Creighton's Run "They've got us surrounded again, the poor bastards."

Post by **Coen** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 12:40 pm

This is something that I've had on the docket for a few years now.
I've always had plans to build a diorama or vignette of the picture below...

It's a shot of what some say is the M4A3E8 of lieutenant colonel Creighton Abrams of the 37th Armor Regiment, 4th Armored Division.
Thunderbolt VII.

He was a hell of a fella and a hell of a CO, and someone I've been wanting to build more of for some time.
Here is a link to what wikipedia has on him.. though wikipedia is a terrible resource for research what they have on him seems to be accurate... for now.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creighton_Abrams

Many moons ago I built a few vehicles from Abrams units and I had planned to one day build a diorama for them, but I just never got around to it. Some of the vehicles have now been repurposed or long ago tossed in the bin.
With a couple of recent requests from a few fellas I've decided to start the dio for it.
The hope is to put together a how-to on trees, grass, and ground cover for dioramas and vignettes.
The limits of the scene in the photo make this a bit difficult, but I think that I can get the basics in.

These are the vehicles that I've taken off the shelf, cleaned up and gave a bit of a tune up to.

Firstly there's Creighton's tank itself. An Easy 8 from dragon that was specifically kitted to cover his tank.

Then the jumbo that sits in the forground in the photo...
A superb kit from Tasca. One of my favourite builds to date. I loved this kit.

There's a Jeep or halftrack (depending on who you talk to) in the background as well. I don't have the halftrack anymore and I don't really want to build another one, but I do have a willy's jeep and I also have a M4A3 from Dragon and an AFV Club hellcat from the 4 AD that I will use instead. I'll use these to fill the void that will appear behind Abram's E8.

I've already started building and filming, so I hope that I'll have some video to post soon.

Here is the first of the videos...

[youtube]YmPTnKcgnyg[/youtube]

Post by **OliveDrab** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 1:02 pm

WHOO HOO!!!

ready for this one!

**My youtube channel** · Post by **Darkblade88** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 1:21 pm

Looks this will be a sweet Dio Mike

Post by **privatepete** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 1:47 pm

Only a weekend build then

but it be a another masterpiece one to add to the collection no doubt I'am only envious

Post by **Coen** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 2:38 pm

It might be a bit more than a weekend... though not having to build the vehicles first saves a bit of time.

I've added a few figures to the scene to add a bit more life to it. It breaks from the scene in the photograph even further, but it would have been a little dull otherwise. A few members of the Airborne are always good to make life interesting

Then I did the cobblestones. Hand mande tools are the name of the game most of the time for this kind of thing.
Cutting the eraser off of a couple of pencils in this case. Now I have a cobblestone stamp.

A stylus is also good for doing some of the smaller, more difficult stones and textures. Careful not to pierce the foam.

Once the cobblestones were done (about 3 hours work in total) I moved on the adding the base for the grassy areas.
Celluclay with some black acrylic paint added in to kill the stark whiteness.
I used a bit of DAS to make the curbs and I textured those with a stiff brush so that they had a concrete look to them.

Now I have to wait a couple of days for that to dry then I'll probably add some sands for texture and a few small stones. Then think about the fence that will go along the back and priming the street and grass areas.

Here are the how-to videos that I filmed that are related to all of this. It shows the construction of the cobblestones and the application of the celluclay. And my general talking sh*t for an hour.

[youtube]_H6DAmrV2bs [/youtube]

[youtube]RrehMSllgD0 [/youtube]

Post by **privatepete** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 3:23 pm

Who's a clever old stick, very ingenious I like it, that's what it's all about

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 4:12 pm

This will be cool, great surfacing techniques there

It is interesting in the photos that the "Thunderbolt" artwork on the side is obscured/blurred/weathered yet from your build I can easily see where it would be on the real tank. Wonder what was going on there if they actually obscured it purposefully???

Post by **arkbuilder2012** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 5:34 pm

Awesome!!! Glued to this thread. Can't ever have too many Shermans in a diorama

Post by **OneSmallStep1966** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 5:35 pm

This will be another impressive BIG diorama. I hope you're well stocked with paint

Post by **Kevthemodeller** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 8:22 pm

Looking forward to seeing it finished

Post by **TheTroyster** » Wed Apr 06, 2016 9:59 pm

Just watch all three of your videos on this build. I like the idea of building dioramas for displaying more stand alone units. Although I never thought about the whole re-use of dioramas - great idea.

