Greg Cihlar’s Fabulous Military Dioramas PUT TE) ATH Fy Mustrated with over 100 full color Photographs. FaGreg Cihlar’s Fabulous Military Dioramas A Diorama Special Verlinden PublicationsCihlar was born in La Grange, Illinois in 1965 nd currently lives in Downers Grove, Illinois with his wife (and best friend) Sue. His interest in build ing models started when he was 6 years old. He started building small dinosaur models. then after a few years began to build the old Monogram and Tamiya kits. He won a few model contests, but then lost interest for quite a few years. In the early 90's he stopped in a local hobby shop and noticed a copy of a magazine called The Verlinden Way Volume I, He was very impressed with The dioramas of Francois Verlinden, his subject matter, composition, and ticularly his painting and weathering techniques. This Inspired him to start building models again. Along with Francois Verlinden, Greg soon discovered, and has been influenced by, the works of Bob Letterman, Lewis Prune Andreas NoBmann, Young Jin Won, Yoshitaka Hirano, and particularly the weathering techniques of Chris Mrosko, As a side note, I strongly believe that a model or dior that is well conceived, with good composition, painting, and weathering, is far more attractive than a model or diorama which must have every nut and bolt historically accurate, also known as AMS (Advanced Modelers Syndrome). COPYRIGHT © 2001 By Verlinden Productions, Inc. BIL Lone Star Drive (Fallon, MO.63366 Usa ISBN ; 1-930607-49.0 All rights reserved [No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form, sired in etal st o ante nay fr ard by any means, be It electronic, mechanical, ph ina oF otherutse, without the written consent of the publisher Verlinden Publications / Verlinden Productions, Inc. Published and distributed by Vorindon Productions, Inc. 211 Lone Stor Drive Lone Stor Insti! Park (Fallon, MO 63366 USA Project Manager & Chie Editor Frangols VERLINDEN Photography Frans VERLINDEN unless otherwise indicated Editorial Staff Frangols VERLINDEN CCharle PRITCHETT Pat COONEY Printed in the USA,CAPTURED GOODS yeg wanted to build Tamiya’s M8 “Greyhound” using all of the VP update sets for it, so he needed a scene that would show off all of those details in a natural configuration. Since a combat scene would require that the vehicle be closed-up for ‘action, it was decided to depict an abandoned vehicle. For scale perspective, as well as augmenting the theme of an aban doned vehicle, three German figures were added to better display this plece. The base is a 9" x 9” piece of 5/8" plywood built-up with styrofoam and Cell-U-Clay. Small dried roots, rocks, and fine sand were applied to a coat of diluted white glue. After dry, the base was base-coated with brown-black and highlighted with light brown and tan, followed by dry brushing with Model Master armor sand. The M¥ was built according to the Tamiya instructions and all five VP update sets. The assembled kit was broken down into wo parts because the interior needed to be accessible for detailing and painting. The interior was base-coated with an off-white, then washed with raw umber and black oils. Dry-brushing was also done in oils. After the upper bull was glued down and the hatches masked, the entire vehicle was airbrushed with a mixture of Polly Scale olive drab and flat black. A cloud pattern was applied with the same color lightened with white in successive layers. Raw umber and black oils were used for a wash, followed by dry brushing with Model Master faded olive drab and white oils. The soldier standing on top of the MB is a VP figure with Warriors head and arm transplants, while the other two are stock VP with minor alterations in poses, The basic base of plywood built-up with styrofoam blocks. The styrofoam is screwed into the base, especially around the ceages, 10 solidly anchor the base togeter aud prevent future warping and breaking, Various unpainted figures and the unfinished M8 were placed onto the base in various positions until a satisfactory configu ration was found, The interior was extensively detailed and painted before closing-up the hull When using aftermarket update sets like the VP ones used here, it Is always Important to test-ft the various parts and subassemblies carefully before per manently installing them. The slope and angle of the M8 allow the Viewer to catch a glimpse of the highly detailed interior. Note how the figures interact with each other as well as the vehicle. 