Author Topic: Locust v. Marauder Unseen Diorama (Read 19851 times)

ckosacranoid · « **Reply #30 on:** 30 May 2013, 22:11:10 »

This is very cool and I will following this as you do it. I like if.

hakoMike · « **Reply #31 on:** 30 May 2013, 22:33:53 »

Tonight I put the hatch doors on the open top. The pilot rests his arm nicely on the open hatch, right by the handle. I was going to take Caz's recommendation of a lip to seal the hatch, but I don't have styrene that thin. As it is, the hatch is <1mm thick.

Bricks got a light/medium brown basecoat and a crimson wash, which gets it to the color I was hoping for. Some selective brown washing and gray drybrushing gets it to the current state. There's a fair bit to go on the base, but I want to get the Marauder situated before I commit to locations of some things.

hakoMike · « **Reply #32 on:** 02 June 2013, 23:11:18 »

Not much work this weekend, mostly due to my day job interfering.

i used some Vallejo powdered pigment (brown iron oxide and dark yellow ochre) to change the way the base looks a bit. I also added a burned out building shell of balsa. Here is the latest mock-up of the two mechs. I'm still not sure if I'll finish the Locust conversions next or assemble the Marauder. I picked up some very small brass rod/tube at flhs for pistons, and some very very this brass sheeting for other things, possibly even the hatch lip.

Is pin-up nose art something that exists in battletech, or is it a little too whimsical?

Dave Talley · « **Reply #33 on:** 02 June 2013, 23:27:38 »

nose art is definately seen around

also for rubble, a common source is the plastic sprue that is left when you have removed all the parts, chop them up in brick sizes, any bits and peices left over can be run thru the blender for use as gravel/dust

worktroll · « **Reply #34 on:** 03 June 2013, 00:12:24 »

This is excellent work!

W.

foxbat · « **Reply #35 on:** 03 June 2013, 03:41:49 »

Great endeavour, looking forward to seeing it completed. I love the solution you've chosen for the Locust's hatch, it fits a lot with the spirit of the original Universe's setting. O0

Cazaril · « **Reply #36 on:** 03 June 2013, 09:27:32 »

Quote from: hakoMike on 02 June 2013, 23:11:18

Is pin-up nose art something that exists in battletech, or is it a little too whimsical?

Nose art does exist in Battletech... Along with adding graffiti like slogans on things...

As for the project, three things jump out at me from the artwork;

You'll need to modify the Marauder's right arm, as it's barrel is downwards (almost like when the Mech collapsed, the pilot put his right paddle down to try and support the Mech).

Considering the picture on page 11, and the strengths/weakness of both Mechs, I'd say the Locust won for one reason; Ammo Explosion. Whether he got in a lucky shot, or the Marauder pilot was just very unlucky, this is the only thing I can think of that matches... If you'll notice in the picture, the location suggests "Torso". The damage suggests an outward explosion. The Mech isn't chewed all to bits from repeated attachs, so it was quick. And it's still mostly in one piece, so that rules out engine explosion... So, to replicate that, I'm guessing a pilot hole and a soldering gun to melt it outward?... I suck at smoke, so I've no guess how you plan to do that.

The AC/5 is missing... Maybe blown off in the explosion?, Maybe twisted wreckage to the side, out of the picture?. Definitely not lying over the top of the torso pointing forward.

The devil is in the detail, and you're doing a hellishly good job.

Caz

Banzai · « **Reply #37 on:** 03 June 2013, 10:16:54 »

As the driver of many a Locust, this is awesome. [rockon] Keep up the great work.

Ronin Actual · « **Reply #38 on:** 04 June 2013, 09:11:21 »

Check out Spaceman Spiff's stuff in particular his work with expanding foam to create smoke. I have done it before and have had really good luck with it.

