A diorama of the Pacific War featuring the spearhead of the Japanese tank force—the Type 97 "Chi-Ah"...
An old, well-made model from Tamiya, but the only one available...
This is an easy-to-build vehicle, with just a few details to add. First thing: add some plastic card over the openings that reveal the tracks, which are too visible...
Two tanks will be built. The first one has its engine hood open. So, the engine is built after the grilles are cut out...
A view of the engine block after painting. The side panels of the access door have been redone. Handles have been added...
The engine compartment is only slightly detailed because the rear hatch is glued in the open position...
The joints were filled with liquid sealant to create a uniform finish...
Painting
The three-tone camouflage on Japanese tanks is very colorful....
Base coats: Hobby Color acrylic paint - 85, sail color - green fs: 34102 - 37 wood brown...
Then dry brushing: Revell SM 314 + white - Humbrol 30 + 102 + white - Humbrol 62 + 154 + white. The yellow stripe is painted on with a brush...
Flock is applied to the tracks and secured with wood glue...
Another view...
We add dried plants and repainted plastic plants to make it look more realistic...
First, the decals from the box are applied, and then pastel powder is sprinkled onto the body...
The figurines
A group of soldiers on break is positioned on and around one of the tanks. The officer on the left is a modified Tamiya figure...
The miniatures have been painted using the usual method already explained in several tutorials on the site...
Another view...
The Setting
Layout of the future diorama. A 1/48-scale Japanese "Zero" from Tamiya will serve as the background...
An MDF panel primed with white gesso is then covered with tile adhesive.
The foreground is dotted with various flocking patterns...
... while the background is covered with marks left by the sandblasting plates used on the entire aircraft before painting...
Gluing together the tanks, figures, and accessories with wood glue, as well as the palm tree in the background...
A view of Tamiya's "Zero," fully painted and with decals applied...
The plane is superimposed in the background, with two pilots talking. The whole thing is finished...
The background is painted with acrylic paint on an MDF wood panel, which was primed with gesso before painting...
