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Dioramas
Do you love dioramas & vignettes? We sure do.
FEATURE
Spring 1945 - After the Bulge
antoniop
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Lisboa, Portugal
Joined: January 02, 2006
KitMaker: 351 posts
Armorama: 319 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 04:27 AM UTC
David Budd sends us this scene in Europe In the Spring of 1945
"This is my rendition of Dragon''s Sherman M4A3 76(w) "Battle of the Bulge". However, I choose not to do a "Battle of the Bulge" scene, but something in the Spring of ''45. The scene depicts an M4 rolling up a hill after German soldiers, who got caught by surprise when "Steel City" burst over the hill."

Link to Item



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
madspaniard
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Porto, Portugal
Joined: November 01, 2005
KitMaker: 199 posts
Armorama: 197 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 04:43 AM UTC
Great work,love the paint and ground job
Congratulations
Pedro
CKLOO
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Joined: January 14, 2006
KitMaker: 64 posts
Armorama: 11 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 09:21 AM UTC
David,
great build you have here. All the little stories and elements in between really made it busy.
Congratulations

CK
HONEYCUT
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: May 07, 2003
KitMaker: 4,002 posts
Armorama: 2,947 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 10:00 AM UTC
Some fantastic composition on the groundwork Dave!
The Sherman looks to be well finished, and the addition of some smaller aftermarket items really individualises the build.
I'd strap a helmet on the driver next time though!
roudeleiw
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Luxembourg
Joined: January 19, 2004
KitMaker: 2,406 posts
Armorama: 2,224 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 02:00 PM UTC
Very complete, full packed. I love this scene .
Great groundwork and also nice painting of the figure.

Well done

Cheers
Claude
!
Golikell
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Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Joined: October 25, 2002
KitMaker: 1,757 posts
Armorama: 914 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 02:32 PM UTC
I love the multitude of details you managed to incorporate. Specially the tiny ones like the glasses. The amount of leaves you used, also makes it very realistic.
My compliments
hogarth
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Maryland, United States
Joined: June 02, 2006
KitMaker: 672 posts
Armorama: 592 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 04:51 PM UTC
Excellent scene, groundwork, composition, painting etc.

The only nitpicks I have are that you did not remove the grouser stowage box covers (oval things on top hull near tailllights) which were not present on the A3. Also, the lack of engine door rests (you have a jerry can laying right where one would be on the one side of the upper hull), which were present on all A3s.

The only other thing that confuses me is in your description. You say the Tank commander has to decide whether or not to take out these fleeing Germans, yet the tank commander is not shown. He would be under the other hatch you've closed, and so that should be the loader sticking out of the other hatch.

As a final note, with firing so potentially imminent, would the driver have his head out of the hatch? If he did, wouldn't he at least wear a helmet? Just some food for thought. Overall, it is a very well done dio, I'd say.

Rob
squeakyclean
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England - North, United Kingdom
Joined: January 03, 2006
KitMaker: 265 posts
Armorama: 188 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 05:04 PM UTC
Love this scene. Excellent! I really envy your groundwork skills, well done.

Anymore to come?

Matt
Jamesite
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United Kingdom
Joined: December 05, 2006
KitMaker: 2,208 posts
Armorama: 2,152 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 05:46 PM UTC
Excellent dio with great attention to detail, you've built up a picture of a much bigger scene using just a small space, very clever!
Shouldn't those Jerry cans be strapped down though? wouldn't take much to shake them loose!

Brilliant stuff,

James
fireontheway
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: May 17, 2006
KitMaker: 370 posts
Armorama: 368 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 06:23 PM UTC
Hey Dave, really nice job. Maybe we can get together over a Ham n' cheese at Primanti's and talk models. Iron City or Penn Pilsner is a must also. I'm from O'Hara Township at 28 & Rte 8.
TB2
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: June 13, 2005
KitMaker: 361 posts
Armorama: 279 posts
Posted: Monday, May 07, 2007 - 09:54 PM UTC
Hey David, "that looks so real"! Seriously though, love the dio (especially the groundwork). I'm no WWII expert, just diggin' the presentation and work that went into it.
Lisec
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Croatia Hrvatska
Joined: September 13, 2006
KitMaker: 306 posts
Armorama: 282 posts
Posted: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 03:32 AM UTC
wouldn`t that tree be in the way of the gun? i mean,if the tank is going forward...
antoniop
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Lisboa, Portugal
Joined: January 02, 2006
KitMaker: 351 posts
Armorama: 319 posts
Posted: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 05:15 AM UTC
Well, not exactly. The turret is rotating clockwise to the back of the tank to clear the tree but the picture didn't catch the movement (of course)
rjeffs2501
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Virginia, United States
Joined: May 02, 2006
KitMaker: 120 posts
Armorama: 115 posts
Posted: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 07:09 PM UTC
this is simply fantastic. very realistic looking dio. sir, you have skills. i give it !!!
dbudd
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: March 23, 2006
KitMaker: 229 posts
Armorama: 205 posts
Posted: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 09:46 PM UTC
Thank you for the many kind words, it is greatly appreciated. A few of you have noted the driver is not wearing a helmet, well the reason is a modeling tragedy, that well have all suffered. When I was putting the driver figure into the tank it slipped out of my hands and when it hit the floor the original head (which was wearing a helmet) popped off and disappeared into some remote recess of my basement.
dbudd
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: March 23, 2006
KitMaker: 229 posts
Armorama: 205 posts
Posted: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 09:49 PM UTC
Matt, thanks and yes I have a Tamiya T55 on the work bench that I hope to complete in a few weeks. Dave
kilda
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: September 09, 2005
KitMaker: 2 posts
Armorama: 1 posts
Posted: Sunday, May 13, 2007 - 02:51 AM UTC
Spring 45. A great idea, no snow for a change. A fantastic piece of work
TankSGT
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: July 25, 2006
KitMaker: 1,139 posts
Armorama: 946 posts
Posted: Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 05:51 PM UTC
Very impressive, the attention to detail is great. I need to get off my butt and back to the bench. Thanks for the insperation.

Tom
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