Liberation, Italy 1944

[TIM FORSTER]

A quick shot with the Stug temporarily in place...

[scottie3158]

Tim,
Superb work.

[JR]

Agree with Paul , superb Tim

[Mini Me]

I'm all in with the other two.
Cheers, Rick H.

[grumpa]

Following this and loving it!

Jim.

[TIM FORSTER]

Thanks for all your kind words...

I've been doing bits and pieces all over the place in recent weeks. Here is a shot which shows progress so far - it should make a good companion to the image at the top of this post.



Only the Topolino is permanently fixed in place at this stage. Also the colour and texture of the ground work is slowly changing from left to right as I start to bed things in. There will probably be a little more work with pigments on the vehicles too.

Another overall shot:



On the street buildings you will see a few posters have appeared. I especially like the irony of the smiling German holding out his hand with the slogan 'Germans Are Your Friends"!

The lamp is from Reality in Scale. I made life hard for myself because it actually lights up (there are also flickering lights inside the buildings).



The little building on the other side of the bridge has also received some posters. These are also specific to the Italian theatre: advertisements seeking labourers for 'Organization Todt'. This is a further irony, because by this stage of the war the Germans were forcibly deporting thousands or Italians for what was little more than slave labour back in the Reich.

The little 'Achtung Minen' sign is virtually a legal requirement for any WWII scenario, in my opinion. It also hints at something beyond the scope of the diorama...

You can also see that I have added some additional texture to the groundwork - this is made up of roots from a house plant ground up in a coffee grinder and scattered before fixing in place with Sand & Gravel fixer.

[Steven000]

Very nice work Tim!
Cheers,
Steven

[rtfoe]

Work of art Tim.

Cheers,
Richard

[Guest]

Top notch modelling :smiling3:.

[Bortig the Viking]

Outstanding, well done.

[TIM FORSTER]

Thanks Gentlemen... very kind.

Anyway...I will get back to the landscape very soon, but first I have to get a move on with my figures.

This is the pair who will be seen walking off the left-hand side of the diorama. As discussed above, they are a modified from a set by Corsar Rex. Both heads are from Hornet.

For the British infantryman's uniform, I mainly used the excellent Life Color WWII British Uniform Set. The German was painted with Vallejo acrylics, as were all the flesh tones.

Insignia is from Archer dry transfers rubbed onto their water-slide sheet and then applied in the usual way. The shoulder flash on the Brit is for the Lancashire Fusiliers made as a composite of two different flashes.

They will need a light spray of matt varnish to tone down the slight sheen.

Anyway, as some of the first figures I have painted since I was 16 I'm fairly happy with these... but, yes, there's room for improvement!

[Peter Gillson]

Loverly job, been great following the build.

[TIM FORSTER]

A couple more of the figures as work in progress.

These are the Italians: a bella donna on the balcony and a Partisan. She still needs some work on her dress and he still has his Sten and tricolour armband to be painted.

Both are modified figures from the wonderful French Mk.35 range.

[rtfoe]

Great figures Tim, I especially like the partisan and his Mk2 Sten. He seems to have that Mark Wahlberg stance and look.

Cheers,
Richard

[Mini Me]

I've always been a fan of both of these, especially miss boobs! Hubba Hubba!!
Cheers, Rick H.