1:35 Destroyed Sherman base

1:35 Destroyed Sherman base, a Sherman wreck in a scene

This base from the Black Dog brand builds a diorama around a knocked-out Sherman tank. The tank is part of the terrain here, not a kit of its own that you would assemble from parts. The modeler gets a ready center of gravity for the scene and adds only figures, small equipment and greenery or scatter of their own to it.

A few words on the real subject

The Sherman was an American medium tank of the Second World War, produced in large numbers and deployed in many armies even after the war ended. It is exactly this spread that makes the subject a rewarding choice: the silhouette is recognizable at once and the viewer places the scene without explanation. Working it up as a wreck shifts the emphasis from the hardware to the setting.

The patina that gives a scene credibility

With a wreck, the order of the layers is what decides. First lay a dark base into all the recesses, and only then the lighter color onto the surfaces. Build the rusty areas gradually, from dark brown through ocher to fine orange touches, and always tie them to the places where water stays the longest. Load the running gear and the lower edges with pigment more heavily than the upper surfaces. Finally even the whole thing out with a thin layer of dust.

Who it suits

• for lovers of Allied Second World War hardware
• for 1:35 figures, to which it gives a striking setting
• as a subject for more advanced techniques of rust and dust
• for an exhibition, where a scene has to catch the eye from a distance

The scene is supplied unpainted; prepare the paints separately.