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WIP1: This is the first draft
of the whole diorama. Here, I chose to show the loading
operation of the Howitzer. For this, the cannon has to be
horizontal, the back entrance of the cannon in open position.
Then, 4 members of the crew have to lift a carriage, by
pushing with iron bars. The carriage, loaded with a shell,
is lifted up to the level of the back entrance of the cannon.
Finally, the coordinator uses a wooden stick to slide the
shell into the cannon.
For this, I used:
- a heavy howitzer model from Verlinden
- 5 troopers from bauhaus
- the base is a thin wooden plank (the back of some cheap
furniture)
WIP2: Several things have
been done. First, the crew members have all been modified
to hold the lifting bars. The position of their arms have
been modified. Then, the coordinator have been modified
as well, arms cut, re-glued and joints re-sculpted with
greenstuff. Secondly, you can see dark material under the
bases. There are two layers: a thick one, glued to the ground,
and a thin one, glued under the base of the model. This
is magnetic cards. All my models can then be removed and
put back into place at their position. Some balsa planks
have been added under the feet of the lifters. Finally,
I made the first tries for the ground in wall filler, that
you can buy in any DIY shop.
WIP3: I decided to add two
more models, one opening an ammo crate, and the second guarding
the from of the artillery site. Both have been repositioned.
I started to build a palisade in the front, in order to
protect the battery and the crew. I simply pinned wooden
toothpicks, and backed them with balsa planks.
WIP4: I made the groundworks
for the palisade by filling the front of the palisade with
wall coating.
WIP5: Sandbags! Who doesn't
need a few of them ? I erected a sandbag wall on top of
the palisade to provide additional cover. Shooting windows
were made by adding balsa planks to the wall. The sand bags
are in milliput, I made them by following a tutorial found
on the internet. At this point, I also added magnetic bases
for the additional crewmen. You can not that the positions
of the crew lifting the shell have been filled with coating,
up to their base level.
WIP6: I pass the final steps
of finishing the ground. Basically, you just have to add
wall filler in order to have the final ground. At this point,
I painted the models. Their back have been modified and
resculpted to remove the shape used to glue the back packs.
Their 'camaieu' colours all between white-beige-brown had
to give the diorama a spectacular winter atmosphere. Shoulder
pads are labeled 11 'First Artillery Company' 'First Battery'.
WIP7: Then, the painting
of the howitzer could start. I wanted to represent an enormous
piece of metal, in use for years in an arctic theater of
operations. Despite the high discipline of the Bauhaus crew,
the sheer steel block of this cannon has to be rusting from
everywhere. Several washes with chestnut ink and retardant,
followed by a navy grey wash, lightened with ivory, gave
the final look you can see on the final pictures.
A complete view of the artillery site. The
snow, a mix of PVA glue, sand-like medium and bicarbonate,
was added at the very last moment.
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