king derelict

You made a great job of a dodgy kit. Congratulations. Looks like you need a few AV=8Bs in there too Alan

Thank you very much Jack. Its a big learning experience but fun. I'd like to do more but they do take up space. Alan

I made up some small clumps of the Woodland Scenic tall grass material and dabbed one end in qhite glue and set them on a bit of parchment paper to dry Once dry they were easy to peel off the parchment paper and add to the base. The water in the shell holes has dried clear and looks reasonable although maybe a bit lurid from some angles. As discussed above I bought the Woodland Scenic premade clumps of prairie grass seen below as the somewhat bushy stuff to the right of the picture and the homemade tall grass tufts to the left And in use in other parts of the base I've started the base coats on the figures. I'm a bit concerned that the khaki is a bit too green. I was planning to use buff on the belts, puttees and kitbags / pouches but I find I have run out so will order more along with some different khakis. The transplanted heads seem to look natural which is a relief Thank you all for looking in and all the likes and helpful comments Alan

Thank you very much EG Thats a whole lot easier than messing with their loose tall grass. Alan

Thank you Ken I had discovered the Woodland Scenic clumped vegetation and bought the prairie grass version. I didn't read far enough to realise they also did tall grass too in that style. It would be a whole lot easier than messing with the loose tall grass material. I think I have made enough of my own for this project but will definitely get some for the next. Alan

Thank you Ken I completed twelve cans and adding the PE handles left me suitably cross eyed. Alan

Thnk you very much OC. I want to add some more tall grass but I need to find a better way to install it. It tends to go everywhere except where you had planned. I might see if I can make some clumps off the base and then place them. Alan

I tend to agree with Edward. If the trooper had his mount knocked out from under him I am sure it would have made a lot more sense to join up with infantry units in the area rather than try to walk back to find his mates. Musket powder and shot would be there to scavenge or his new mates might share. Its too nice a figure to waste Alan

A small amount of progress over the Christmas period, I added a little more grass effect and then the shattered trees, a fallen wall and some clumps of weeds. I tried using the Woodland Scenic tall grass and found it very difficult to work with but added some around the tree stumps and the wall A few small bushes were added and I think that is probably enough. I'm somewhat tempted to keep adding more vegetation but I think it will end up looking too busy. Some of the vegetation may be a bit over scale but I'll see what it looks like once the figures are in place. I made a first pass at the water in the shell holes and in some of the deeper wheel ruts. After experiments with white glue I used a thick layer of high gloss Mod Podge over a few dabs of green and yellow craft acrylics. Accounts of WW1 always seem to refer to the bilious nature of the water in the shell holes. It's still drying but it looks encouraging to me. I returned to the Whippet and gave it a spray over of diluted buff and brown to take the showroom look off it. The canvas track guards were added and dirtied up I have started working on the clutter on the tank. Some rolled tarps are in work and the cans that hang off the back. These are styrene rod with handles made of old PE frets of appropriate size. i think they will look OK with a bit of paint. Thank you all for looking in and the comments and likes I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas Alan

A 1/35 artillery train is going to look brutal. Can't wait. The Holt tractors look stunning. Alan

That is a beautiful rendition. Alan

Thanks; I had read that they had R artists working on the camouflage schemes Alan

I may have to invest in the 1/48 kit. It occurs to me that a Sea Fury / Douglas Skyraider combo would make a great display. Another project in the wings Alan

The cargo holds are looking excellent. I like the weathering and had to invest in some of that green slime. Alan

The snow and ice effects look very realistic; especially when the sun catches it. Alan

Thanks for that Ken. I will give that a try. They certainly seen to have everything Alan

Thanks OC. This is a whole new rabbit hole to dive down. It's a lot of fun though Alan

I love those burly radial engined Sea Furies. Magnificent aircraft. A larger scale would really show it's presence off. Alan

Its rather out of context but the link has an interesting selection of aero books. I'm already thinking about the Vampire book and the Harrier one Aerospace book choices for Christmas 2022 (aerosociety.com) Alan

The postman brought a nice variety of Woodland Scenic items. I have no idea how that Sea Fury crept into the order😎 So I have been experimenting on bits of scrap with the various grass types and finally got brave enough to start adding some to the base. I used diluted white glue to hold the grass to the base. Its weird stuff; I was expecting something like coloured sawdust but its almost a spongy consistency and not easy to add evenly and it balls up easily if you over manipulate it. I ended up shaking it one and tipping off what wasn't wanted outside the glued areas. It actually looks a lot better than I expected and I'm sure the technique is something I will learn to improve on. I think its going to be important to resist the temptation to go crazy with this stuff and overdo the greenery. I have some weed clumps and stands of tall grass in mind but I want to keep it mainly a muddy little place. Thanks for looking in and all the likes and comments Alan

My little one thinks she is a hunter but the bigger one is more interested in trying to work out how to open the refrigerator door.

Very nice Jav, Lovely neat work Alan

Looks great in black Merry Christmas Andrew Alan

The buses look great Patrick. Looking forward to Number 3 Happy Christmas Alan

Merry Christmas Craig. My Maine Coon cats have thick fur between the pads on their paws to cope with the snow, bushy tails and thick coats to cope with the cold. Any they start complaining when the temperature in the house drops below 73 F. All that fur is purely decorative. Alan