' tank tracks removed now. added some cart wheel tracks instead as that is what the farmers would have generally used in that time period
Last few bushes. Getting ready to assemble the thing now (excluding trees)
Run out of bushes so have to make more of them. Never thought i'd need this many when i first started out
Small trees glued in position
Small trees glued in position
Branches added onto the FINAL tree! Ready to paint them both now.
Just need to paint the trees and add the foliage. Very nearly complete now 🙂
First 'big' tree painted brown/grey. Next is foliage
Hedging finally finished!
Rowan tree twigs sanded down for posts and lollipop sticks for gate planks
Used a very small razor saw to make the grain/old wood effect then the vinegar 'aging' solution applied to one post
Added the final tree.
Think it looks about right now. Need to add foliage next
Gate taking shape 🙂
Gate glued. Made it to look rustic
Just seeing what it looked like in-place. Not fixed yet. Still have to make the hinges
Started to add the foliage to the main trees now.
First tree done
Primed ready for Oak Leaf pattern painting
Started the oak leaf camo
Mr. Blue-tac head is in his natural environment 🙂
Start of Italian camo being painted
Wolfgang has his Italian camo pattern 🙂
Wolfgang and Amadeus take cover from British Jabos lol 🙂
First ever attempt at painting a face. Doh!
First figure complete (apart from the head blu-tac'd on)
A little bit of fence building this afternoon.
Started adding a little 'graining' to the post and panels
Positioned three more small trees. Will paint and add foliage when its delivered
Posts, gate and fence finished 🙂
Rope to hold the gate added. A small detail. But i think it's worth it
Last few trees painted. One more to go then to add the foliage
Decals added
Using pigments for the first time
Starting to add the wheels
Wheels added now
PAK40 L46 nearly done
Playing with pigments for the first time
Komentáře
72 21 November 2021, 17:37
TorstenThat's what I call a real challenge, I'm really curious how it will look in the end 👀
21 November 2021, 17:58
Alan GCheers Torsten. Really is a challenge as i have very limited dio building experience. But it could be 'fun' lol
21 November 2021, 18:16
Alan GThey certainly were David. The StuG is just for scale purposes only. It was/is my first ever armour build and was done in fictitious camo colours. It's not going to be part of this build in the long run. I have a few other armour to build for it instead.
28 November 2021, 19:24
Bruce HuxtableReally convincing real estate, Alan. I am curious: how did you make the tank track marks?
28 November 2021, 20:01
Alan GThanks for the kind comment Bruce. The mud is made from real mud. I baked some mud from my garden in the oven for 15 mins to dry it out and kill and bugs. Then mixed with PVA and spread it out. For the tracks it's extra mud added and then i used a 15cm steel ruler end to make divots in it.
28 November 2021, 20:06
Alan GAdded a few flowers (as it's summertime in the Bocage) and i'm in the process of making a gate for the field entrance
6 December 2021, 07:43
Alan GYeah it does David. Hope to start the Tiger I and Sd.Kfz.251 in the new year to go with this dio. I'll hopefully be getting a StuG III Ausf.G, Marder III and Panther Ausf.A to go with it.
22 December 2021, 14:43
Bobby ThumbsLove the trees Alan. That transition from main trunk to the smaller branches are excellent. The smaller branches are really good.
1 January 2022, 07:12
Alan GMany thanks Bobby. The main tree is yet to come and that is terrifying me 🙂
1 January 2022, 11:13
Dirk FriesCheers Alan, your Bocage looks really great. Lot's of spaces to hide in 🙂
6 January 2022, 19:13
Alan GWell David i am just reading a book about the 12.SS.Pz.Div 'Hitlerjugend' in Normandy and it would appear there were StuG III Gs and IV there fighting. So i might have to now build one with the correct camo scheme.
8 January 2022, 18:47
RewopLooking good. A lot of work in it, well done. Look forward to seeing the finished diorama. If it is of any use, sawdust and pva can be good for base and tracks, as more flexible than mud. Does require a few layers though.
8 January 2022, 21:24
Neil PatrickFabulous! The best looking bocage model I've seen for a very long time. In fact probably since I was wandering around in Normandy several years ago. Bravo!
18 January 2022, 22:27
Alan GThanks David. Nearly there now. Just building the gate and awaiting adhesive for the tree foliage.
23 January 2022, 16:04
SpanjaardLooking good. Would you please give more details about vinegar technique?
23 January 2022, 22:43
Alan GFirstly get some white malt/pickling vinegar and steel wool. You need the wool to be clean and not impregnated with cleaning products.
Place the steel wool into a spare pot (yogurt pots are ideal) and put in a measured amount of vinegar. Leave this to do its thing for at least 24 hours.
When ready add the same measured amount of water to the solution. So if you added 10 caps of vinegar then add 10 cap of water.
Use an old paint brush and brush the solution onto your bit of wood.
It should turn the 'new' wood old and grey. It can be sealed with acrylic matt varnish
24 January 2022, 20:17
Hugh CAST.Hello Alan, reproducing the Normandy bocage is a real challenge. I admire your audacity and your courage.
Thank you for these explanations and this didactic post
24 January 2022, 21:51
Alan GThanks Hugh. This is only my second ever diorama so every day is a learning day. My skills aren't good enough to make it truly realistic but i have to admit i am happy with what i have created so far.
24 January 2022, 21:54
Chan LiLooks so real, just add some bugs around the bush would take me straight to Europe.
Besides I have the same hobbbyboss tiger I kit.
29 January 2022, 17:01
Nick ClarkeWill Mr Blue-tac head stay as a comical element? like an unknown soldier perhaps? The dio is looking amazing btw
12 February 2022, 10:10
Alan GThanks for the replies guys.
@Kermits pants. Mr. Blue-tac head will eventually get his 'real' head when painted. I have three more figures to paint to make up this group which are meant to be from 12.SS.Pz.Div
12 February 2022, 10:15
Alan GCheers David and Rui. Not really done figures before. So a good learning curve
12 February 2022, 17:40
Alan GNot worked on this for a while. Had covid and also got promoted in work. So less time at the bench for now. Few days off now so hoping to progress this a little
15 April 2022, 14:36
Alan GAwaiting some Treemendus foliage for my trees and bushes. So i'll have to crack on with the figures again now i've finished the gate and fence
12 June 2022, 20:41
Alan GJust building the Sd.Kfz.251/1 Ausf D. I am doing it for a group build on Scale-models.co.uk forum but it was going to be for this dio anyway.
2 October 2022, 11:59
Alan GHi Mathias. It was far easier than i thought. I watched Andy's Hobby Store on youtube for guidance. It seems to have dried quite nicely too. Obviously i shall get better with them, the more i use them. But for a first go. I'm liking it.
16 October 2022, 12:59
Album info
Making a generic bocage diorama that i can place my builds of German tanks from around that time period. Most armour builds that will be posed on it shall be from 12.Ss.Pz.Div 'Hitlerjugend'. But others from around that time period shall also be displayed.