4‘The vehicle stowage, as well as the clearly give the impression of ah bined with the top«snsive modeling skills. Note how the slope of the ground, the angle of the MB, and ily the whole piece and bring the viewers focus to the center inite into a vague pyramid, which is important when composing a ‘onto the central component in a very eye-pleasing mannerUNDER THE BRIDGEframe made from pl n sprayed with brown, Next was drybr nd the ‘ment on ei It looks like a Tig another officer over sprayed fashes and dryb e detail. Note thiAn allied bomb has damaged the bridge and made it inoperable. The rail bed supports came from a railroad hobby shop. The ivy creeping up the embank ment is from Hudson and Allen. The Konigstiger (Panzerkampfwagen. VI Ausf B) was an open country tank. City fy would severely Inainper th advantages of its 88mm main gun and its mobility. On the other hand, the ruined bridge and abutment provide some cover and concealment tothe crew as they work on the engine. Perhaps each of the officers is partly right The first Tiger Ils were issued in June 1944 to combat units. All were issued to the schwere Panzer battalions of the army and the SS on both the Western dal Basterss fronts, [ts ball was silat the Panther series, with well-sloped frontal armor and a torsion bar suspen. sion. It was powered by a Maybach ine. developing a top speed of 35 kph. ive turret from Porche housed 7 88mm KwKASL/71 gun, The , which proved to 439 vehicles produced dana! felded elirninated ce shot trap witht a flat front turret developed by Henschel. One of the tankers and the Kubel ver share a word. The Kubelwagen has that look of being a home away from ho ‘The Tamiya Kubelwagen is packed with gear from various VP accessory sets and the VP Kubelwagen update set. Note the tex ture of the zimmerit added to the front slope of the Tiger ILThe Base I custom make the bases from 5/8 inch plywood. After getting the scene laid out to my satisfaction, I figure out the size of the base with a framing square. I always find it works better if you build the base to fit the diorama, rather that build the diorama to fit the base. It is further built up with styrofoam. The Models The King Tiger was built straight from the box, with the addi tion of the VP engine compartment and a zimmerit set from Cavalier. The Kubelwagen got the VP update set added, as well all VP except one from Warriors, and one from ed : Tamiya: King Tiger (Porche Turret) Kubelwagen Type 82 (0880, 1077, 1069, d with of e parts are on the ground am ‘casings. The rust on the exhaust pi wade using white ‘glue and baking soda. When dry, I gave it a wash with Raw Umber plus black and touched it up with pastels.WARSAW UPRISING reg wanted to use a Sturmtiger cene s knocked-out for captured. Since he learned '. 3g. he decided to ‘depict it in this diorama, The base is littered with plenty of debris and equipment, imparting a sense of desperate street-fighting without distracting, the viewer from the focal point of the Sturmtiger, 12Starting with a 10 1/2 " x 10 1/2" piece of 5/8” plywood, the base was formed by cutting two VP resin cobblestone sections, to size so that they fit into the right angle of the base and the VP ruin, Rubble was added using VP red bricks, gray kitty lit ter, Cell-U-Clay, small fragments of and crates. After everything was set in piace, every coated with fine sand secured with a wash of thinned white glue. The buildi fed with Testors rust, and the cob: 's with a gray green mixture. The entire base was ith raw umber and black olls, then dry-brushed with les of the base colors. e Sturmtiger was built according to the Tamiya instructions, ie addition of an Aber photo-etched detail set and a Cavalier zimmerit set. It was painted in a three-tone camou flage scheme using Polly Scale paints, and washed and weath ered with oils, All of the figures are VP, converted to positions imparting a sense of tense street-fight ed and squatting behind cover) while the machine gunner fires on a po ‘The machine gu sense of contin ‘ama, The crouching figures 1 enhance this effect. The imposing bulk of the Sturmtiger looks alm h it’s thick armor plates and massive mortar bart contrast between the heavy armor and the flimsy sheet-metal fenders is striking,‘The crouching Germans add an important tenseness to the ‘overall atmosphere of th You can almost hear the bul lets whizzing by... Effective use of figures can bring life to a diorama such as this. These figures are interacting with each other, the vehi: cle, and the “off-stage” enemy. Note how well the backdrop blends into the Adding zimmerit, bent and soiled fenders, and extra stowage to the Sturmtiger really helps to pull it into the action of this scene. It also helps to break-up the hard lines of this vehicle‘This menacing view clearly illustrates the