"Road to Berlin" - 1/48 Tamiya IS-2 - Vignette GB project

[PlaStix]

"Road to Berlin" - 1/48 Tamiya IS-2

 

Kit: Tamiya 1/48 IS-2 (built for the Great Patriotic War GB). WIP: Here. RFI: Here.

 

Figures: Tamiya and ICM

 

Base: 4mm MDF mounted in a Wilkos 7in x 5in picture frame

 

Scenery: Filler over expanded polystyrene, painted with Humbrol Dark earth and then a variety of turf scatters, grass tufts and trees from Woodlands Scenics, Greenscene, etc. applied. The fencing was wooden coffee stirrers mounted on square strips of softwood and the road sign was created in Photoshop.

 

Vignette GB WIP: Here.

 

The Vignette:

One of the IS-2s in the Russian tank column, en route to Berlin, is passing the female army traffic controller who has just given permission to proceed. Just at that second there's an alert that there's possibly German troops/armour in the fields/forest to the south. Some of the IS-2 troops/crew are more alert than others and instantly spring into action - the others are getting there more slowly as the tank commander smiles as he brings his large gun around ready for firing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

 

Edit - On a personal note:

Thank you to everyone who voted for this Vignette in the Vignette GB - I am so surprised it won - there are so many brilliant Vignettes in the Gallery. I was obviously delighted but on the day this won it was also a very sad day for me. Unfortunately my mum passed away that same afternoon after being poorly for some time. 

 

I have dedicated my win to her as she was always very supportive of my modelling and in fact she purchased the Revell Schlingmann Fire Truck for me a few years back when I was getting back into building kits.  I had shown her some photos of this Vignette the week before she died, while she was in hospital. She was delighted when I returned to the hobby because she remembered how I used to love making models as a child.

 

For my mum Betty 10/04/27 - 09/11/16

 

 

Edited November 25, 2016 by PlaStix
Personal note and dedication for my mum

[HL-10]

Damn! Had to look twice, didn't realise it was 48th scale!
Excellent work on the weathering, the figures & the scenery, I especially like your trees
Fantastic work, very very impressive

[Vince1159]

Lovely dio stix ....

[beefy66]

Damn! Had to look twice, didn't realise it was 48th scale!

Me to excellent build and Dio Stix

Beefy

[Ozzy]

Very nice build Stix.

[giemme]

Brilliant! Great model , base and figures, and overall an outstanding vignette! The pictures are so evocative, too

Ciao

[sanfrandragon]

Very nice, I like the mud on the front of the tank, the figures, the tank and the trees - all of it basically. And good photography too!

[Badder]

Lovely work Stix. Great brushwork, spot on composition and superb groundwork. it's also nice to see a woman featuring in a war dio.

Personally, I don't like the trees though. I have a thing about model trees. There are very few good tree products out there, unless you want to spend a fortune. I find the Woodland Scenics ones are a bit naff with their short and stumpy branches, which remain visible through the 'foliage'. Their 'foliage' isn't up to scratch either; being more fluffy and 'cloud-like' than I would like. Liberal amounts of scatter over and amongst the 'fluff' would go someway to solving both problems, I think.

Having said that, I AM being hyper-critical. There was nothing else I could pick holes in!

A diorama that is close to perfect.

Rearguards,

Badder

Edited August 16, 2016 by Badder

[spruecutter96]

Genuinely superb work, my friend!

Cheers for sharing.

Chris.

[lifeofbrian]

Great work as usual.

[PlaStix]

Damn! Had to look twice, didn't realise it was 48th scale!

Excellent work on the weathering, the figures & the scenery, I especially like your trees

Fantastic work, very very impressive

Hi HL-10 and thank you very much for your very kind comments.

Lovely dio stix ....

Thank you Vince.

Me to excellent build and Dio Stix

Beefy

Hi Beefy and thank you very much too.

Very nice build Stix.

Thank you very much Ozzy for your kind comments.

Kind regards,

Stix

[wimbledon99]

Not sure how many levels this hobby has Stix but you raise yours with every build.

