The Affair At Nery WWI

damaged gun, casualty and work on the steel wheel rims.
have ordered materials for the base and horse tack.
I am waiting for another three horses also.

Very cool. Looks like a lot of detail figure painting to me. Something I have never tried. Really enjoying following along on this one.

My only figure painting, aside from a few "fun" projects, was 1/16 (?) some Aurora brand guys with a rear engine dragster, the Praying Mantis with Aurora injected motor. Figures take not only brush skill, but learning about blending colors and highlighting too. Your dio will be great!!

Thanks guys, will start painting soon, just need to work on some tack for the horses.
Might do one of them then do a little painting as a break from building.

Bit of work on the base.

This is looking good Gary and I like the muddy entrance to the field. Maybe it could be a bit less uniform though?

What did you use for the grass??

Thanks Al, might change the shape as I go along but there will be a bolting horse on that area so it'll be broken up. It's just a grass mat short dry from here.
http://www.sceneryexpress.com/Busch/products/1247/

Looking good. I think the mud should extend out into the field some in tracks. Like wagon wheels went through it to get into position. Maybe even ruts.

Thanks guys, I was just thinking that ZB, no honest I was, really I was!!, anyway even if I wasn't Ill have a go LOL.
Added a haystack.

Farrier time.

I'm always amazed by "natural look" scenery as I could never get close to the realism so many can make. Your work in look and color is fabulous, and the sense of freezing a moment in time really stuns me.
My only quibble is with the new haystack. Maybe it's a bit too high, or that the straw pieces seem a bit long, but something is just not quite there. Maybe after painting it'll be good. Just a thought. Thanx for a great project and the time and imagination to make it museum quality!

Thanks H, and someone else mentioned this as well as Al and ZB pointing out possible improvements with the field entrance. Great constructive criticism and much appreciated guys.
Ill do some work on the entrance, making it less uniform by putting some tracks into the grass.
Ill give the haystack a good haircut then put some short pieces over it.
Ill post an update when I've done it and look forward to your input.

Cheers guys, please keep looking in.
G

AL, H, ZB. update re haystack and field entrance. Comments welcome.

Coming right along Gary Entrance look much better

Sweet now it looks like artillery went through there. Super job.

Thanks guys.

Haystack looks ok, it did do anyway ... they had them big back then.

Constructive criticism. if i may ?!?!?!?
Personally i think the tracks could stand tailing off further into the field, to me it looks like they just stop a bit sharpish.

my thinking is.....
you get a puddle often near a gate due to wear and tear, so that would have the heaviest tracks, there would be heavy (ish) wheel indentations where you have them now which look good, the wheels would still be carrying a lot of muddy residue and deposit it further on to where the carriage stops, doesn't have to be heavy ...just a tint would do it

The entrance to the field looks much more realistic Gary but I agree with Colin, the tracks need to taper off a wee bit more.

Now you need some mud on the cobbles though methinks.

More constructive on the haystack:

The basic shape is correct for the time period but personaly, I think it looked better before you shaved it. Now it looks a bit like the outside of a conical GRP mold!!!

I did a bit of digging and found this one on the Somme during 1918:



I'd also be interested to see/hear how you crated it please?

Collin, I'll fade the tracks further into the feild in the morning and post a pic for your CC, thanks for looking in and helping.

Al, I'll put some pigment mud tracks on the cobbles, thanks for the suggestion, thanks for the pic, very kind. I've actually replaced some hay with shorter pieces. Herewith latest pic and the photo I used for reference. The haystack is a kit from MK35 which comprises a ceramic cone shape, a small length of pole and a pack of hay which must be cut up and applied to the ceramic.
Very nice kit.

Thanks for looking in guys, your interest and support is greatly appreciated.

http://www.mk35.com/en/recherche?orderby=position&controller=search&orderway=desc&search_query=haystack
http://www.fieldsofglorymodels.co.uk/epages/es112712.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es112712_shop/Products/MK-A100&ViewAction=ViewProduct

Looking at the haystack I think a variation in colour may help out, if you have some natural colour garden twine then you can separate this into strands and integrate them into the stack haphazardly, it might break up the regularity of the single "kit" colour.
I use the garden twine to simulate dried grass tufts, hay, straw, and all things similar, very versatile stuff.

This is going to be a cracking diorama methinks......

That looks WAY better Gary and every bit as good if not better than the finished product on the FOG website.

I agree with Colin though, colour isn't there yet. looks to light. Needs to be more 'yellowie'!!

Thanks Al, very kind.
I haven't painted the new covering yet guys, but thanks for reminding me LOL.