formidable stre of the nazis in the face of any opposi tion. The bulk of the Sturmtiger next to the ‘ous elements, forming a cer apex over the vehicl The angle of the vehicle and building, as well as the direction of the attention of the figures, breaks-up the squareness of the base. Note how the empty corne hhas been filled with debris and equipment which enhance the overall configurationWACHT AN RHEINThe base began as a plece of 5/8" plywood cut to 23"x 23”. built up with styrofoam and covered with Cell-u-clay. While still wet assorted roots, moss, and small racks were embeded into the groundwork until a balance of dense growth and open area was reached nd with fine sand and set aside to dry. After a few days, the entire base was airbrushed with a dark Brown’Black mixture of heavily thinned Polly scale water based paint, followed by a misting of a TawBrown mixture. Next the river bed was airbrushed with a mixture of Dark Green and Dark Brown Polly-s ter based paints. Alter a light dry brushing, 3 thin coats of Enviro-Tex 2-part epoxy were poured, around to simulate muddy water Ground-level shots such as this, especially with an appropriate background, impart a dramatic sense of scale, particularly with large scale dioramas such as this. A suitable background c is looking at the real thing! This is whe and painting and weathering skills can n 0 thinking he e successful groundwork. ly pay off.The Tamiya 1:15 to build, bu scale King Tiger is basically a straightforward kit it lacks some detail in the tow cables, gun barrel cleaning rods, and clamps. Since the majority of King Tigers ‘mounted with a Porsche turret had zimmerit applied, | simulated this with Milliput. This was achieved one section at a time. First the surface was prepped by roughing it up with a Dremel tool. The Milliput was rolled thin using a small piece of pipe and talcum powder (to keep it from sticking). It was then pressed onto the model, keeping it wet with a litte water to help it adhere After a section was covered evenly, I used a small flathead screw driver to create my zimmerit pattern, often brushing the area with water to keep the tool from sticking. [used styrene stock and .005, brass sheet to make the clamps that hold the cleaning rods and tow cables, The cleaning rods were made from small diameter al minum tubing, and the tow cables were made from 10 gauge stranded electrical wire, The wing nuts on the clamps came from ‘my VP spare parts box. The brackets where the side armor is bolt ted to the hull are styrene stock set into the still wet Milliput. The fire extinguisher mounting bracket was made from brass sheet lead foll, and VP buckles. After everything was built, I primed the entire model with Crylon Red-brown auto body primer, giving an even coat of what was probably very clase to the real primer. After drying overnight, I airbrushed the base color of of Polly-scale Pullman Green over the primer. I used a mixture of Red Brown and then Medium Sand to airbrush the typical striped camouflage fver the base color Tt was then washed with Raw Umber and Black oils thinned with paint thinner. After the wash was dry. I dry brushed with slightly lighter shades of the camou lors. After dry brushing added a very slight bare metal affect using Silver printer's ink mixed with a litle Raw Umber oil paint. The whole thing was topped off with a treatment of powdered pastels ountered in the Ardennes offensive by fan abundance of rough follage, of which this mod 18 overall view of the diorama illustrates the great care Greg puts into 1 combatants have be is well known for balance and compos captured be: 1 of his work. The rough con: utifully by the use of uneven terrain andI of the figures were converted in » basic VP and Warrior with the two on the ground, the igure holding the converted the upper and arms from VP#1091, and’ the head rom VP#OA6S. The ith the MG42 atch-built lower half with shoes om the spare parts box, the upper half head from: using the arms from VP#0772 id from VP. The tank commander ted from VP#1051, using the arms from the pox and a head from \VP#0556, ‘The figure holding on to. the front of the turret another figure in the built right arm, and legs from These photographs reveal the excellent paint executed on this model. Not only do we merit, stains, and caked-on dried mud, but also carefully placed ‘gear and equipment, all of which enhance the bulk of this mas: Greg always pays close attention to thy ilwork of his preparation, foliage. but also the smashed foliage ground into them.and se Ach-building p Note the variety of camoutl sd by the various figures, as well as the diffe ried by them. Greg excels