Hey guys, just a small update. Added some dusty pigments to the road, gave it all a coat of matt varnish and added some flowers. I think they are over scale but like their appearance.
Once the new static grass arrives I’ll be redoing the field on the left. I’ll be tidying up the edges of the base this evening but apart from the field, I’m calling the base pretty much done. Back to the Panther soon and making a start on the figures 
EXCELLENT job on that base…vegetation looks GREAT! and the tank
is well painted too.
Cheers,
Tutorial on those flowers?
Definitely would like to see a tutorial on the 
’s!
Very sweet!
Thanks guys, I can’t take the credit for the flowers though, I found them in the attic with the Treemendus kit. These are the ones I used.
Hey guys, small update. I decided to add some foliage to the Panther. I was using this photo as a guide.
And came up with this. Tow cables and and a figure have also been added, although the figure needs more work / a matt coat.
I think I’ll add some more foliage to the turret once the spare tracks have been weathered.
Nicely done. Added foliage is a nice touch. 
Really looks great- keep up the good work
Thanks guys I’ve done a little more work on the Panther, weathered the spare tracks and added more foliage. I’ve also done some more weathering with pigments and added some grime streaks. It’s not showing well in the photo but it is there.
I changed the commander figure as I’m changing the dio slightly. It will now be the Panther moving to the front. They have come to a halt as the leading infantry have spotted something further up the track. I’ve also order a couple of masterbox cows to add to the somewhat redundant field. With hindsight, I think I could of made that field smaller and the road wider for a better balance.
This is also my first what I would call serious attempt at figures. I usually avoid them but if I’m going to do more dios in the future I have to get better at them!
So here’s the first figure, more or less complete. I’ll add a little dirt and dust to finish him off when it is attached to the base. Hopefully the figures will improve as I do more however I quite pleased with the results so far
Pretty good for your first figure
If this is your first figure numbers 3,4 & 5+ are going to be scary good! Seriously, the figure is nicely done and the Panther and base look great. Can’t wait to see it finished.
Cheers,
C.
Thanks guys, appreciate the kind words I’ve watched a few YouTube tutorials on figure painting which have helped a lot. This one took about a day to paint, I think I spent more time just painting the face than I have on any other figure previously! Hopefully I’ll get faster, and the quality improves as I go.
Got to say I have a new found respect for figure painters. Some of the work shown on this forum is incredible, serious talent to get the results they achieve.
Small update. The static grass finally arrived to finish the field. I removed a number of the grass tufts and infilled the rest of the ground. There will be a couple of cows in the field, to try and give it a purpose! With that done, I’m calling the base complete for now.
One idea I had been toying with is realigning the main hedgerow and road to form a curve in the rear half of the base. I’m thinking this would make a better balance and give more room for the Panther and figures. I’m apprehensive about doing it as I don’t want to ruin it but I think this will continue to bug me if I don’t!
This is what I’m thinking of doing. What do you guys think? Do it or leave it as is?
Basic painting is now done on the second figure, ready for the oils. I had a go at adding the various decals that come with kit. A bit of a challenge, I find tamyia’s carrier film a bit on the thick side. I might try and add the decals to the first figure as I missed them.
Looks awesome as always!
I think the hedges look great as is, but if you want to change it go for it!
Very attractive and clean work on the tank, the figures and the base!
FWIW, in regard to the base, the only thing I’d recommend at this stage is a bit more static grass down the center of the roadway / lane. The individual clumps of grass there are fine, but they look a bit unnatural without any additional low grass growing between them. Your idea to use something to fill some of the dead space in the field is a good one, and livestock (a cow or cows) might make a good addition.
I’d save all the other major compositional changes (which are not bad ideas) for the next build. There’s nothing wrong, IMO, with tinkering around with the final small details to get things “just right,” but there does come a time when you have to call it “Gee - for good, and Dee for done” and move on to the next project. Take what you’ve learned about composition and apply it to the next diorama.
Keep on keeping on with the figure painting! It does take time and practice, but the more figures you paint, the better you will get, especially if you strive for continuous improvement.
I’d suggest the following for some ideas about diorama and vignette composition:
I think your current direction works just fine. The addition of the cow to fill the empty space will also serve as a juxtaposition to the violence about to take place.
Thanks for some great advice and helping temper my urge to rework it at this stage. Although it’s tempting, I think you are right to take it as a learning learning experience and take those lessons into the next one. I’ll add some more grass around the tufts, thanks for pointing that out
I think I’ll concentrate on the figures and smaller details now and getting a good finish overall to the dio. Thanks also for the link to that guide. I’ve been thinking ahead to the next one I will do, there are some great tips in there.
I’m not sure that the cows - or any livestock for that matter - wouldn’t either be already dead, or running away from a 50 ton tank!
Spot on zimmerit looks fantastic… 
