World War II Diorama - Part 2

My disappointment in the realism of the two tanks in this diorama led me to do some more research. What I discovered was a wide range of specialist ageing and weathering products, specifically designed for this purpose. However, I have also seen some remarkable results created just with paint. So for this first model I decided not to use any weathering products and rely entirely on what I could achieve using acrylic paint. 

To begin with, having constructed the partially demolished cottage on the base, I have simply painted the scene to give the impression of grass, mud, stone, brick, etc.

I quickly saw that paint alone wasn't going  to be good enough so made myself some materials. Scale model rocks and stone can be bought but I decided to make my own. I collected a selection of stones and pebbles from my garden and crushed them. They made perfect 'rubble' for spreading around the demolished cottage. I simply daubed PVA glue where I wanted rubble, poured on the crushed stones, and then shook off the excess loose stuff.

After I'd put down a reasonable mix of rocks, stone, brick and rubble, I set to work painting some of the military equipment. Oil cans, Ammunition boxes, a bicycle, and my first infantryman - the radio operator.

For the first time I'm starting to believe that making a realistic scene is a possibility but my efforts are grossly inferior to models I've seen on the 'net. That doesn't detract from the fact that I'm enjoying this immensely.

Previous posts about Models

D-Day Diorama
Part 1

A toy that's never
been played with

Boys and their
toys