"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
You really capture the action James.
You really capture the action James.
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"House to House" May 1968 Vignette COMPLETED!
- Thread starter JamesOLeary
- Start date
Duke Maddog
Well-known member
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
Brilliant man! Just brilliant! I can feel the excitement and adrenaline rush just looking at these guys now.
Brilliant man! Just brilliant! I can feel the excitement and adrenaline rush just looking at these guys now.
JamesOLeary
Master at Arms
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
Thanks, Guys.
Yesterday I worked on adding the stabilizing straps to the ammo pouches on the three figures without flak jackets as well as adding the straps that secure grenades to the pouches. I also added a grenade to the webbing on the left front of the flak jacket of the figure peering from behind cover.
Today, the structure that I am going to use for this vignette arrived in the mail. This is what it looks like with the figures. I will be changing the roof to a corrugated tin roof and there will be debris that the three Soldiers closest to the structure are using for cover where the piece of corrugated plastic is currently located.
That's all for now. Thanks for looking.
Cheers,
James
Thanks, Guys.
Yesterday I worked on adding the stabilizing straps to the ammo pouches on the three figures without flak jackets as well as adding the straps that secure grenades to the pouches. I also added a grenade to the webbing on the left front of the flak jacket of the figure peering from behind cover.
Today, the structure that I am going to use for this vignette arrived in the mail. This is what it looks like with the figures. I will be changing the roof to a corrugated tin roof and there will be debris that the three Soldiers closest to the structure are using for cover where the piece of corrugated plastic is currently located.
That's all for now. Thanks for looking.
Cheers,
James
JamesOLeary
Master at Arms
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
A bit of progress on the structure...
The building kit comes with a base of it's own and there is a piece that runs along the bottom of the building that buffers between the base and the building. There is a cut-out for some stairs. Since I am not using the base nor that piece along the bottom, I cut the stairs from a 4 stair to a 2 stair piece. I then cut some styrene that is corrugated to replicate corrugated tin on the roof. I can't seem to be able to cut a straight line to save my life even using a straight edge. It took several attempts at cutting to get a piece that looks decent. I then glued this to the existing roof portion. Now it looks like a structure at Ho Nai.
I decided to play around with repositioning the guys who were pinned down. They are stacked along the wall and the guy peering around cover will be peering around something that will be located where the road wheel is taking the place of. Depending on what I end up using for the cover item, I may keep those three guys stacked on the wall of the building.
Back to working on finishing up detailing the figures tomorrow.
Cheers,
James
A bit of progress on the structure...
The building kit comes with a base of it's own and there is a piece that runs along the bottom of the building that buffers between the base and the building. There is a cut-out for some stairs. Since I am not using the base nor that piece along the bottom, I cut the stairs from a 4 stair to a 2 stair piece. I then cut some styrene that is corrugated to replicate corrugated tin on the roof. I can't seem to be able to cut a straight line to save my life even using a straight edge. It took several attempts at cutting to get a piece that looks decent. I then glued this to the existing roof portion. Now it looks like a structure at Ho Nai.
I decided to play around with repositioning the guys who were pinned down. They are stacked along the wall and the guy peering around cover will be peering around something that will be located where the road wheel is taking the place of. Depending on what I end up using for the cover item, I may keep those three guys stacked on the wall of the building.
Back to working on finishing up detailing the figures tomorrow.
Cheers,
James
JamesOLeary
Master at Arms
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
I haven't made as much progress as I had wanted over the past few days, but I did get some work done. I selected a right arm for the grenadier figure and attached it to the torso. I just need to add some putty to fill the at the shoulder and to make the rest of the sleeve. The arm I chose will be loading the M79 that is broken open for that purpose.
The other figure I worked on was the guy who is getting shot. After placing the stabilizing straps and making the buckles for them, I added the smoke grenade. To represent the force of the shot impacting, I am having his helmet start falling off. To accomplish this, I cut off part of the top of his head at and angle so the helmet will rest on it and look like the helmet is being forced off of his head. The hair was added and I tried to make it look like it is showing motion of the backward force. I then placed the belt of M60 ammo across the chest of the Soldier and had it be away from his back to show the weight flowing back to show motion...or at least that is what the intention is. I might have to work on the shaping of the back a bit, but I think it works fairly well.
I will try to get these guys ready for painting within the next few days.
Thanks for looking.
Cheers,
James
I haven't made as much progress as I had wanted over the past few days, but I did get some work done. I selected a right arm for the grenadier figure and attached it to the torso. I just need to add some putty to fill the at the shoulder and to make the rest of the sleeve. The arm I chose will be loading the M79 that is broken open for that purpose.
The other figure I worked on was the guy who is getting shot. After placing the stabilizing straps and making the buckles for them, I added the smoke grenade. To represent the force of the shot impacting, I am having his helmet start falling off. To accomplish this, I cut off part of the top of his head at and angle so the helmet will rest on it and look like the helmet is being forced off of his head. The hair was added and I tried to make it look like it is showing motion of the backward force. I then placed the belt of M60 ammo across the chest of the Soldier and had it be away from his back to show the weight flowing back to show motion...or at least that is what the intention is. I might have to work on the shaping of the back a bit, but I think it works fairly well.
I will try to get these guys ready for painting within the next few days.
Thanks for looking.
