finished french campainge diorama

[Guest]

here are the pics as promised.

could you rate out of 10 for me please so i can improve on future projects!

cheers.

john.

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[spanner570]

50, can you post a few more pictures? I can't see what is happening at the back of the dio. and I can only see a bit of the tank.

Thanks,

Ron

[Guest]

the tank is from another dio lol and i will post better pics !

[Guest]

here are some more pics!

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[Guest]

Hi 50, I will give you my honest opinion if you want, I'm a little concerned that it might be a bit depressing for you though. Patrick

[Guest]

go ahead i think i rushed it a little bit though

[Guest]

Ok but this is in no way being horrible or trying to say that I'm better or anything like that. If I say it's great then that will put you on the wrong track & this is only my opinion, others may feel differently. First of all the base is way too big. Although in reality, something like this might have happened, in a dio you have to kinda sacrifice a little of that to make it look good. I don't know what you used for a base but in the same way that a good frame makes a painting better, so a nice base makes a dio look good. That grass matting & railway foliage I really don't like, it doesn't look realistic at all. Better to do what Ron does & get stuff from the garden. I can't say much about the figures coz I can't see them too well, the focus isn't making them clear. Now, I do feel kinda bad saying all this but it's honest & I hope you won't feel too dis-heartened. Making the effort to try is the important thing. Keep going & like all of us, it will get better and better. Patrick

[Guest]

what do you use for grasses then ? lol

[Guest]

Hi John , I agree with Patrick about the size of the dio - I was going to make a large Ardennes dio but have decided to down size by half - firstly because there would be to much happening ie - no real focus point, and secondly if it turned out ok it would be to big to display ,

I cant comment on the scenery having never done a scenic dio , But I would advise getting a better camera, I`m going to because I`m not happy with my camera close up shots.

Don`t be put off mate even the top modellers on here will admit they are still learning ,

Richy

[spanner570]

John, take note of my P.M. and remember this.....We are all learning until we snuff it!

If you come across a so called EXPERT, avoid like the plague, there is no such animal. Rest assured you will improve, everyone does, just be patient and take heed of all the well intended advise that will surely come your way.

We all want to help, just ask........Oh! and sling the camera!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

Ron

[Guest]

I think it deserves a huge thumbs up because of the idea and possible uniqueness in that it is, from your earlier posts, French infantry assaulting a German mortar team. Great idea and that cannot be knocked.

From a story telling point of view, and please accept this as a personal point of view, there has to be tension in a scene like this. Just like a written story, it has to have something that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. It also has to have some belief even if a little stretched at times.

Looking at this diorama, I can see from the pose of the French that they are sneaking up on the German position who appear to be so concentrated on their fire mission that they are not watching their backs. If I was the French I would have opened up with as much firepower I had to knock these guys out before they had chance to fire anymore. They are after all sitting ducks.

So, the two things that I would look at is the thinking between the two sides. Why are the Germans not guarding their rear? And, why are the French intent on getting so close that hand to hand combat is on the cards?

The solution, as I see it is to make it smaller, as mentioned above. The way I would do this and keep the tension and concept would be to put something in between them. A hedgerow or rock outcrop, anything that would give a reason for the French to have to get close and for the Germans to feel secure in that they are protected from the rear. The pond almost does it but without height, it does not give a working barrier.

Consider making it at least a third less in length with the French side raised to form something like a quarry rock face behind the Germans, giving them a secure rear, with the French creeping to the top of the rock face ready to hit their target which they could not do without creeping up. Doing a diorama like this also gives the opportunity to show it from different directions. Pictured from the front of the Germans, the viewer would not see the French. Similarly, viewed from the eye level of the French, the viewer would not be aware of the the German mortar team holed up in the quarry.

A great idea that has loads of potential and a great story to tell, this would just have been my take on it.

[Guest]

guys my camera broke so have to use my phone

[yak face]

john, after looking ,i think graham has got it bang on, there needs to be something the french are sneaking up behind,if not ,the germans would surely have seen them coming, one other thing is maybe make the ground a little bit uneven , you need to speak to ron(spanner 570) about how he does this (in fact i do too for my desert dio!) i think he uses floor tile cement, Overall though a great effort , the figures look good to me although the phone camera doesnt do them justice . Keep up the good work , cheers tony

[Guest]

thanks guys i will get my camera working asap