Winter diorama, Italeri Russian infantry with 35(T)

[Hobbyinovator]

Here's my latest project. I haven't built a tank model since I was a kid, so this will be a new first or what you can call it. Esci's German Tank 35(T) Skoda https://www.scalemates.com/kits/esci-80 ... da--266272. It has been lying around for more than 30 years so it's about time it gets some attention.

Base being filled up with some construction putty. The tank lost one rubber track early in the process and is supposed to be stuck a frozen muddy pit. I was thinking it would somewhere around Moscow, Leningrad or some of the other places of Northern Russia 1941-42, but realized to late that some of the figures have shoulder patches who where introduced first in february 1943. Since I've read that about all 35(T)s had broken down by the time of the battle of Moscow that means it will have spent at least two winters by the time of this diorama, so it will have to have a dirty and rusty look.
Some of the riflemen are taking cover behind the tank while returning fire to the right while som riflemen advance straight ahead under the covering fire.

[Susofrick]

Looks promising! The tank look a bit small, but I haven't been close to a tank for almost 40 years and that was a modern one so my knowledge is not that up to date. Will follow this too. Even if WW2 is a bit away from my main interests I am a sucker for good dioramas!

[Peter]

And I will folow to!

[Hobbyinovator]

Some work on the tank.

Using Das for the ground.

[Peter]

It looks like a cake now! With lots of sugar on it!

[Hobbyinovator]

Well here come some extra candy. My first attempt at making a tree from steel wire:

Haven't decided if I'm gonna put it in the diorama yet, but if I do it will be in the left side corner.

[Peter]

That is some nice decoration on the cake!

Reminds me that I will have to order the "vlaai" for the FIGZ meeting!

[Hobbyinovator]

My tree redy for some painting



Applying some snow.

[Hobbyinovator]

[Peter]

Real nice candy, I mean tree, you have added!

And the snow is made of..... I'm always curious what people use for making snow on their diorama. That's why I ask you to!

[Hobbyinovator]

The current snow you see on the trees is Vallejo foam snow. Unforntunately I did not have enough of it and had to order some more snow and the only alternative that was quickly available was Vallejo environment(will show up on comming pictures). The white ground under the tree is not snow effects, just some Das that hasn't been painted yet.

[Hobbyinovator]

[Peter]

Thanks for the info!

And that is some nice progress!

[Hobbyinovator]

Water effects. And ground painting.

Adding some grass tufts.

Recoloring some flock, to get it more bron and yellow.

[huib]

Nice! The muddy scene you have at the moment also looks very good for an autumn 1941 scene.
I use flour for snow sometimes. Cheap and often readily availible in the kitchen. And easily fixated using white pva glue.

[Hobbyinovator]

Flour huh? Interesting advice. I had some gale force nine snow some years back, but can't find it. I have some distant memory of it ending up in the vaccum cleaner somehow. There is no risk of the flour attracting bugs?

[Hobbyinovator]

Trying out some gale force nine winter grass.

[JurgenH]

Hello
My tip for snow is natriumbikarbonat, Soda powder. Youmust glue with glue for wood. don t use Acryl or oil
coulers to glue it.The powder becames yellow.
if you would like to see sample images, please see gallery Ostwind to Stug.
You can dilute the wood glue with water. But apply the glue sparingly, otherwise the layer will tear. Excessive moisture leads to cracking with rapid drying. As with desert soil.
greeting
Jürgen

[Hobbyinovator]

I have some sodium bicarbonate lying around. I use to mix it with vinegar when I clean out the plumbing in the kitchen zink. But you must be sure you don't spill some vinegar on the diorama.

[Hobbyinovator]

My other type of snow.

On the right corner im testing out my two snow types. The mayority of the diorama is to be covered in snow with some grass popping up here and there.