Well here we are, finally finished after all this time. As you will have read, I started this five years ago and it was with guilt that led me to get it started somewhat reluctantly when Azazel threw down the January challenge. I couldn’t let this opportunity go by, so thanks mate for the spur on! Before I go on, there are a few thanks in order:
Azazel for arranging his challenge, The Imperfect Modeller (old IMP) for all his various modelling tips, Justneedsvarnish for his scratch built scenery, and one important lad who has helped greatly with this project, The Imperialrebelork (the young IMP) with his gap filling idea, his armour painting tips and introducing me to Nuln oil (it’s so good and if I had known about it years ago it would have saved me a lot of grief!). Lastly, but very importantly, I can’t forget to mention those of you who have chosen to follow me on my blog, it certainly helps and thanks .
620x610x70 and 4kg
As I mentioned in the previous post this one was supposed to sit beside the village, on it’s right side, but with a geographical design fault it doesn’t look right, so there will be a slot-in-diorama between the village and the castle. There’s another addition also to the castle’s left. It will be about the same size and it will be called The Bathers for want of a name, which will be finished in a week or two.
I have described the castle and the moat in the last blog so I won’t bore you with that again, so to the figures. They are a combination of metal and plastic with the ducks being resin. The metal figures are Valdemar and a very fine set they produce, can’t praise them enough! (I’ll just say now, if you are interested in these figures you should check out Paul Bod’s work, it helped me greatly.) The others consist of some Strelets Norman army camp, Revell foot soldiers, Italeri Medieval challenge, Emhar Viking oarsmen, and Revell English 100years foot soldiers .
As earlier said, the time spent on this was mainly on the castle and moat. Since there were a smaller number of figures to work with, they took only an hour or two. The scenery; which I find the most satisfying and a lot of fun, (so much so that I have to restrain myself from overdoing it), was completed over a day or two. I sort advice about doing the flowers and was told to take the easy road and purchase them. That proved however too difficult so I checked out a YouTube video and made them myself (easy if you have a static grass gun and again, a bit of fun!). The ferns and ivy and other plants are from Green Line and are really good and worth the expense. I’m sorry to say the rushes are not worth the trouble, there are better ways. {I have since retracted this opinion, see Part Three}
Finally the ducks. I have tried to make them appear to be Mallards and that was good fun. Mounting them with the help of a bit of fishing line and Woodlands water effects was easier than I thought it would be. A warning, some of you would know from experience how brittle resin can be, so beware. (It’s the reason I left the ducks to the very end). There was a wing snap or two when painting them but with care they are easily glued.
Well I hope you like the finished job and I will try not to take too long with the next add-on. Here’s hoping I get it right!
Pat's 1:72 Military Diorama's 
theimperfectmodeller
Truely fantastic Pat! The castle looked great in your post before adding the figures but the there addition really brings the whole piece to life. I know from our exchange of comments that one or two things were giving you some trouble but you would never know that from looking at the completed diorama. The water looks very good so you clearly got there in the end and all the various scenic material looks so natural. As good as all that is it is the figures in any diorama I think that tell the story and the figures themselves, as well the painting of them I might add, look stunning. There are some terrific poses in there. The guy coming up through the hatch on the tower is a personal favourite just because it is so different. I also like the ducks, more because they add movement which helps to bring the piece to life. Really looking forward to the “additions” and hearing what you’re next project is going to be.
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patmcf
Thanks mate ,it’s the support I get from you lads that keeps one going when things go wrung and one thing I have learnt is if it’s bad ,don’t stand around pondering get straight into it and fix it ! .I’m glad you like the guy in the hatch they are Viking oarsmen from Emhar and you are able to bend them to different positions you will see them pop up in other dios I have done .I thought the ducks would be hard but in the end turned ok . I’m working feverously on the addition as I was just telling the young IMP ,Tech adviser is building a” Tiny Home ” and there is a shit load of dust in the shed at the moment and when she really get going AAAhhh ! .
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theimperfectmodeller
It’s a funny old thing but sometimes the things we think will be hard often turn out to be easy and visa versa. Such is life!
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lordcommandereloth
That is really amazing, well done! And the ducks look great!
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patmcf
Thanks mate, I have been wanting to use them ever since I saw them on the Fredericus _rex online shop a couple of years back ,so when I found I was doing a moat the opportunity arose ,I had thought to put them on the river on the Medieval village ,maybe I might when I get around to restoring it .
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John@justneedsvarnish
Actually, Pat, TIM has said everything I wanted to say almost word for word! The castle looked impressive before, but the figures really do bring it to life – every time I go through the pics I spot something different! And thanks for the mention, although my efforts at this sort of thing are, at best, pretty modest in comparison to yours!
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patmcf
Thanks mate I feel that I have achieved my goal when you say that about spotting different things each time ,that my friend if what makes big diorama interesting ,lots of detail just like when you walk around in real life . What I like is your ability to make the stuff that suitable to what you do ,able to stand up to a bit off handling my stuff would just break up ,well it does especially when sticking some other thing on ,AHH ! .
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Pete S/ SP
Wonderful- the little bits of detailling you’ve added really bring it to life and tell a story.
Cheers,
Pete.
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patmcf
Thanks Pete ,the real people who deserve a big hand are the sculptors who make it possible for me to obtain this level of detail . The products now available are so much better than years ago which makes it much easier and also a lot of fun ! .
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maenoferren22
That is amazing Pat. I am well impressed. If there was one bit that I really have to pick to be my favourite is the ducks 🦆. As others have said, the castle looked great, but the miniatures really do make it come alive.
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patmcf
Thanks matey I do love the ducks and they were fun to mount ,easier than I thought so you might see some more in the future and as for the figures normally I have a few that don’t get a gig but this time I only had two horse men and one guy .Oh I forgot the Valdemar cart that’s so good but was to wide for any of the roads ,silly me ! ,you will see it eventually .
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imperialrebelork
Absolutely fantastic man! I love every element of it. I’ve always loved castles and yours is exquisite!!!
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patmcf
Thanks mate appreciate that ! now exquisite ,that’s not really the word I would describe a castle to be but who am I to argue with the Imperial Rebel Ork ! .
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Azazel
Totally amazing work here, Pat. Your additions to what was already fantastic from last month have really made the whole thing into a much deeper piece. Huge kudos here!
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patmcf
Thanks mate ,being part of your show probably made me put a bit more effort into it , thanks for that, it really was a driving force whitch sometimes I need as I have been known to get side tracked
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Mark A. Morin
Words won’t be enough Pat. This is a beautiful work of art. Definitely worth looking at again and again. So many stories that you told with this. Love the Vikings, but I really love the motion of the ducks taking flight. Spectacular!
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patmcf
Thanks, Mark, It’s interesting that you use the word art, that’s how I look at my work it just won’t sit flat against a wall! But that’s what I’m trying to do, telling a tale and hopefully not becoming a boring scene after one viewing . Yeah got to love the ducks really well sculptured and easy to set up on a bit of clear fishing line and some water effects ! .
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