Gern's D-day

[Gern]

I started on the beach.

I used a baking tray to create shallow dents over half the surface to represent the limits of the water - I don't think they will show when the sand has dried, so I've lost the ripples I wanted to create.

The other half I distressed using a variety of things (spoon and brush handles mainly) to create dents in the surface and random splodges of plaster to create bumps - I think it looks OK.

A good coating of cheap emulsion; then, while it's still wet, a sprinkling of sand through a seive to cover it. I've an idea how to cover up the fact the grain size is a bit big for this scale.

I also changed my mind about showing a sea wall. I'll just use dunes to fill the gap between the pillbox and the cliff.

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Gern

[eddiesolo]

If you have managed to sort the bunker covering, I used on my jetty dio http://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/little-soldiers-dunkirk-dio-with-a-twist-under-construction-updates-page-2-3-4-5.24641/, that too is polystyrene, is I mixed the PVA with grey brick dust and then used a lollipop stick to apply it, once dry you just paint it.

Si

[Gern]

I tried using powder sprinkled onto PVA glue but it didn't take for some reason. Next time I'll try mixing it in with the PVA as you say Si. I was just trying to be lazy and get away with just painting the polystyrene and hoping to keep it's texture showing to represent concrete.

Gern

[eddiesolo]

I tried using powder sprinkled onto PVA glue but it didn't take for some reason. Next time I'll try mixing it in with the PVA as you say Si. I was just trying to be lazy and get away with just painting the polystyrene and hoping to keep it's texture showing to represent concrete.Gern

Well it worked for me Dave so should work okay. I didn't dilute the PVA just added the dust direct and gave it a really good mixing. Only issue was getting a really smooth finish, in my case that didn't matter as I wanted that rough look, but you could work it more I suppose.

Looking good, the dio board is really starting to come together.

Si

[spanner570]

All quiet on the Invasion Beaches...........?

[Gern]

All quiet on the Invasion Beaches...........?

Not quite Ron. I've divided my time with my BV 222 and done some bits of both builds over the last few days. I'll have some progress pics for both this weekend.

Gern

[Gern]

I got the rocks and pillbox done. I've put the wire in place to show where it will go but it's not fixed yet. I'm still playing around with bits and bobs to try and improve the looks of the beach.

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Gern

[Guest]

Every day this is looking better and better Gern.

Polux

[flyjoe180]

Your beach is looking good Gern

[eddiesolo]

Nice touches to the chalk cliffs, echo what has been said before-coming along very nice indeed.

Si

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Dave

Just caught this epic diorama. Looking forward to seeing these invasion beaches progress.

Cheers

P

[Richi72]

Hi Dave,

this is coming very nice together, looking forward to the next update.

Cheers Richi

[monica]

just looked in on this one, must say i do real like the cliff look spot on ,well done, and its getting their

look forward to next update,

[Gern]

I think I finally got the beach looking something like it should.

The sand I used originally had grains which were much too big for 1/72. I added some old plaster (which is a relatively fine powder) to a 50/50 mix of PVA and water. I added some acrylic yellow (Vallejo dark yellow 71.025) and painted it all over the surface in two or three thick coats. I didn't wait for it to set between coats but once I'd finished the last coat, I left it for about ten minutes then went over the surface with a large, cheap brush. I stippled the surface where I want dry sand and put large brush marks to represent rippled sand where the water is. Once I've got the water area done, I think a quick swipe with coarse sandpaper to knock off the sharp edges where I stippled it will help.

A good coating of Klear over the water area ('splash it on all over') has started to darken it slightly. I may add a little of the same Vallejo yellow to some Klear and give it another coat or two if it doesn't darken as much as I want. Once I get the colour I want, I'll use a thin layer of liquid water to soften the sharp edges of the ripples if you see what I mean.

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Off to make some stakes to hold the barbed wire in place.

Gern

[monica]

nice work Gern, coming alone nicely, i do like it, and it close to real, dark were the waves wash up and i would leave midland as is, but were the shells hit ,

be darker at the bottom and up the sides with some spread out over the ligther sand, with darker patches at the base off the cliff and were the sand has been

build up for the mound were the b/wair so and at the base off the bunks , just some tones of dark to high lite these spots ,

what is liquid water, pleaze that sounds interesting