at displaying ls such as these These views illustrate perfectly Greg's skill of customizing his fig tures to fit the needs of his dioramas. Each figure is converted to fit the model, as well as to interact with each other and their sur- roundings. Note the weathering on the lower legs, which testify to the messy terrain that these warriors have been fightiKITS USED: 36201 Gi if Tiger Porsche Turret ierlinden Productions Infantry Equipment antry Equipment Set sm Tank Hunter We Ardennes 1944 WWII Night Fighter 21STREET FIGHTERSThe basis for the compact base was a 6° x 6° trophy base from S & T Productions and an old part of VP#108 Ruined Mansion xtracted from the spares box. To prevent finished ground work from coming loose from the nice varnished base in the future reg devised an effective anchor by stapling down a piece of fibre glass mesh (for taping drywall) followed by a coating ofa layer of plaster. This provides the ground-work with something to grab onto, which prevents the edges from curling-up of flaking off later After the plaster ried, the rin was glued in plare anda section, of cobblestone street was scribed into the plaster. Finally, rubble nd assorted weapons and equipment were mixed in to add more Interest to the groundwork. The vehicle is Dragon's Sdkfz 250/1 ‘neu’ built straight from the box, with the exception of the Jaguar resin interior. The entire ‘ehicle was base coated with Armor Sand and camouflaged with Red-Brown, followed by the usual “weathering” treatment of wash, dry-brush, and pastel dust. The figures are all from VP. including #1496 Tank Busters, #1504 Stenot Fighters, and #1349 wounded German WWI Gre rction poses because of the drama they bring to small dioramas nd vignettes. Although the figures were selected from VP, they cre al slightly converted to suit Greg's specific requirements. ‘The interior of the half-track is complete with extra gear and a dead German, Note how the rubble has spilled over into the top of the vehicle, littering the horizontal surfaces very realistically. The advantage of having a small display such as this is that it can be effectively viewed from every angle. Note how the rubble and debris have been strewn onto the vehicle itself, helping to blend the vehic Scene without setting it apart 23Even though the view of th isle, held by the placement of an MG 34 and 10 boxes in the corner of the ruined ing. Note how the careful placement of sandbags automatically suggests that this had once been an effective cover for a machine-gunner 24 This view shows the effectiveness of the small base, combined with the action of the figures being directed “OM Stage”, suggesting continuity without drawing the viewers eye from reg’s years of experience show in the 3s his various mod cling skills, from fig ‘ouflage and “weathering”, to comp and balance. Note how the half-track is leaning slightly to the side, suggest ‘curb beneath the rubble, and dra attention (o the vehicle's interior:DEFENDING THE RUHR E‘The base was formed by starting with an 11” x 12” piece of 5/8” plywood, covered with a thin layer of plaster. After the plaster dried for approximately one hour, Greg scribed 1” x 1” squares to simulate the concrete floor of the factory. The ruined factory corner was made from assorted plastic sheets, rods, and I-beams fished out of the spares box. Both the concrete and ruin were sprayed with a dark gray. green mix of Polly-Scale water-based paints, then over-sprayed with lighter coats (o force a sense of depth. Everything was ‘washed with Raw-Umber and Black oils. Also used were VP#0569 German Tool & Ammo Boxes, # 0916 German Communications & medical Equipment, and #1108 Super Value Fuel Drum Set. Rubble was added using Celluclay, small rocks, and fine sand. After dry, the rubble was washed in the same manner. Finally, everything was given a treatment of pastel chalks, ‘The Tamiya kit of the late version Jagdpanther was used as the basis for the vehicle, which was enhanced by the use of VP#1266 Panther U Detail Set and engine deck screens from Aber. The entire vehicle was painted overall wiih Dark Greet, then canmouflaged with paints mixed to specific shades of Brown and Sand, After drying, this was washed with oils and given the pastel treatment Overall balance has been achieved by the careful placement of each e vehicle. to the figures. to the accessories. The positioning of ‘where itis, and nothing looks out of place. Note how non 26 factory corner, to the n. Everything belongsThe German DKW nz350 military motorcycle by Tamiya was built aight out-of the-box, the only exception being the addition of brake lines. It was airbrushed with Dark