Normandy' 44

Awarded: Gold

Users' choice

This gallery has 29.11% of the users' votes.

By: Francesco Senatore

Manufacturer(s): Revell-Italery-Modell Trans

Modifications: Scratchbuild the building whit plaster and plasticard.

After-market parts: Conversion by Modell Trans and Part photoetched. Figures by Millicast-Retrokit

Description: This diorama is a stop of the British 3rd Infantry during the transport of the Panzer IV of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, captured in Normandy. The Sherman ARV is a conversion of the Trans-based Modell Italeri. The Panzer IV is the Revell. The models is painted with Humbrol enamels and acrilycs Tamiya. Washing with oil colors. Weathering with pigments from MIG. Figures (Millicast and Retrokit) is painted with Vallejo colours.

Judge 1: The composition of the work is well-thought. The most noticeable element, the building of a watermill, serves as a perfect background. This building along with a tree also expands the composition in vertical sphere thus making it visually more balanced. Moreover, the diameter of the stand is more or less of the same size as the diorama’s height which also adds to harmony of measurements. The cart full of fruits, spare wheels near the wall, the cart with hay in the background, etc. – all these show how much attention you’ve paid to all minor parts of your work that all together they provide integral impression. Still, I don’t think that a photoshoped background on one of the photos was a good idea since I’m not sure there are such high mountains in Normandy. The watermill is the first element of terrain that catches our attention. You’ve invested a lot of efforts in creation of this building and I must admit it looks perfect. I wish we had more close-up photos of the mill. Other terrain elements, like a ditch, a bridge, a tree, a telegraph pole with a birdhouse also look well. Painting is very nice. The manner of painting is a little bright, but the work benefits from this, because this provides cheerful impression of a long-awaited liberation. As I can see, both tanks are well built with accurately applied photo-etched parts and extensive use of various pieces of equipment. Painting is also good with nice shading and moderate dry brushing on Sherman ARV that helped to outline its details. The Pz.IV’s colors are a little duller, but a captured tank shouldn’t look like a prime star of the performance, should it? The chassis of both tanks show us that the road is dusty, so it would be logical to see some dust on the horizontal surfaces of the tanks. I’d also advice you to put some graphite on the teeth of the tracks and the sprockets of both tanks because they were polished in movement due to friction. All the figures are nicely painted with moderate highlighting, though the color of their skin could be more variable. The pose of the soldier standing on the captured tank is a little unnatural, but this can be because of angle of shooting.
Judge 2: I love the house & the dirt road is very realistic too.There are nice tones in the exposed bricks.Good interaction with the figures,The watermill would have have looked even better if there was water in the paddles especially since you have taken the time to add water to the stream. Looking at the vechicles the ARV has great details but the SC15 green is a bit bright for me and the jeep windscreen in the tarp looks overscale. The Pz IV looks great & you have obviously got inspiration from a picture of a 7th (or 8th ?) Comp 12th SS Pz IV being tow. some dust pigment on the long grass in the centre of the diorama would help blend it in a little more,being a farm I was looking to see if there was a cow or hens even better some ducks in the stream? otherwise a beautiful well structured & painted setting, nice one.
Judge 3: Fantastic! Really well done pieces that are miniature masterpieces in themselves. The buiding is a perfect backdrop with well placed vehicles and figures (would only suggest a few more figures on the buidling or vehicles to add more variety to the vertical dimensions). The water, ground work and vegetation are simply first-rate! The combination of in-progress and final photos with background are really nicely done! You have obviosuly also done your homework and research on the units and history. Weathering is uniform between the vehicles and groundwork as well, but you could use a few more tracks and tire marks on the groundwork. My only other comment is to try to choose a catchy title or "tell a story" with the diorama. But oterwise this is a first rate piece of work.