Some of my collection.

[phil57]

Greetings.  I have been making mainly WW2 armor kits for just over two years now after a very long hiatus from the hobby.  I thought you might be interested in some of the projects I have been doing since rekindling my interest in this hobby.  All are 1/35 scale and every vehicle I make, I always place upon a small vignette/diorama.  It's just what I like to do.  I don't spend big money on this hobby and rarely purchase an aftermarket kit to add onto the original kit.  I am a real make do kind of guy and by that I mean I am always looking for interesting bits and pieces I can use on a vignette. You don't know how many weeds I have pulled out in a paddock to see if the roots could be of use as a bush. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.  I do however, like the small stick on tufts of grass you can now purchase, but even here I have started making my own using bulk bags of colored fibres.  
Anyway, I have rambled on enough.  Here are a few of my earlier makes.  Hope you like them.

[406 Silverado]

I really like what you've done with all of these builds and mini-dios but man.....that frickin' Tiger takes the frickin' CAKE for me. What an awesome looking beast and a very well built replication of it.

[Leon]

Those are some great looking mini dios!

[Tojo72]

Top notch stuff for sure

[ogrejohn]

Excellent work all around but the Tiger and Stug really stand out!

[Steve Zuleski]

Excellent builds, Phil.

[keavdog]

Great stuff. Love all the variations of bases/groundwork.

[stikpusher]

That is a great collection of builds Phil! Each base works perfectly with the vehicle to show the locales they operated in as you have built them. Those are some mighty fine examples of AFV modeling.

[phil57]

Thank you one and all for the feedback. The Russian JS3 was a christmas present from my son. It really doesn't fit in with what I like to make as they never fought during the 39-45 conflict, but I couldn't disappoint him.
Of them all I like how the Tiger came out. This is one of the older Tamiya kits and it was cheap to buy. It was also my first attempt at a winter whitewash. Thanks again for the feedback. Comments like that just inspire a bloke to keep going.

[deafpanzer]

This is so SICK!!! They all look AWESOME! I really like the Pz 38(t) and Pz II. I'd love for you to post a step by step build here with your current or next build...



Thank you for sharing with us!

[phil57]

Here 406Silverado are a few more images of the Tiger prior to placing it on the snow base. As I said, it is a straight out of the box build on an early Tamiya kit.

[phil57]

Sept 20, 2023 16:47:51 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

This is so SICK!!! They all look AWESOME! I really like the Pz 38(t) and Pz II. I'd love for you to post a step by step build here with your current or next build...



Thank you for sharing with us!

Thanks deafpanzer.  Both of the vehicles mentioned were my first and second builds (38t was the first) when I decided to start making models again.  I think I have already mentioned but in the past I only ever did German vehicles and I understand a lot of guys are into that.  The market is so heavy towards German vehicles from the WW2 era.  This time I wanted to try making tanks from across the entire WW2 spectrum, but it is hard to break away from the past.  Especially when my small book collection is heavily favoured towards German memoirs and the like.
I will take your comments on board.  I am going to soon start a Russian KV1 build and I will attempt to show it at various stages although I don't know if anybody is really all that interested in seeing a few bogies glued into place, etc, etc.  How about, I just show the finished model prior to painting then after painting, then weathered etc.  How would that go?

[buddho]

These dioramas are fantabulous...my fave is the Tiger as well. Beautiful job on each!

[kyledehart5]

Man, all of your vignettes are so nice. Fantastic builds. I, too, love the Tiger. Thanks for sharing your builds.

[Tobi]

I like that you take the effort to put every single one of them on a base, something I rarely do because of lack of time.

[TJ]

Wow. Only back for two years huh. You have talent. All of them are spectacular

[phil57]

Sept 21, 2023 0:41:25 GMT -5 Tobi said:

I like that you take the effort to put every single one of them on a base, something I rarely do because of lack of time.

Ever since I first made an old Matchbox 1/72 scale tank which in those days came with a small plastic landscape base, I have always built a base along side each kit that I make.  Nothing fancy, just a small piece of dirt to display the vehicle.  I guess it is a personal thing really.  I understand the time that you mentioned but I am never in a hurry.  If I only complete three kits a year then so be it and I am one of the rare types who does not have a stash of models hidden in a cupboard.  I don't look for another kit until I have completed the one I am currently working on. I guess for me, the bottom line is that I enjoy trying to replicate a tiny piece of landscape just as much as I enjoy painting a finished model.

[Whiterook]

Fantastic builds, and hard to pick a favorite, but yes, as mentioned, the Tiger stands out! …it helps to have a kit that didn’t cost too much to feel a little freer to experiment and push the envelope…gorgeous work build and paint-wise. I like the black background, by the way…I’ve not seen anyone do that and it really Karen’s the models pop.

[phil57]

Oct 14, 2023 10:03:48 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

Fantastic builds, and hard to pick a favorite, but yes, as mentioned, the Tiger stands out! …it helps to have a kit that didn’t cost too much to feel a little freer to experiment and push the envelope…gorgeous work build and paint-wise. I like the black background, by the way…I’ve not seen anyone do that and it really Karen’s the models pop.

Thanks for the comments Whiterook.  As for the black background, I used to do a bit of landscape photography so I sort of know my way around Lightroom photo processing.  That is how I did it.

[406 Silverado]

Sept 20, 2023 16:50:26 GMT -5 phil57 said:

Here 406Silverado are a few more images of the Tiger prior to placing it on the snow base. As I said, it is a straight out of the box build on an early Tamiya kit.

WOW!!!!