Not much to show yet, just a couple of old plastic Italeri ruined buildings I started painting. The plan is to have a Technical (Pick up truck with machine gun mounted in the bed) and 4-5 Rebel African militia soldiers, somewhat like the “bad guy” somalians in Black Hawk Down, or the RUF forces in Blood Diamond. I am going to use a couple chunks of ruined buildings, maybe these, some pieces of currugated metal sheets,balsa wood, and the tissue paper and glue method of making tarps/tents. I want to create the ramshackle look of modern African “slums”.
Heres some pictures of the buildings, which need to be finished, and some unpainted rubble:
And here, is the begining of one Rebel’s head. It started as an WW2 US 101st airborne soldier with a mohawk, which Isanded off, and began painting, since I thought his features well represented that of an African. I still have to finish painting, all it has is a basecoat, and it isn’t as rough as the pictures shows, it had some dust from sanding on it at the time of the picture. The rest of the heads wll be from a set by Warriors.
Any comments would be great. I’ll keep updates coming.
I was watching a special on the History Channel on Monday about the D.S.S and the U.S. Embassy in Liberia ( I think thats how you spell it). But anyways there was some footage of I believe are Militia men of one of the Factions siting in the back of a Technical shooting. I thought that would make a cool diorama.
I thought about having one rebel manning the gun (the plan is for it to be a 12.7mm Soviet Dshk) but the rest of the figures I’m using wouldn’t have gone to well with that scence, and I’m trying to make thediorama look coordinated, with everyone more or less focusing on something. Thanks for the idea though.
The only 1/35 civilian vehicles are a few expensive resin ones. The best option is to get a 1/32 scale civilian vehicle. There are quite a few that were produced by Monogram in the late '80s to early '90s that will work. The 1/32 is close enough to 1/35 to work. I have used them many times.
Thanks, and yes it is 1/35 scale. I looked forever for a civilian pick up truck in this scale, but found nothing. I was considering moving on and trying to find something in 1/32 which would be somewhat close, but a fellow forum member has contacted me about posibly selling me a 1/35 italeri landrover, which without the back tarp thing is more or less a pick up truck. The Government of ( I beleive) Sierra Leone uses these in Blood Diamond when Archer is arresed for smuggling conflict diamonds, to give anyone who knows what I’m talking about a reference. Anyways, I’ll post some updates tomorow, thanks for looking.
The Landrover is perfect. They are used all over Africa and the Middle East by both Government forces, malitias, and civilians alike. Good luck and keep us posted.
Thanks! I will probably paint it white to give it even more of a civlian look than the oliveish greenish or the tan, and if I’m comfortable enough with my airbrushing skills, might try to make it look as though someone has spraypainted writing on the sides of it using the tiny litle attachment my airbrush came with.
EDIT: the gun I plan to use will be a Soviet 12.7mm Dshk anti air gun. I’ve seen these used in a few reference pictures. Anyone with links or pictures of Technical rucks would be very appreciated, thanks, Ian.
Right on the money Gino. I plan to leave the “top on” (like the second picture) because without it, it just looks too much like a military vehicle to me, and less like an improvised militia vehicle. Great references, thanks.
Not a big update, but since I can’t start my groundwork until I obtain the vehicle itself (So I can add tire tracks) I’ve been working on the individual elements of the diorama so they can be arranged however I like hen it finally is time to start my groundwork. Anyways, I’ve started scratchbuilding a small building. There will later be a small second story from which a clothesline will hang across the road to a telephone pole. Atleast, thats how I want it.
I’m keeping a low budget, since scratchbuilding is fun, so everything used is just household objects.
anyways, a couple pictures:
The very begining stages of a building, made of cardboard, long matchsticks, and wall spackle (compound filler or something):
And the door, made of cut up popsicle sticks, with the grain scribed into them with a hobby knife. The door handle is just a tiny plastic piece left over from some kit:
Yup PCSed to Hood. We just arrived last week and just got back on line a few days ago. We are almost done unpacking and getting settled in. I plan on having the modeling room unpacked and set up by this weekend. Wish me luck.
Hey Ian, looking promising so far–just one suggestion;
When placing a building or vehicle on a dio base, it’s generally a better idea to skew the placement of it so that the parallel lines of the building or vehicle do NOT match the parallel lines of the edge of the base. It makes for a far more interesting perspective–I dont know exactly why–but maybe when you place your truck down on this base you should try to have it sitting at an angle to the building–otherwise everything is gonna be absolutely straight to the edges of the base, which is going to look…uh,…too straight…[:-^]
Thanks Doog, and two things. First, that building wasn’t attatched to the base yet, I was just using it as a base while taking photos. (I actually ditched that building because it was too flimsy and made a new one out of legos, coated in spackle for a cement look. It looks better than it sounds. Anyways, althouh I know what you mean about everythig being too straight, I’m trying to give the impression of a straight narrow street packed on each side with slums, so I might leave it parallelish. But you’re right, I do plan to have the truck at a bit of an angle. Thanks for the advice, I’ll post an update later.
Y’all be careful over by the River now, y’hear? It’s not usually quite that full, and it’s making people nervous no end. (Not least of which being some of the NROP folk I know.)
It’s 89NM LoS over to Hood from here, but about 150-175 miles of river–but, at the 7-8kt is was running yesterday, it is not nice conditions at all.
So be safe over there, ok? The Reservation is a big place, with some geopgraphy that goes from sugar, to ah, well, ah, what it goes to, far too fast.
Well it’s summer meaning us kids have nothing to do for months (sorry, had to brag a little, then again atleast you guys don’t have Drivers-ed and algebra II: Trigonometry and Lab Bio to look forward to in August [xx(]) Anyways, I’ve had modelling fever and haven’t done much other than that the last three days. Still a long way to go. It’s raining now so I cant take outside photos. I’m gonna take a trip to the local beach and grab some sand too to start groundwork, but that might have to wait until tomorow.
I’m trying not to spend a penny on this diorama other than figures and vehicles, so everything is scratchbuilt from stuf fI’ve found in my basement. I was too cheap for balsawood so I rocked it old school and made all the wooden parts out of popsicle sticks, some matchsticks tha tloooked like they were on steroids, part of a clementines box. The house is old legos covered in wall spackle. The palm tree is Lead foil leaves with tissue paper and glue over a barbecue skewer (sp?) wrapped in string. I put some propaganda posters and graffitti on the house to make it look a litle more…I don’t know but i think it fits the look I’m going for. I’m still working on adding little details that make the difference between just a diorama and a miniature world, but most of those like newspapers and a broken bicycle will have to wait until the groundwork is done.
Whew that was a lot! anyways, heres the pictures:
Overall diorama…The BTR-152E is just there for scale. The real vehicle won’t be as big so it will look less cramped, but i still want that narrow alley look.
The unfinished house:
And another shot of the palm tree and the house…the tree looks MUCH better in real life.
Thats it for now, any comments, constructive criticism would be great
WOW Ian, that looks AWESOME! Seriously, dude, you don’t need to spend a penny more when you got skill like that! I think it seriously rocks! The palm tree is just CLASSIC! Gorgeous!