Post by **CrazyHistorian** » Thu Apr 07, 2016 10:01 am

This should be a huge one!

Another legendary build

Post by **Nige99** » Thu Apr 07, 2016 8:36 pm

Mike you are really spoling us with all the US armour!!

I'm loving this. What a tip for cobble stones

fantastic mate. I want some of that foam, it looks awesome to work with.

Post by **Coen** » Thu Apr 07, 2016 10:58 pm

Nige99 wrote:Mike you are really spoling us with all the US armour!! I'm loving this. What a tip for cobble stones fantastic mate. I want some of that foam, it looks awesome to work with.

I want your easy eight Nige

it's much better than mine.
You sure you wouldn't lend it out?
Next to yours, mine looks like hammered poo.

Post by **Coen** » Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:17 pm

I started work on the picket fence and the base painting of the diorama today.

The picket fence was a lot of work, but only because it was so long. It would have turned out better if I had a couple of small things as well.
Again, no patience prevails.
Instead of stopping what I was doing and waiting a couple of weeks until I went to my local craft shop and bought some proper sized wood bits, I said F$*K it and used what I had on hand... which was overscale and not the right shape.
Now my fence is more of a farmer's cow fence than a town park fence.

I feel shame.
Still, I'm not fussed really. The fence is practice anyway, so it doesn't need to be perfect.

Here's the construction of it...

The bits...

cut to the proper parts...

Then CA glued together....

A test fit to see if it will still go into the holes.

Repeat...

and so on and so on...

Then fill in the blanks...

Then a coat of flat italeri white paint...

Next I primed the base and started the base colours...

However... I didn't take any pictures of the base with just the base colours.
I did take pictures of it with the fence temporarily installed and the vehicles in place.

I did however film the entire process, so I guess that will have to do.

[youtube]g-arSD7_urQ[/youtube]

Next will be the washes for the street and the sidewalk and then the assorted dirt and debris.
After that I'll add the ground scatter and grass.
Then the trees.

Post by **Vleugelmoer** » Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:48 pm

Coen,

For a fence made of cocktailsticks and Tin Horton wood stirrers the result isn't half bad to be honest. I always raid my local *bucks for theirs for all sorts of modeling applications. The cocktailsticks look pretty spot-on the pickets do look a bit thick. I would let the PVA or whatever glue you used do its magic and let it cure for a bit. Come back when you feel calmish. Then take out a fine grade sanding block or sponge out of the tool drawer and nock te pickets down a size or two.

P.s. As an alternative to PVA on wood UHU makes a thin woodglue that is not water soluble it called UHU hard

p.p.s. Its Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on the Sherlock Holmes books.

Post by **Nige99** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 10:10 pm

Dog poo

no way Mike!!! Yours is stunning mate. Thanks so much for saying that mate but come on!! Your builds are breath taking.

Post by **InitialProduction1** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 11:59 am

WTF, I leave comments and there gone? Anyway awesome coen, really like the small details like the screw holes in the rear Idler that's on the superstructure, really nice collection of olive drab.

Post by **Coen** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 3:38 pm

Not a whole lot of work done, but a lot has changed.
A little wash can go a long way.

I added the washes to the cobblestones and to the earthen areas yesterday morning and took them off last night.
I didn't need to wait that long at all, only an hour or so, but I was out most of the day.
I feel shame.

So... some Ultimate Earth for the earthen areas, Dark Dirt for the concrete curbs, Concrete for the sidewalk, and a mix of Sand, Light Dirt, and Concrete for the main road.

Next I will add patches of some dark dirt and earth to the main road, some spots of light dirt and dark dirt to the sidewalks and some earth to the gutters of the curbs.
This will break up the homogeneity of the washes and hopefully add some realistic tones to the scene.

Here is the video of the application of the washes so far.

[youtube]fQXJzbNVt14[/youtube]

Post by **ThatTankNerd** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:08 pm

Awesome work! Street dioramas are always soo cool

! I really want to do more dioramas but I don't have the space to house them, although I did do a miniart diorama once

Post by **Coen** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 6:15 pm

Neither do I, to be honest... but I build them anyway.

today was a busy day.

I tightened up the wash effects with the addition of more washes to the main street as well as the side walk. These were taken off with a stiff brush as opposed to wet cotton buds or paper towel. That way they get blended into the preexisting wash.

