discussion Normandy Bocage diorama

[AlanG]

Rather than cluttering up the "what's on your bench" thread i thought i'd start a specific thread here. It's going to be a 'long haul' build. I'm not the fastest modeller out there lol.

So here we have my attempt at a Bocage diorama set some time after D-Day. The tank tracks will be removed as they don't look real enough. Might take some work though. It's real mud and PVA mixed together.
My foliage so far is mainly dried moss from the woods behind my cottage. I plan to add a few trees that will be over hanging the track/road. It's going to be a generic dio as i want to build a few different German armour kits from around the time of the conflict there. They will all be shown in this dio as a stand alone kit.

So here's where i'm at so far (The 1/35 StuG is just for a size reference only).

 

[Steven000]

Looks nice Alan, the moss looks interesting too :thumb2: have fun

 

[AlanG]

Cheers Steven. Seen it around when i've been out for walks with my family and dogs and always wondered if it would be good to use when dry. So i took some and have put it on here to see if it works. Looks ok to me. Needs some flock added to it to make some leaves but i think it's passable.
The biggest challenge will be the trees.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Alan
Looks good. When the moss dries does it lose it's colour? Do you have to airbrush it? Trees are always very hard.
Jim

 

[AlanG]

Some of the moss has lost it's colour but most of it hasn't. And some of the moss has been stored in an old takeaway plastic container for nearly 8 years!

I may airbrush some of the moss that has lost it's colour as it's very light which isn't conducive to a dense bush from the Bocage

 

[adt70hk]

Nice start Alan.

ATB.

Andrew

 

[AlanG]

Just starting the basis of making some trees using erm...... trees. Well branches from trees to be precise
These will be extended by super gluing other branches to them to make the desired shape

 

[Ian M]

Looks good Al. Just one question though; Where is the butcher bird going to sit?

 

[Tim Marlow]

Liking the way this is going Alan…..

 

[AlanG]

Cheers guys. Going to take a while to do it all as i am learning all new techniques whilst doing this. also i'm not the most artistic when it comes to building scenery. But i suppose enjoyment is the main thing.

 

[AlanG]

Just one question though; Where is the butcher bird going to sit?

Red letter day mate! No butcher bird/wurger in this dio!

I know i know. No wingy things involved means i am WAY out of my comfort zone. But as i'm into German armour it's about time i actually built some.

 

[AlanG]

Just fiddling about on tree placement. Also though i'd add a damaged tree on the far right of the dio. There is going to be a ramshackle wooden gate in the gap so it looks like access to a field.

 

[adt70hk]

Coming on very nicely indeed Alan.

That really is a great start.

ATB.

Andrew

 

[AlanG]

Cheers Andrew. Slowly coming together. The trees i think i've just about figured out. It's the ground cover that is the main thing. I don't want just to have static grass . It'll look to un-natural. So i need to find some more moss and other 'free' things to fill it all up a bit.

 

[AlanG]

Selecting more moss stems for small bushes. It's a long process but i think once they are painted and flocked they should come up ok.

 

[Guest]

Looking good Alan , like the trunks and the use of moss . I actually soaked some in the glycerine treatment once , not much difference to some I haven't and have kept for some years !

 

[Ian M]

It's all good Al. Hope that you are not totally budgerigared by the snow storm and all are safe and warm.

 

[AlanG]

It's all good Al. Hope that you are not totally budgerigared by the snow storm and all are safe and warm.

Well we lost power for 24 hrs and got our water supply back after 65 hrs. So we're getting there. Just glad i had the log burner to get some heat into the house. The farm was a scary place to be in the winds. Had a few flying pig huts too.

 

[scottie3158]

Alan,

Looking good mate.

 

[rtfoe]

Cheers Steven. Seen it around when i've been out for walks with my family and dogs and always wondered if it would be good to use when dry. So i took some and have put it on here to see if it works. Looks ok to me. Needs some flock added to it to make some leaves but i think it's passable.
The biggest challenge will be the trees.

Sphagnum are great for bushes and the individual branches look like mini ferns.
I'd use sprinkled dried parsley for leaves.

Cheers,
Richard