Stuart M3A1 French diorama

[Leighbo]

Hi All

Just got started on my latest project so thought I would share my progress.

This is going to be the Academy M3A1 Stuart pretty much straight from the box carrying some Verlinden tank riders figures passing through a French village. I'm scratch building the building etc... and want to try and add plenty of interest to the dio if I can.

Here's the kit, one that I've had on my list for a long time

And here's the start of the building, the basic design was worked out (over many hours!) and drawn on to foam board and then I cut strips to fit balsa strips into and scored the brickwork in.

Then hand painted in cheap acrylic as a base coat which helps to stiffen the design on the front as well as create the mortar layer.

Then after painting up and fixing the basic building together with the tank hull for scale

There will be stone steps leading up to the front door and the bottom floor will be a rock wall and I'm trying to get my bravery levels up so I can make a thatched roof, but we'll see how that goes yet.

Thanks for looking

 

[Leighbo]

Hi All

Had this week off work so got plenty of modelling done.

The Stuart built up quickly OOB and although this kit has an interior I decided to display this closed up. The only changes I made were to create a cast texture around the front of the hull and leave off the external fuel tanks to create more room for figures.

I managed to pick up 3 pairs of Verlinden figures, 5 infantry tank riders and a tank commander, which are probably a little large in scale, but are nicely cast in some great poses so what the heck. They almost fell into place with hardly any adjustments, I only cut the hand off the standing infantry figure and turned it so he was placing it on the tank figures back.

Once the figures were worked out I primed the Stuart in black then a layer of olive drab, then I lightened the olive with tan to fade it a bit. the decals were added but not all from the kit as they are for early versions so I raided the spares box and added some generic decals. After hand painting in the details I coated in gloss then did the first stage of oil streaking

Back to the base and I made the stone foundations with torn up pieces of blue foam

I then cut the stone shapes into the floor, made roof tiles from card, made the steps from wall insulation and added minimart windows, shutters, windows, door, guttering and drain pipe. Once fitted these were all painted and weathered

The brief description makes it sound so easy but its taken lots of head scratching to get the base together.

Thanks for looking

 

[danimal518]

That looks amazing!

 

[Leighbo]

thanks man

 

[JohnSimmons]

Yeah stunning as usual!

 

[Tanker52]

Lookin great 8) ! 8) ! 8) ! I like the figures you adding to this kit.

 

[Leighbo]

Thanks for the comments guys

 

[rookie]

Missed this post, man that's beautiful .

Nice work 8)

 

[geegad]

wow superb work on all counts...the building is outstanding the cheapest idea and one hell off a good one..sorry if i missed but what company made the figures...