Then everything was dullcoted to seal it in as well as possible.
Then I added the ground scatter (a combination of dirt, ground bark mulch, sand and saw dust). Over that I added the static grass, two colours, a yellow dead grass as well as a bit of green to blend it in.

A few tufts of grass to add levels of variety to the uniformity of the grass surface as well as breaking up the cobblestones.

Then the picket fence got a wash of Ultimate Dark Dirt, got cleaned up and was installed (not permanently though)

Next I will add some smaller clumps of grass to the cobbles and gutters, pigments and some litter as well. After that it's time for the trees.
The next video...

[youtube]FFd_aAehJeg[/youtube]

Post by **OneSmallStep1966** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 6:36 pm

Looking good

Post by **Vleugelmoer** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 6:48 pm

Starting to look real nice Coen

Post by **Nige99** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 7:11 pm

The usual stunning work Mike

that picket fence must have been mind numbing mate but looks awesome

Post by **demarcation** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 10:53 pm

Awesome work so far!

Post by **spock1701** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 1:27 pm

Great looking dio.

Post by **Coen** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 2:16 pm

I've got the trees all sorted now.
I'm going to use some sea foam for the trees, they are the closest thing that I have in my stock that will represent what appears in the photo.

The natural colours are a bit bright and wonky for what I'm trying to depict, so I painted them dark grey with some brown highlights.
They still look to dark to me so I'll be adding more browns later.

I added some dead leaves to the branches using some dried silver birch seeds and some hairspray. Then I added the same birch seed to the areas under the trees and in the gutters of the street.

Then I added the vehicles for a mock up and called it a night.

The next video.
[youtube]2rIIA-oIl8A[/youtube]

Post by **Coen** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 2:30 pm

Almost near the end... and things always go cock-eyed.

Jonas Coleman and I have been chatting a lot about this diorama and the photo that it's related to and we've made a few discoveries.
When I say we... I mean him.

When I first did the research for Creighton's Easy 8 many years ago, the photo...

This one...

... was reportedly, being possibly, Creighton's Easy 8 passing by a M4 Jumbo of the same regiment.
It was actually just a common belief at the time, it may still be today, I don't know. I just accepted that and moved on without much more thought on the matter.
It was also research that was obtained on wikipedia, which is a very dubious source for research material. I've long ago stopped using it.

Jonas, however, took a closer look at the photo and decided that something was hokey about it. He did a bit of digging and I agree with what he's found out. That this is a photo not of Abrams' tank but of a replacement group of mixed race members of the volunteers from the 761st.
They aren't a bunch of white fellas, they're African American, Hispanic, and even a possible Asian dude.
If if that isn't completely plausible, that tank that's coming up the street beside the Jumbo is not and M4A3E8. It's an M4A3 76(w) HVSS.
So ... my plan of combining some of my older builds together into a smaller more interesting space seems to have gone array under closer examination of the reference.

The best laid plans of mice and men eh?

In order to make this an accurate representation of the photo, all of the figures would have to have the proper skin tones and the easy 8, hellcat, and the M4A3 would all have to go back on the shelf. I would have to build two willy's jeeps (one for the background and one to park in front of the jumbo) and I would have to build a brand new M4A3 76(w) HVSS.
That totally defeats the purpose of my build, which was to save some space and re-purpose some builds.

SO... I will make some changes.

This will still be a build of Creighton Abrams' Easy 8, but it will be a different scene all together. My wife suggested the changes.

It will look something like this... I think. There will be some more figures added to the scene and I may build some more life elements to it, but the rough plan is this...

I'm going to add some more colour to the trees and get some figures painted up and we'll see how it looks then.

Post by **OneSmallStep1966** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 4:48 pm

Nothing wrong with plan B when plan A goes tits-up

It's amazing how the tress elevate the diorama to another level. For me, they are the primary focal point that draws me in to the diorama which is odd because I'd have thought the tanks would be? Probably just the way my mind works but I think they're great.