This is such fantastic work and a pleasure to watch come together

[Squirrel19]

Excellent work.

The tank and the diorama both look fantastic.

Well done.

[PlaStix]

Not sure how many levels this hobby has Stix but you raise yours with every build.

This is such fantastic work and a pleasure to watch come together

Hi Nigel. You are far too kind but thank you!

Excellent work.

The tank and the diorama both look fantastic.

Well done.

Hi Squirrel19. Thank you very much for your very kind comments.

I'm still intending to post some B&W images when I get chance.

Kind regards,

Stix

[PlaStix]

Brilliant! Great model , base and figures, and overall an outstanding vignette! The pictures are so evocative, too

Ciao

Hi Giemme. Thank you very much for your very kind comments.

Very nice, I like the mud on the front of the tank, the figures, the tank and the trees - all of it basically. And good photography too!

Thank you very much too Sanfrandragon - that is very kind of you.

Lovely work Stix. Great brushwork, spot on composition and superb groundwork. it's also nice to see a woman featuring in a war dio.

Personally, I don't like the trees though. I have a thing about model trees. There are very few good tree products out there, unless you want to spend a fortune. I find the Woodland Scenics ones are a bit naff with their short and stumpy branches, which remain visible through the 'foliage'. Their 'foliage' isn't up to scratch either; being more fluffy and 'cloud-like' than I would like. Liberal amounts of scatter over and amongst the 'fluff' would go someway to solving both problems, I think.

Having said that, I AM being hyper-critical. There was nothing else I could pick holes in!

A diorama that is close to perfect.

Rearguards,

Badder

Hi Badder. Thank you very much for your comments. I do know what you mean about the trees but I'm afraid I don't have the time or your eye and ability for the trees that you make. They are really awesome.

Genuinely superb work, my friend!

Cheers for sharing.

Chris.

Thank you very much for your very kind comments spruecutter96!

Great work as usual.

Most kind lifeofbrian!

Kind regards,

Stix

[celt]

Very impressive work,from the tank to the figures to the vegetation,all going to make a very realistic scene,well tidy mun.

[Calum]

Excellent work there 

[PlaStix]

On 10/9/2016 at 11:20 PM, celt said:

Very impressive work,from the tank to the figures to the vegetation,all going to make a very realistic scene,well tidy mun.

Hi Celt and thank you for your very kind comments!

 

On 10/10/2016 at 8:34 PM, Calum said:

Excellent work there 

Thank you too Calum for your very kind comment!

 

KInd regards,

 

Stix

[Rob 1]

That is really good, very well finished, both the subject and the diorama base. Good composition too, and well photographed to top it off - excellent work all round.

[Badder]

On ‎14‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 2:35 PM, PlaStix said:

Hi Badder. Thank you very much for your comments. I do know what you mean about the trees but I'm afraid I don't have the time or your eye and ability for the trees that you make. They are really awesome.

You definitely have the 'eye' Stix, in build, brushwork and composition. As I said, I was being hyper-critical about the trees... they are actually rather good given the products used and the time constraints you faced. I must say that your works of art always appear larger than the actual scale. I bow to you sir.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

[Bob Henry]

Great work on this one Stix.         Bob H.

[PlaStix]

On 12/10/2016 at 8:38 PM, Rob 1 said:

That is really good, very well finished, both the subject and the diorama base. Good composition too, and well photographed to top it off - excellent work all round.

Thank you very much Rob for your kind comments.

 

On 13/10/2016 at 1:54 PM, Badder said:

You definitely have the 'eye' Stix, in build, brushwork and composition. As I said, I was being hyper-critical about the trees... they are actually rather good given the products used and the time constraints you faced. I must say that your works of art always appear larger than the actual scale. I bow to you sir.

Rearguards,

Badder

Hi Badder. You are waaaayyyy too kind! But thank you

 

On 06/11/2016 at 1:25 AM, Bob Henry said:

Great work on this one Stix.         Bob H.

Thank you very much too Bob.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

Edited November 25, 2016 by PlaStix