Concrete and sanderious

[Soeren]

Hey there, still new to bases I tried to do something to my T-55 AM2B that was a great joy to build and paint Takom kit. Thought it could be a good idea to put it on a base. Takom gives it a nice boxart of the green tank on a grey concrete background so thought about doing something as the colour scheme suggests. Looked around for those concrete sections they had and partly still have on all the eastern Germany countryside border sections. Came up with doing them myself and then added some Meng concrete barriers. That looked a bit plain so some Vallejo Putty was used for the gaps and painted black to resemble some of those tar based road fillers. Still too boring some grey and sand pigments were added together with some green and dry grass sticking out of the gaps. Looks much better to me now. But you guys here have the great ideas, maybe you can point our some interesting features that help in enhancing the looks. Thanks.

 

This is the stuff I used, plus glue, paint and pigments of course

 

In betwen it looked that plain

 

And here is the arrangement and a 360 now

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 14, 2019 by Soeren

[Gorby]

That looks exceptionally realistic. It that the colour the putty stuff is out of the tub, or did you paint it?

[Soeren]

Hey there Gorby. Thank you so much. That stuff is is light grey and has some plastic look to it  so I painted it in several shades.

[Matt Parvis]

Soeren, I think it looks really good.  The growth out of the cracks looks right on to me and the color of the concrete looks good as well, nice and faded.  

 

I am not sure if you are done or not, but, for myself, I would finish the sides of the groundwork somehow.  I like to have a clear delineation between the groundwork and the sides of the base.  Of course, I rarely achieve that, but it is what I shoot for.  

 

The T-55 looks brilliant as well, by the way.

 

Matt  

[Soeren]

Thanks Matt. The sides are a good point. They are bit darker grey. My idea was to not do as harsh a contrast as the usual black. Maybe I try an even darker grey.

 

And is it done? I guess not. I might get back at the tank one day to give it a bit more dust or even not. For now, considering the comments of you guys, I could as well call it done for now. 

 

Good thing about this hobby, I can always get back and do something more to a model.

[spaddad]

tasty

[ijs302]

very realistic base i must try that and a great t55 to

[Soeren]

Howdy, some more T-5x action. Hay this Takom 59 bought Christmas 2017 and build it during 2018. After the nice experience doing a Base for the GDR T-55 I got the feel for it and startet the Base for the Type. Basically the same approach foam and filler. But this time garden soil, cat litter and some real stones. Primed black and highlighted with sand/buff. Got that from the IPMS Toronto Barbara  channel. This gets some shadows, but the look is rather greys cold none the less. Then started with some stone colours on some features, might still need to add more when looking at the pictures. Also started on adding some grass. According with your previous  comments, I did the frame black, much better. Will do that on the previous frame as well. 

 

 

[DAG058]

Amazing work with these, thank you for the tips. 

[Soeren]

Did a dark frame on the concrete theme according to your recommendations now much better.

 

RFI at the AFV section with some more recent pics.

 

[Soeren]

Put some more work into the Type 59 as well and should call it done now as well

 

[Badder]

Lovely work Soeren. on the tanks themselves, and the bases. The concrete looks spot on, with nice bits of veg poking up through the joints. Base-coating the ground on the second base and colour-matching the boulders/stones/grits/sands to the tanks was also a clever move.

 

I would tidy up the edges around the first base though - nothing too finicky - just a quick bit of filing/sanding and a repaint.

 

In future, you might consider adding colour to your 'ground' mixtures (putty/filler/plaster of Paris) during mixing and before layering it on. It just saves having to colour any 'white' bits that spraying/brush-painting sometimes miss.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Soeren]

Hey Badder, thanks for your kind comment and the helpful suggestions. This I will leave like it is for the sake of not messing it up. That stuff cures rock hard. But I will use it in the future too and will be aware of smoothing it out on the outside for a cleaner look for sure.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Is Decoflex a spackle type material ? 

On 2/28/2019 at 1:25 PM, Soeren said:

This is the stuff I used, plus glue, paint and pigments of course

 

[Soeren]

Yes. It is a spackle material. Premade and coarse and sandy. Never thought it would cure that tough. It doesnt behave like a paste but more like wet sand. 

Edited May 12, 2019 by Soeren