Post by **Vleugelmoer** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 5:03 pm

How a space saving exercise can turn into a fully fledged balls to the wall diorama build... Well That's Murphy For Ya. This will no become a more historically correct representation of the facts surrounding the photo that gave you the inspiration in the first place. This also shows the importance of good research into the subject mater that you want to depict in your diorama. Do you already know which kits you are going to be using for the updated version? ? Happy modeling and keep sticking styreen

Paul

Post by **Coen** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 11:56 am

Vleugelmoer wrote:How a space saving exercise can turn into a fully fledged balls to the wall diorama build... Well That's Murphy For Ya. This will no become a more historically correct representation of the facts surrounding the photo that gave you the inspiration in the first place. This also shows the importance of good research into the subject mater that you want to depict in your diorama. Do you already know which kits you are going to be using for the updated version? ? Happy modeling and keep sticking styreen

Paul

My plan is to continue on with this piece with the new arrangement, but I've ordered Tamiya's new Easy Eight kit and I have two Willy's Jeeps on hand that I can build if I ever decide to actually build the photo.
It would take me just a few hours to build that Tamiya sherman, and a day each for the jeeps (they're pretty fiddly). Then three days each to paint them. Concurrently. I'd have to repaint a few figures to reflect the proper markings an skintones, but about a week or so and I could put together the photo.
Maybe sometime over the summer I'll put that on the bench.

Last night I decided to repaint the trees in a lighter brown colour and add some leaves to them. There's a really good chance that I'll transfer them to my Sneaky Beasties Diorama instead of using them on this dio. I may make some new trees for this one. I'm not completely happy with how they looked.

Post by **Coen** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 11:23 pm

And the end is nigh...

The figures are finished and all that's left is a few pigments to be added to the vehicles to blend them to the scene.
I think that I will build the two jeeps after all and add them to the scene. How I will position them remains to be seen.

Not all of these figures are for this dio, some are for the sneaky beasties diorama.

And the scene so far...

Post by **Vleugelmoer** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 11:46 pm

Wow these little dudes look breathtaking Coen. Love the green on the tankers goggles, may I ask how you did them?

best regards and happy modeling

Paul

Post by **Coen** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:07 am

Vleugelmoer wrote:Wow these little dudes look breathtaking Coen. Love the green on the tankers goggles, may I ask how you did them?

best regards and happy modeling

Paul

A little silver paint and then some of that Ammo crystal clear green over that.

Post by **Kevthemodeller** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 6:47 am

Amazing work Coen absolutely amazing, how did you get the colour on the tank crew goggles?

Post by **Schoof** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 7:03 am

Kevthemodeller wrote:Amazing work Coen absolutely amazing, how did you get the colour on the tank crew goggles?

You are joking right ????
Just look at the post above your question....

Post by **Kevthemodeller** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 10:55 am

Schoof wrote:
Kevthemodeller wrote:Amazing work Coen absolutely amazing, how did you get the colour on the tank crew goggles?
You are joking right ????
Just look at the post above your question....

I missed that thanks for pointing that out..................always nice to know someone will

Post by **MarkVerploeg** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:08 am

That is a very nice build so far Coen
I haven't taken the time to watch the videos yet but i think it is easier to follow if i just watch them all at once
But i did see them in the subsription line up on youtube soi have something to do while i am modelling this weekend

Keep up the good work

Post by **Coen** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:57 am

MarkVerploeg wrote:That is a very nice build so far Coen
I haven't taken the time to watch the videos yet but i think it is easier to follow if i just watch them all at once
But i did see them in the subsription line up on youtube soi have something to do while i am modelling this weekend
Keep up the good work

That's like 5 hours worth of video Mark :O
It's nothing that you don't already know how to do... hahaha. It's targeted for fellas that are just getting into things.

Post by **MarkVerploeg** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:08 pm

Coen wrote:
MarkVerploeg wrote:That is a very nice build so far Coen
I haven't taken the time to watch the videos yet but i think it is easier to follow if i just watch them all at once
But i did see them in the subsription line up on youtube soi have something to do while i am modelling this weekend
Keep up the good work
That's like 5 hours worth of video Mark :O
It's nothing that you don't already know how to do... hahaha. It's targeted for fellas that are just getting into things.

