Boche Fini Part 1

 Current project before going back to painting my next bust is a WWII 1/35 scale diorama depicting three German prisoners being escorted through a small French town towards a Bren Carrier. This is the first 1/35 scale vehicle I have ever built and painted so I wanted something fairly simple.

Tamiya have a reputation for producing a good balance between detail and assembly. Indeed I have noticed "they build themselves" more than a few times when reviewing others work. I have to admit it went together rather easily and the detail was good enough for me.

The kit comes with a fair amount of items to fill the carrier and many of these find their way into the model. The towing cable was a piece of string I painted grey black then used a piece of sponge to rub a mix of silver and oily steel onto the more raised parts. Quite chuffed with the finish. The decals that came with the kit gave me a fair choice and I went with the 3rd Infantry Brigade as that fits my choice of time and place.

I used a mix of pigments to create the dirt around the tracks and lower hull and splats over the whole hull. Mixing the pigments either with odourless oil paint thinner or for the thicker patches mat pigment 

binder. I wanted a dry look for the season though use of different binders can give a semi wet or wet finish.

I also used thinned oil paints to show dirt streaks gathering around and running off rivets and edged panels etc. I also added bare metal to areas than would see extra wear. I was restrained in this mostly but did a heavier effect on the interior as can be seen in the next image.

Whilst the kit comes with plenty of boxes and cans I wanted something different and found some resin additions that really fitted the on campaign look I wanted. The box of vegetables fits with the twin account details of French civilians showering troops with fruit and flowers and the trade that went off for fresh food against army chocolate and cigarettes. The rolled tarpaulin etc also are not quite drill book items.

The backpack and helmet was also part of the set I just added a strap from a bit of a pop can. Easier than I expected. The wine bottle is a Meng product, just a transparent plastic I simply added a cork/wax 

top and label.

As you can see it makes a fairly effective bottle of wine. I have three in the carrier, one as an empty. I found painting the carrier with an airbrush really helped generate different tones as I layered the different shades onto the model.

I also added a tin strap to one of the helmets that is in the carrier. The crew are all wearing berets so I needed to add the helmets. Two came in the resin set attached to packs whilst this one came from a weapons pack I bought for such use.

Crew all finished and their relaxed pose is just perfect for the scene I am trying to create. All told I think I took a little less than 30 hours from start to finish. 

I have also painted up a dead German and off camera is a French civilian, one of two the diorama will eventually have. I am now part way through painting up the two British escorts and assembled the three German prisoners and French girl. I would say I am about two thirds of the way through the project though I am not really sure the amount of time the base will require.