Wave Snake-Eye #2 is coming along well and so I am feeling the pressure (excitement!?!) to get working on some groundwork for them. I had actually started some groundwork for them before getting the kits and I still like the basic idea of the scene but it’s more of the same of the kind of groundwork I’ve been doing up until now and I think I have failed to plan it well enough to make it interesting. Yet another reminder to not get carried away by arbitrary deadlines like parties but to instead go back to making things I genuinely like. So instead of the basic concept I have been doing so far which is a kind of “snap shot in time of Maschinen Krieger Action” I will try to fit this project within the aesthetic of the “Vignette” which seems to mean a very compact and dense type of diorama setting using many fine art principles to increase the appeal of the piece. That’s my Understanding for Dummies right now, it will likely change again as I learn more.

As you can see, the mistake was more of the same. I was thinking my version of reality and I prefer to not have the suits bunched up. One was to be taking cover behind the ruins whist suit#2 was to be flying from the front corner of this in a classic Bounding OverWatch type manoeuvre.

Here’s one of the ideas I have for Luna based structures, that due to the cost and impracticalities of shipping large volumes of water to barren planets and moons for construction, FoamKrete™ was developed. A self expanding foam is sprayed over a re-fabricated framework that gives the structure both it’s shape and reinforcement at the same time. FoamKrete™ is light, durable, UV and Cosmic Ray resistant and most importantly, gas impermeable. It’s also quite easy to model in 1/20th scale! Foam pieces were cut to shape after a cardboard mock up was constructed. The holes and damage were created with a hot soldering iron - max ventilation required for that step, don’t breath the out-gasses at all (I did it out on my wind-whipped balcony). Next a thin paste of plaster, modelling paste and carpenters glue (Mokoyou Bond) was spread over the surfaces. Once dried, this was sprayed with Mr. Surfacer 500 from a can, airbrushed with Tamiya acrylics and I used the carboard mock-up pieces as a template for the splinter camo. The Red ID Band was hand-painted in with Vallejo Acrylics, no masking, just a nice freehand straight across. The ladder runs are 1mm brass rod, holes lightly punched with a pin-vice then gently pressed into place and held with more of the same carpenters glue.

The ground section was a base of “Kami Nendo” which is a Japanese air dry clay, will take pics of it next time. Comes in a few colors and is very reasonably priced for the volume. Next over that some Course Pumice Gel, tinted with acrylic black and brown. That step both killed this groundwork for time as it was raining very heavily at the time and the humidity was extreme for the 3 days before the event so it just wouldn’t dry. Hairdryer, drying room with the clothes wehn my wife wasn’t looking, nothing really worked but in hindsight, I am glad it didn’t because it gives me the wonderful opportunity to make something better!

Shelving this for the moment, I can now work on something new from the ground up. Well, moon up! The main elements I wanted to achieve are a small footprint, a strong vertical element, close integration of the suits and multiple levels. This is one idea I’ve come up, please excuse the crudity of the sketch although all elements are to scale so I’m one up on Doc Brown! The base is meant to look like a bunker of some sort with a firing, observation slit that is built into the side of a slop on the lunar surface. Suit#1 is up front on top of the bunker, suit two is flying off the rock wall behind and over his shoulder. I will sketch up another one in a side profile too, to get an idea of the measurements and position of the suits in relation to one another but due to the simplicity of the scene, it’s probably just off the first suit and to the rear.

If you happen to have ideas on how to improve it, change it, anything, this is would be the time please! I’m also looking for small details to add but am drawing somewhat of a mental blank besides “moon rocks”. No ammo crates, used panzerfaust or other such staples seem to fit this time, nor does graffiti nor loose newspapers on the ground. Mining equipment maybe? A pile of Orcs and Space Marine helmets!?!

Thanks for looking and any ideas appreciated.

Cheers,

Lin.K