Mathias Decommere
Following!

Bobby Thumbs
Thanks Mathias!! I trust you are well - I hope that I can finish this dio to your high expectations.

Mathias Decommere
Haha, my high expectations? They only apply to myself, but knowing your work, I'm sure it will result in an interesting scene

Jennifer Franklin
I am fascinated. Following 👀

Shar Dipree
Interesting, followig.

Bobby Thumbs
thank you Jennifer and Shar - i'm a "work backwards" kinda guy. I always come up with a scene first in my head and then fill it with people. You can see from my past projects I get inspired by a place and then build from there. I don't know what I'm putting in the dio yet - the obvious would be Ukrainian soldiers.

Me thou I am leaning towards this kit
Skull Clan - New Amazons (Master Box MB35202, 1:35)

fighting russians - i would need to find fighting ruskies or mash up a few kits
Problem with mashing up kits is that you buy 1 kit just for 1 figure??? - I don't know if my budget will stretch that far

Bobby Thumbs
Used Mathias's wire brush trick and distressed the crap out of the balsa, gave it a paint- still a bit to go though. Got some stuff in the mail today. I paid $10 for a packet of dirt - im an idiot.. Oh well I miss out on 2 coffees next week.

Mathias Decommere
Wauw Bobby, Nice to see you try out my method, looks great if you ask me!

Rui S
Great pictures. Looking good 👍

Bobby Thumbs
Thank you Mathias and Rui - yes the wood turned out excellent. I used the same technique as I would trying to comb the knots out of my dog's tail. Worked out great!! I think this wood is better than my fence in the benz dio.

Michael Kohl
Coming along nicely.

Dominik Weitzer
good process, looks good so far.

Jennifer Franklin
Looking really good.

Bobby Thumbs
Made sandbags and added bits and pieces this weekend. Used some of my $10 dirt on the outside of the trench - it looks OK - started some mud on the top ground there to see how it looks.

Doubtingmango
Wow! Last time I saw this there was only the inspiring pic! That groundwork is incredible!

Bobby Thumbs
Thank you all I'm having fun with this one trying new things. I'm happy with the way the mud looks so i'll try it on the floor and bombed area.

Ben M
I will sell you dirt for $5

Bobby Thumbs
haha Ben - i already got that - I need some air thou - you got any air? I'll pay good money for air.

Ben M
I remember paying too much for what was essentially dried grass for my Japanese kugelpanzer diorama. They get us with this hobby stuff.

Bobby Thumbs
Help me peepz - I'm kinda stuck on the bombed area. To me the fallen branches seemed placed. I feel the bombed area needs more chaos but I don't know what maybe some small tufts of grass here and there? Any suggestion would be appreciated.

Doubtingmango
I suppose it would depend on the age of the crater. From what I've seen of war pics and playing with M80 fireworks, a fresh crater will be pretty cleared out of anything but bare dirt and root stubs, whereas the more time that goes by, it becomes like a floor drain where debris, run-off, etc falls or gets washed into the crater. That said, I think your bombed corner of the dio looks very good. Those branches may have been "placed" there by the trench occupants after they were blown into the trench by a prior bombardment.

Bobby Thumbs
thanks for that mango - I am going to keep adding stuff - maybe even an odd bottle or ammo box or something

Bobby Thumbs
Hello all - its been awhile since the last update - life gets in the way - Got a master box Ukrainian soldier kit, I had a try at Ukrainian camo - epic fail - I dont know what time period my soldier is meant to be in..

Ben M
The future!