IDF captures Jerusalem: Lions Gate Diorama (1 Viewer)

[Napoleon1er]

Those are outstanding!

 

[Sentaapua]

That is brilliant work, more like a piece of art! Your already beautiful IDF diorama will certainly get a boost with this unique addition. I can't wait to see the M-113and what other items K&C will add to this range!

 

[Horus]

Zach they look great. Pat has done an awesome job there, now I'm thinking do the North Vietnamese really need a T34 ? It'd look good in a diorama being knocked out by some IDF Para's.

Steve

 

[EPGallagher]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I have been asked by a couple forum members via email on help to convert tanks and vehicles to other countries versions or different paint schemes. Alas, I did the IDF conversions for Zach as he's both a friend and client (see his 12' USS Bunker hill dio on the John Jenkins forum) and like Andy and his crew I'm trying to finish my VN dioramas and several client projects for the Chicago show next month. Having said that, I'll outline my approach below and happy to answer any questions. It's not really difficult, especially if you have even basic modeling skills. Next to research, the most time consuming job is taping all the great detail K&C puts into their vehicles that won't change color like Windows, tires, equipment, etc. Us many small pieces of tape vs large ones that are hard to work with. I then mist 2 light sprays of grey or black (depending on the vehicle) auto primer over the taped up vehicle. letting each coat dry. I then use a technique most modelers use-I airbrush whats called pre shading over all panel lines, vehicle edges, and natural shadow areas, leaving the middle of panels that catch the most light with just the primer as show on this tank receiver.



I then lightly spray the base coat over the whole vehicle as seen below. Again a very light coat, the first of 3-4.



You don't want to completely cover the pre shading until the last coat so it is barely visible (in this case, this was a 2nd to last coat, as my final was a lighter version of the base color I used to keep it relatively tonal to the colors of Zachs K&C IDF vehicles-it doesn't have to be exactly perfect as all armies vehicles colors are always subject to variations.



Next is the fun part-Painting and weathering. Making a darker and lighter version I airbrush both the highlights (tops of vehicles and anywhere in direct light)and shadows (anywhere a natural shadow will fall). Incidentally, all these steps can be done with a brush, but If you're going to due quite a few, you can get a nice air brush and compressor set for about $200 on amazon that will give you much more of a professional look. The desert is brutal on vehicles, and maintenance vehicles especially get really beat up and dirty, and tank haulers are the worst as weight and tread really rip through paint to bare medal quickly. I used a fine tipped brush to create scratches and worn areas using a mix of dark paints along vehicle body edges, door edges. where crews walk, etc-look at lots of pictures for inspiration.

 

[EPGallagher]

Converting vehicles

I forgot the last step to the below instructions-After puttin on and weathering the decals, I airbrush a fine spray of dust color over the whole vehicle, building it up where dust naturally settles-I then spray the whole thing with acrylic matt varnish so when playing with the vehicles the paint doesn't wear off (and off course what fun are having these if you can't play with them..............:salute:
Pat

 

[wayne556517]

Mate you make it look and sound so easy what a amazing job thanks for posting.

 

[joesgis]

Great work! Thanks for sharing how you do re-paints. They look wonderful.


Joe

 

[zblang]

Just took a bunch more photos of the diorama - additions are the vehicles that Pat Gallagher did for me, an additional K&C tank, some civilian vehicles, etc .

Too many to post here, so here is the link to the album


https://lang.smugmug.com/Lions-Gate-Jerusalem-Diorama/

A teaser....

 

[wayne556517]

Mate superb pics,diorama and it must be awesome to see it in real life love a good repaint and you have a few cheers for sharing mate.

 

[zblang]

More reprints to come! Stay tuned

 

[EPGallagher]

Zachs other dioramas

When you are on Zachs Smugmug photo site, I encourage you to see his USS BUnker Hill which I originally showed on this forum several months ago as the USS Enterprise. Zach wound up buying it, and working together, we turned it in to a 12' long museum quality diorama that is the center piece of his collection, and where his superb photography skills take it to another level. the direct link is https://lang.smugmug.com/USS-Bunker-Hill-Diorama/
Pat

 

[zblang]

New additions to the Lion's Gate!
These are the K&C Vietnam figures converted for use with the IDF (conversion done by Pat Gallagher). I think they look great - rivet counters beware!!!!

"Hey, Avram, stop looking at Gal and let's go capture some Syrians"!

 

[Mike97]

Wow, just wow, incredible dio and love the sets you had revised as well. I've been interested in the IDF line, but done nothing about it-may have to change that....again, wow...:salute::

 

[HAWKEYE]

i second that WOW Zach, just a fabulous job, thanks