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John Richards
17 articles

Shermans of the Battle of Ardennes

August 18, 2015 · in Armor · · 15 · 2K

makes some wonderful Shermans. There are a number of kits that are from Ardennes. I appreciate them making these all from the same battle so that they could be made into a diorama if one chooses to do one. The Tamiya kits almost always come with a commander figure and in most cases at least a driver as well. These came with infantry men too. I love these m4s and they were a pleasure to build and paint. I began learning to weather Armor which is quite different than planes and much more involved. I used Model Master Enamel paint by hand, Vallejo washes, and Mig pigments to get thye muddy look.

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8  Awesome

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15 responses

  1. I've built one of these Shermans, and, as you say, they are lovely kits to build, and with those figures, really need to be set in a diorama.

  2. I agree with George...a diorama would really set these off nicely (and by doing so, could hide those flat bases on the figures). 🙂

  3. Great Shermans, awesome painting but please tell us you're thinking of some diorama for them, they really deserve it 🙂

  4. 🙂 ... Greetings ... 🙂 :
    Nice work on those Sherman's, I ask with all due respects ... we will see them on a diorama ... right?

  5. I can picture the scene: Shermans ploughing through the snow at the height of the Battle of the Bulge. Great job. Well done!

  6. i had thought to make a dio of three of these Shermans in a column traveling, using also these infantry men to make it look like the column was under attack by Germans unseen. I will have to do some searching online for photos of these tanks at the battle of the Bulge to see if they had the whitewash camo on them. I may have to weather them appropriately for that dio scene.

  7. It will probably take me a very long time, because I have many other models going at present, but I will be doing research and finding out how to do the snow effects. I am a total newbie to Diorama, and have not the slightest knowledge about making the base. The models and people I can do, but trees, grass, snow, and muddy terrain, I have no clue about. I will get some books and learn.

    • Great! Even something simple like a piece of grass or mud will make your models stand out - sort of simple base, not necessarily big diorama with trees or buildings. They look great without it, but some terrain would give them life.

  8. Nice builds John, and I can sympathize with the diorama weakness. In my working past I barely had time to build the models, let alone back ground.
    I saw a model railroad winter set once that used flour, stabilized with a spray of diluted white glue, for the snow. It was effective. Books my son, BOOKS.

  9. cool scene all ready

  10. John, look in the model railroad section of your local hobby location. Woodland Scenics has snow, and various grass stuff, trees and bushes. There is grass mats, and rolls of that in various hues. There is a German outfit called Noch whose stuff is amazing. Also, if you're near a model; railroad club or IPMS chapter, go and ask questions. At mine, one of ours gives demos on how to make water out of artists medium, and groundwork.

    I her5 spices (the cooking stuff in small cans) makes good leaves/ground clutter. Hereabouts, Michaels and A. C. Moore crafts are also places to browse. Something might just catch your attention, jewelry chains, beading stuff. Wood bases, doweling, shapes, bristol board/poster board all have their uses, limited only by your imagination.

    Have fun! If your wife is a craft person, you can actually go together!

    • Lots of great ideas, Thank You 🙂 I do know a Michael's nearby. I would probably have to go into Philly for a club or IPMS. I will have to do search online. I found two products made by Tamiya for snow and for powder, but my favorite online shop is out.

  11. Save them all for an outdoor diorama in the garden! I don't ever have time or space to do a diorama neither! Cool models.

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