Green, then washed with, oils and dry-brushed with Medium and Light Gray All of the Figures are fr with Jerry Cans, #1380 Officers. With the addition of an ada limb from Kirin o cach figure was slightly converted to suit Greg’ spe ments for this diorama P, including #1122 German Tankers jerman Infantry & Tank Officer, #1402 ‘The ruined factory comer, combined with the aim of the d ced 88mm Pak 43 L/71 main gun on the Jagdpanther , su sense of continuity. Note how there is just enough of a roof on the building, without it actually blocking any view of the scene ig place in the interior. The crew of the Jadgpanther are interacting with the motorcy clist om the factory floor, which helps to tie the vehicles more deeply into the scene. It is important to get everyone in the yment, as well as with each other, ity and purpose. wolved wi to convey a sense ‘The interaction of the figures with their immediate environment is critical in creating a believable scenario. Everyone looks like hhe belongs in the scene. The officer in the foreground, combined, with the attentive yet relaxed expressions of all of the figures, suggests that this area is well under the control of the nazis, (despite the fact that they are operating f of t Industrial center). The makeshift communications office in the corner of the diora ma helps to fill in an empty space as well as to add an addition al point of interest. Note how this feature captures attention Without distracting from the overall scone. It looks like it belongs there.DEATH FROM BELOW (BERLIN 1945)so it wasn't like looking in th different angles, ided on a partially in and give a better look into the sewer. Ik been wanting to do a Berlin sewer diorama for some time now, but wasn't sure of how to put enough interest into the 1a even looks spectacular with the sewer level +0} ly of a suitable 292"x 9 1/2" piece of plywood with 3 sections ngths upon which a 9 1/2"x 9 1/2” piece fof masonite was mounted. After I glued and screwed every. thing together, I downsized and converted the VP City House Ruin and the VP Cobblestone section to fit around the burnt out T-34/85 that would ultimately form the centerpiece of the diorama and provide the balance needed. After everything was in place, I added the rubble and debris using a mi ll-u-clay, small rocks (kitty litter), VP red bricks, asso plastic “I” beams, small pipes and rods, then covered every: thing with fine sand. 1. I base-coated the street section with a Brown/Gray mix of Polly-scale water based paint. Next, | used Polly-scale Concrete to base-coat the ruin along with Testors Rust for the brickwork. After this was dry, everything was washed with a mix of paint thinner, Raw Umber and Lamp Black oils, the ruin, heavier on the rubble. After that dried, I ly misted a coat of thinned Polly-scale Concrete over the street rubble and lower portion of the ruin, then dry-brushed with Moilel Master Armor Sand. Next, [ used the cardboard backing of a note pad to form the sewer wall. 1 ‘fully bent it into position, cut it to the proper angle, and glued it with 5 minute epoxy. Since I couldn't find a plastic sheet of brick that looked re tic enough, I made a brick mould and made my own br using self hardening clay, gluing every individual brick into place. I then sifted fine sand into the mortar joints and brushed everything with diluted white glue. To make the cor ner, used a piece of plastic which I heated up to make the curve of the sewer wall. Bricks were then glued to the sides and The placement of the German figures on covered with fine sand. I airbrushed the bricks with Polly-scale burned-out T 34/85 portrays the desperate confusi Earth Red, then washed and dry-brushed them using oils. | enced by the Wehrmacht during the final weeks of WWII as then added some pipes and concrete sections for more inter- the Allies closed in on the heart of the Third Reich. est, then poured the sewer water using Enviro-Tex Light and a couple drops of Brown paint. The sewer was given a more uti lized look by adding miscellaneous boxes and crates. ‘The Russian figures in the sewer form a separate vignette, but they also tie in smoothly with the action upstairs. Below the tense activity above, their positions down in the sewer alongside the rat-infested hody of their fallen foe impart a palpable sense of bravery and determination. 