Cheers,
James
Tankbuilder
Active member
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
WOW! Looking extremely good there James.
Cheers
WOW! Looking extremely good there James.
Cheers
Duke Maddog
Well-known member
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
I think you nailed the falling soldier admirably! Way to go! Can't wait to see these guys in paint!
I think you nailed the falling soldier admirably! Way to go! Can't wait to see these guys in paint!
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
Outstanding work
Outstanding work
JamesOLeary
Master at Arms
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
Thanks, guys! I am glad y'all think it is coming along well.
Instead of doing putty work, I decided to start putting some color into the building. After a black primer coat, I painted the corrugated tin various shades of grey that seem to match some corrugated tin I have at home from an old barn. Then I dry brushed shades of yellow for the stucco. The wood parts were painted with various shades of brown and tan.
This is the first building I have painted, so I am still trying to figure out how to make it look more realistic. I just hope the paint job on this building will compliment those on the figures as my figures usually turn out fairly well.
Anyway, this is how it looks so far. I am going to let it dry for a while before working on it some more later.
I do have some concerns about how this door looks. I just doesn't look very wood-like to me.
Well, that's all for now.
Cheers,
James
Thanks, guys! I am glad y'all think it is coming along well.
Instead of doing putty work, I decided to start putting some color into the building. After a black primer coat, I painted the corrugated tin various shades of grey that seem to match some corrugated tin I have at home from an old barn. Then I dry brushed shades of yellow for the stucco. The wood parts were painted with various shades of brown and tan.
This is the first building I have painted, so I am still trying to figure out how to make it look more realistic. I just hope the paint job on this building will compliment those on the figures as my figures usually turn out fairly well.
Anyway, this is how it looks so far. I am going to let it dry for a while before working on it some more later.
I do have some concerns about how this door looks. I just doesn't look very wood-like to me.
Well, that's all for now.
Cheers,
James
Tankbuilder
Active member
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
I like the building. Are you going to leave it parallel to the edgev of the base like it is?
Cheers
I like the building. Are you going to leave it parallel to the edgev of the base like it is?
Cheers
JamesOLeary
Master at Arms
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
Thanks Frank and Tankbuilder,
The building is going to be placed across the back of the base like that to provide the backdrop for the figures. There is a 1/32 to 1/16 inch difference between the sides so there is a very slight slant to it. The main action of the figures are at various degree angles so I think this will work. At the various shows I have seen many single figure displays with a flat backdrop behind them. The concept with this scene is similar, it is just a bit larger backdrop and there are more figures.
I did a bit of weathering last night, but nothing significant enough to take pictures of yet.
Cheers,
James
Thanks Frank and Tankbuilder,
The building is going to be placed across the back of the base like that to provide the backdrop for the figures. There is a 1/32 to 1/16 inch difference between the sides so there is a very slight slant to it. The main action of the figures are at various degree angles so I think this will work. At the various shows I have seen many single figure displays with a flat backdrop behind them. The concept with this scene is similar, it is just a bit larger backdrop and there are more figures.
I did a bit of weathering last night, but nothing significant enough to take pictures of yet.
Cheers,
James
JamesOLeary
Master at Arms
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
Here are some pictures of the weathered roof. I divided the corrugated roof into sections (I should have done that before I glued it on), painted a black line between the sections, and then weathered each one separately to provide some variation in the sheets.
Prior to that, I drybrushed a few coats of off white over the yellow walls and outlined the cracks of the three large holes with the same color.
I don't have all of those aftermarket weathering products nor am I going to spend all of that money for stuff I might use once or twice, so whatever effects I can create with acrylics, oils, and the few pigments that I have will have to suffice.
That's what I have so far. Now to figure out how to make this look more realistic.
Cheers,
James
Here are some pictures of the weathered roof. I divided the corrugated roof into sections (I should have done that before I glued it on), painted a black line between the sections, and then weathered each one separately to provide some variation in the sheets.
Prior to that, I drybrushed a few coats of off white over the yellow walls and outlined the cracks of the three large holes with the same color.
I don't have all of those aftermarket weathering products nor am I going to spend all of that money for stuff I might use once or twice, so whatever effects I can create with acrylics, oils, and the few pigments that I have will have to suffice.
That's what I have so far. Now to figure out how to make this look more realistic.
Cheers,
James
Tankbuilder
Active member
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
A man after my own heart regarding all the after-market weathering stuff. Do model builders no longer know how to mix their own colours or create dust from pastel chalks?
Good luck and cheers
A man after my own heart regarding all the after-market weathering stuff. Do model builders no longer know how to mix their own colours or create dust from pastel chalks?
Good luck and cheers
JamesOLeary
Master at Arms
"Contact!" Tet Offensive Vignette
There is just too many aftermarket weathering products out there. Sure they create great results if applied properly, but if I were to buy a product for every effect I want to replicate, I could be spending $1000 or more just on that stuff which could be better utilized on more models and figures. I'm not sure how good I will be at mixing the colors I need, but I at least give it a shot.
Cheers,
James
There is just too many aftermarket weathering products out there. Sure they create great results if applied properly, but if I were to buy a product for every effect I want to replicate, I could be spending $1000 or more just on that stuff which could be better utilized on more models and figures. I'm not sure how good I will be at mixing the colors I need, but I at least give it a shot.
Cheers,
James