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This has taken up about 2 months of my retirement and was built utilising the Tamiya 1/35 SAS Jeep kit and the Long Range Desert Group Kit with terrain techniques taken from AK's Diorama FAQ.  It was all about me trying to build a desert!  I hope you like it; your comments and critique are as always welcome!

 

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28 minutes ago, clive_t said:

Great job, very convincing Dio and the models are first class also. A very enjoyable WIP too!

Thanks Clive, I've enjoyed making it!

26 minutes ago, Ratch said:

Good job on the groundwork

Thank you, I really wanted to have a go at a desert!

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Great work Derek. A very effective and evocative diorama. It certainly looks hot and dry. I can taste sand in my mouth and will have to wash it out with hot, slightly petrol-contaminated water from a re-purposed jerry can.

 

There's a couple of little details that are 'weak' if you don't mind me saying. The first is the roll of camo netting hanging on the side of the Jeep. It is one of Tamiya's worst - and when I get around to making my second SAS Jeep after a 40 yr gap I'll definitely be making my own!

The second concerns the wire 'bushes'. It's mostly to do with the fact that they are all the same size and are distributed in two lines of three, front and back of the diorama. It looks like they've been planted by some gardener who has an eye for symmetry! By my way of thinking they would be different sizes, and as there isn't a lot of water in the desert, I think the plants would all clump together where it DOES occur. So, I'd expect to see grasses and bushes along gulleys and at the bottom of 'cliffs', not so much on top of rock formations and certainly not in .evenly spaced lines of three.

 

But I'm being fussy, I know, perhaps because they aren't up to the same standard as the vehicles, which are excellent, nicely weathered/beaten up, the lovely figures, and the rocks, sand and grit which are very realistic indeed.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

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51 minutes ago, Badder said:

Great work Derek. A very effective and evocative diorama. It certainly looks hot and dry. I can taste sand in my mouth and will have to wash it out with hot, slightly petrol-contaminated water from a re-purposed jerry can.

 

There's a couple of little details that are 'weak' if you don't mind me saying. The first is the roll of camo netting hanging on the side of the Jeep. It is one of Tamiya's worst - and when I get around to making my second SAS Jeep after a 40 yr gap I'll definitely be making my own!

The second concerns the wire 'bushes'. It's mostly to do with the fact that they are all the same size and are distributed in two lines of three, front and back of the diorama. It looks like they've been planted by some gardener who has an eye for symmetry! By my way of thinking they would be different sizes, and as there isn't a lot of water in the desert, I think the plants would all clump together where it DOES occur. So, I'd expect to see grasses and bushes along gulleys and at the bottom of 'cliffs', not so much on top of rock formations and certainly not in .evenly spaced lines of three.

 

But I'm being fussy, I know, perhaps because they aren't up to the same standard as the vehicles, which are excellent, nicely weathered/beaten up, the lovely figures, and the rocks, sand and grit which are very realistic indeed.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

Thanks for your comments Badder, you're quite right, the camo netting is definately not the best.  As for the bushes, they were based on a picture of the actual Sahara posted in the WIP thread by another member,  It shows these wirie bushes all over the place and all look to be similar in size. However, I admit I've not maybe positioned them as randomly as I could have, but it is tricky on a limited size base.  I'll consider making a couple more an breaking up the pattern.

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6 minutes ago, Derek A said:

 As for the bushes, they were based on a picture of the actual Sahara posted in the WIP thread by another member,

TBH, I do remember that photo now you've reminded me of it! Yes, they were all remarkably similar in size.  And that's the point really, it IS remarkable! Sometimes nature doesn't look natural! Personally, I'd go for what looks natural and add a bit of variation.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

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Fantastic looking diorama. Cannot pick out one thing as my favourite as it looks great from any angle. Seeing great dioramas reminds me of being a young lad again, me and my mate used to love staring at any we saw in books or mags, for hours. A ten year old me would have stared at this with his mouth open.

 

All the best, Martin 

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2 hours ago, Martin Ford said:

Fantastic looking diorama. Cannot pick out one thing as my favourite as it looks great from any angle. Seeing great dioramas reminds me of being a young lad again, me and my mate used to love staring at any we saw in books or mags, for hours. A ten year old me would have stared at this with his mouth open.

 

All the best, Martin 

Thank you very much Martin, you're too kind!

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Derek,

 

definitely two months well spent, you've given me ideas for my build, I've not weathered or added any stowadge to my LRDG Chevrolet yet. Now I've got a nice reference to use I'm off to find some oil drums.

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37 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Derek,

 

definitely two months well spent, you've given me ideas for my build, I've not weathered or added any stowadge to my LRDG Chevrolet yet. Now I've got a nice reference to use I'm off to find some oil drums.

Ozzy, thank you and I'm glad I've inspired you to give it a go.  This is only my 3rd diorama, I've loved the challenge.  As you've seen, where I wasn't happy, I've just tried something else.  There is an awful lot of help on YouTube if you get stuck, sometimes I just dumb it down to my skill level, well it works for me!

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  • 2 weeks later...
1 hour ago, TheBaron said:

I think you've made a damn fine job of the whole ensemble Derek. A pleasure looking at your work!

Tony

Thank you very much Tony, very kind of you!

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The groundwork is very well done. While it might have been based on photos, it's extremely realistic and with the benefit of having been to these areas in Egypt and Libya several times during the course of my professional career, I'd say your diorama certainly depicts parts of the terrain in the Western Desert -- to a tee.

Edited by Cadman
spellin'
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4 hours ago, stevehnz said:

Just realised I hadn't caught up with the RFI, quite lovely, you've done a super job on this, it really looks the piece to my eye.

Steve.

 

4 hours ago, Cadman said:

The groundwork is very well done. While it might have been based on photos, it's extremely realistic and with the benefit of having been to these areas in Egypt and Libya several times during the course of my professional career, I'd say your diorama certainly depicts parts of the terrain in the Western Desert -- to a tee.

 

1 hour ago, sanfrandragon said:

This is what I aspire to.  The desert looks great, vehicles suitably beaten up and nice figures!  I cant wait til I retire - modelling and battlefield tours await!

Gentlemen, thank you so much for your kind words!

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