30I built the Tamiya T-34/885 straight from the box, then added the VP Update Set along with the Warriors Damaged T-34 Road Wheels and Aber's Anti-Panzerfaust Shields. I used Polly-scale Dark Green as a base coat, then gradually lightened it with Off white, highlighting the centers of the panels, avoiding any edges. I then washed and dry-brushed usi usual meth ‘ods. Next, since this is a knocked-out tank, I wanted to apply a rusty finish on the rear of the vehicle to simulate the rusted Steel evident after the fire burned away the paint Tused a systeny called Modern Options Instant Rust. This is a 2-part process beginning with a coat of iron surfacer applied with an old brush in a random pattern (I used 2 coats). After it dried in about 30 minutes or so, | applied the rust solution (about 5 coats- the more coats the deeper the rust). All figures are from VP and Warriors, some more converted than others. The figures on the street level are all VP except for the dead German with the missing arm, which is from Warriors. The figures in the sewer are Warriors Assault Troops Berlin 1945, and an old VP Soviet Officer with a Hornet head. The dead German being eaten by rats was converted using the upper half from the VP German Casualty of War WWII with a new VP head and a leg from the spare parts box. | used Milliput to make the gray coat. The 13 rats were made from Milliput in the sewer, such as pipes and 8, adds a great deal of interest to an otherwise dull and dreary perfect balance has been achieved in the e structures, figures, and the focal point of the vehicle. Note the angles of the ruin and the street, the slope of the burned out T 34/89, and the cutaway curvature of the sewer. KITS USED: Tamiya T-34/8 Verlinden Productions 0096 Church Ruin 0514 Soviet Motor Rifles Officer 0569 German Tool & Ammo Boxes WWIL 0610 German Casualty WWII (0968 1-34/85 Update & Detail Set 1145 Cobblestone Street 1385 City House Corner 1452 Tank Riders II 1563 Running for Safety WWII Germans Warriors 35184 T-34 Damaged Road Wheels Russian Assault Troops Berlin 35204 Russian Tanker/Dead German 31Again, as always with Grog, much attention was paid to the distribution of rubble and debris. Although it is everywhere, as it should be, 's accumulation. Note the rubble strewn over the T 34/85 from the building in which it has toppled. 32HOLLAND 1944 he SdKfz 251/21. “drilling” half-track used a w 1 originally designed as a naval gun. Out of the necessity for ti-aircraft platforms, three 15mm or 20m nounted on a rotating carriage and mostly installed in SdKEz 251 USED. In thls Diorana, hey also prove el st ground targets. Here, a GI, after narrowly surviving at encounter with one, is being pulled out of the water: This multi-level diorama once again illustrates Greg's attention to overall balance. One of the basic rules of sition is to avoid running major elements (streets, buildings, vehicles, etc.) parallel to the edges of the base. The off-set angles greatly enhance the sense of continuity, as well as help the eye of the viewer to flow naturally through the scene.‘The G.l. was carefully converted to hold the rope and exhaust pipe in his hands while floating in the water. The rope literally ties him to the action on the street level. The “submerged” jeep was simply cut in half and sanded down to the correct angle before detailing, painting and weathering it. I started with a piece of 10°x 10° 9/8" plywood, built up with styrofoam, I then added an old VP Cobblestone Street Section, VP City House Front, a VP River Embankment, and an old VP Bridge Ruin to create a small canal scene, Bricks were painted with Testors Rust. Concrete sections of the city house front. along with cobblestones and bridge sections, were airbrushed with a brown/gray mixture, Debris and rubble was added, washed and dry brushed as usual. Balsa wood was used to build interior sections of the ruined house The vehicle started out as the basic Tamiya SdKfz 251/D half track, with the addition of Modelkasten tracks and the Aires SdKtz 251/21 “drilling” conversion set. Atter everything was assembled, a base coat of Tamiya Dark Yellow was airbrushed ‘on, followed by the camouflage color of Testors Model Earth Red using a Tamiya super fine airbrush. It was and dry-brushed using artists ol topped off with a treat ment of powdered pastels Photographed from the “opposite bank” of the canal, an attractive backdrop enhances the realism of the diorama even further,the rear doors of the half-track helps to impart the impression that the two Germans on the ground have dis- nted from the stopped vehicle. 35The Jeep is a good example of why you should never throw away old and sanded it to the right letail, along with extra gear, ba nd weathered it 15282, 35208, 35132 Each figure the the rear of the positioned to take his zis fit perfectly into 36ine won scaly ORE a AST ener Seren SUS TM IN PLONE OL 1AM (ODN) Nic mone ROR Eimer re Ps O'Fallon, MO 63366, USA NEE cnt)