Saturday, July 26, 2008

Flammpanzer 38

A main build I have going on at the moment -a flame Jagdpanzer. The crusader is taking a back seat, for now my time is spent on this. Set in Alsace, Op.Nordwind 1945, a destroyed hetzer has been pushed off the road by the advancing Allies. A lone US tank crew will be viewing the wreck from the road.

I experimented with painting a destroyed vehicle and placed it in a almost vertical position. I try to add dynamism in vignettes/dioramas as it makes the scene much more dramatic than a standalone model on a flat terrain. I have this rule whenever I have groundwork is not to place models on even grounds. By positioning it on uneven terrain, a slight angle to the groundwork or base can add a bit of drama to the scene. The only time I display models on a flat surface is to literally showcase it as a static display.

The model is still work in progress and there's still lots to do. I need to speed up a bit in order to get it done for an article. My intention is to show the vehicle that's been knocked out not too long ago (2-3 weeks) after battle. The aim is not to make a rusty wreck that we are used to seeing in models. I wanted to create a burnt look with some fresh rust that's starting to appear. The challenge I'm faced will be the paintwork on the vehicle and the scene.

Having seen Per Olav's k.o. Abrams, I'm aiming along the lines of that though I don't want it to look too burnt like the Abrams. Mention of Per Olav and his Pz I Norway dio comes to mind. How he completes works in such a short time... I don't know but he makes it look fast and easy.

Okay, I'm in the minority; I like the strange look of Hetzers but this little beast are just so hard to photograph!








1 comment:

complex243 said...

Good update and excellent writing. keep up the good work.