You never know ,i might pick up a trick or 2
Besides that i am running out of cd's to play

Post by **Vleugelmoer** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:27 pm

MarkVerploeg wrote:Besides that i am running out of cd's to play

There is a little thing called spotify that could solve that problem for you

Post by **MarkVerploeg** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 2:03 pm

Vleugelmoer wrote:
MarkVerploeg wrote:Besides that i am running out of cd's to play
There is a little thing called spotify that could solve that problem for you

I can't stand Spotify ,it slows down each and every device it had it on
Besides that the amount of music i like is kind of limited there
And the continuous barrage of advertising doesn't make it better either

Post by **Vleugelmoer** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 2:14 pm

I hear ya Mark,

That was also why I stopped using it now I have a old desktop confuzer with a 3TB hard drive with the discography's of the band and artist and genre's I like. Which I downloaded and converted to MP3. Make some play lists in VLC and I'm good to go for days on end..

Post by **Coen** » Sat Apr 16, 2016 12:29 am

Well it's all done but the buttons as my granny used to say.

There's not much in the way of additions past what I just showed you with the trees.
I've added some mud to the vehicles and I added a little to the road surface to mark the vehicle passage.
Then I jammed the figures in and called it done.
It all ends with a video
There's also the reveal shots, they're the same as what appears in the slide show in the video.
In the video I discuss the rearrangement of the diorama, show the trees getting some foiliage and I show how the mud was added to the road surface. Then there's the final shots.
http://www.intscalemodeller.com/viewtop ... 46&t=17665

[youtube]PTFG1aC-hEI[/youtube]

Post by **Vleugelmoer** » Sat Apr 16, 2016 1:36 am

Dang Coen, for a diorama that sort of went haywire towards the end it turned out pretty sweet if you ask me. Watched the video and love the Walter Cronkite esk reporting in it. Real seat of the pants honest to god blow by blow reporting there absolutely love it.

Post by **Coen** » Sat Apr 16, 2016 4:28 pm

Thanks bud. Walter Cronkite... Well I've never been called that before hahahaha!

Post by **mannloon** » Sat Apr 16, 2016 4:37 pm

The 37th Armored was not a mix raced unit and this widely regarded to be of that unit. Not Abrams himself but of his unit in Germany in 1945. The 12th and 14th armored were the only US armored units containing black tankers. Mexicans were not only in mixed raced units they were in all armored units as were Chinese Americans. Japanese were in their own units which is well known like the 442/100. I fail to see how it is at all possible to have all of these different races in one unit as there was no way for a black tanker to be in a unit with a Mexican as they didn't serve together. Frankly the image isn't high quality enough to discern the ethnicity of the men in it. It's super high contrast and grainy.

Post by **OneSmallStep1966** » Sat Apr 16, 2016 6:24 pm

That's a really nice diorama

Post by **Coen** » Sat Apr 16, 2016 7:28 pm

mannloon wrote:The 37th Armored was not a mix raced unit and this widely regarded to be of that unit. Not Abrams himself but of his unit in Germany in 1945. The 12th and 14th armored were the only US armored units containing black tankers. Mexicans were not only in mixed raced units they were in all armored units as were Chinese Americans. Japanese were in their own units which is well known like the 442/100. I fail to see how it is at all possible to have all of these different races in one unit as there was no way for a black tanker to be in a unit with a Mexican as they didn't serve together. Frankly the image isn't high quality enough to discern the ethnicity of the men in it. It's super high contrast and grainy.

Wow!
I'm really sorry to have offended you so greatly Adam.
I will never again offer any more opinions or wonder anything out loud again.
I will crawl back into my cave of ignorance and say no more in risk of future offence.

Post by **mannloon** » Sat Apr 16, 2016 10:05 pm

Easy man, I just thought if you were going to spend that amount of time talking about how Wikipedia wasn't accurate you would check your sources and make sure of the information you give out is correct. I was just giving my own opinion based on what I know of photography and my own countries policy at the time on segregation in the US army. There is tons of information available on black army units as they were brought in to do everything towards the end of the war. They weren't however usually mixed with any other races other than their COs. So to say something like "that guy looks black, and that guy looks Hispanic therefore this is a mixed unit" suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of American policy.

Even Fury and Band of Brothers show Mexicans and various other ethnic groups serving in normal front line units. Blacks on the other hand due to America being segregated would never be in a unit with Asian guys.

But that is just a symptom of the problem that brought me here. And I do apologize for being blunt about this. But declaring you have figured out something based on just about no concrete evidence is just careless. If you have discovered new evidence about a photograph then share that evidence, it could change modern understanding of history. But if you just think something looks a certain way then just do whatever it is you're going to do. Don't claim to have knowledge without evidence to back it up.