HavocTheWarDog · « **Reply #39 on:** 04 June 2013, 16:19:04 »

That's looking awesome so far!!!!

avon1985 · « **Reply #40 on:** 04 June 2013, 20:10:30 »

Better and better. Can't wait to see it completed! O0

dayanx · « **Reply #41 on:** 05 June 2013, 10:35:51 »

Outside of a bit of a scale difference, looke great. What did you use to make the ground, baseplate and brickwork?

hakoMike · « **Reply #42 on:** 07 June 2013, 13:01:02 »

Latest adds, some hydraulics on the back of the legs and a periscope on the front. I placed the periscope slightly off center because I want to preserve that arrow on the hull. I put a little gray brush-on primer over it so I could see the overall effect. I think the periscope will look good once I paint a lens effect onto the front.

The ground is just a thinned layer of Vallejo black lava over a piece of styrene that I cut to fit the wooden plaque I plan on using. The bricks are pieces of balsa I cut from a long rectangular rod with a rotary tool. I basically arranged them on the base, poured very thin super glue over then and then used the rotary tool to carve off the most obvious cut-edges after it cured. The building is just balsa sheet chewed up with snips and an xacto knife.

In terms of smoke, I'm leaning heavily toward the "tea-light" flickering candle approach, which would require me to tear one of those lights apart to move the switch and battery out of the Marauder. I could hollow out the plaque under the styrene sheet for that easily enough. I'm just not sure an active fire would be the best suited execution for a static scene. For a 40k game or something it looks great, but for a diorama? Not sure.

hakoMike · « **Reply #43 on:** 08 June 2013, 16:57:18 »

Ick. I hated the actuators. Really. I only get one chance to do this right, so I changed them.

There are a lot of photos of hydraulic actuators, so I picked one and then identified some alterations. First, I cut the legs at the knees and moved them downward to give the hydraulics a pivot point. The entire extension of the piston would allow the legs to bend a little more or straighten much more, which is one of the flaws of the last version... the pistons weren't long enough. I carved into the thigh(?) to allow for the piston mount. Lastly, I snapped and pinned the ankles so the feet could rotate a bit. The square stance didn't look very natural to me, and the pinned knees had the ability to pivot a bit, so I now have the option of reposing.

A little dark and blurry, but here is the latest iteration. I'm liking this so much better.

ShadowRaven · « **Reply #44 on:** 08 June 2013, 18:12:03 »

I agree on the change up on the hydraulics. Looks good.

CrossfirePilot · « **Reply #45 on:** 08 June 2013, 18:59:06 »

The title reminds me of the first battletech computer game where they had a Locust facing off against a Marauder on the box and a poster of it inside. (I think still have the poster).

hakoMike · « **Reply #46 on:** 08 June 2013, 20:44:56 »

Quote from: CrossfirePilot on 08 June 2013, 18:59:06

The title reminds me of the first battletech computer game where they had a Locust facing off against a Marauder on the box and a poster of it inside. (I think still have the poster).

Thanks! I could tell that the leg was a Marauder on the box cover, but I hadn't seen the whole poster before searching on it specifically based on your post. The lasers from the troops are really going in strange directions aren't they? Also, I had always imagined the SRM-3 Locust as looking different. I always thought the pictured kit was machine guns.

hakoMike · « **Reply #47 on:** 14 June 2013, 15:02:46 »

Another little bit of work. I positioned much of the Marauder in prep for painting. Getting the right arm to have that "getting up" look as depicted in the illustration required three different cut and rotate operations on the very static Marauder arm. What's there now is a little awkward but doesn't defy the model's mechanics, as far as I can tell. I decided to go with flickering lights in the wreck, just for the cool factor, so that's all wired up. Also, just to add a little more narrative to the scene, I popped the leg off the Marauder. Whether the Locust caused the lost leg or just took advantage of an already crippled mech is anyone's guess. The pilot sure seems proud though.

So, in my typically stellar photography style...

five_corparty · « **Reply #48 on:** 19 July 2015, 21:28:55 »

amazing. I can't do anything on this level. bravo! O0

DaveMac · « **Reply #49 on:** 20 July 2015, 02:25:49 »

What a fabulous idea matey O0

Daemion · « **Reply #50 on:** 20 July 2015, 08:38:49 »

Y'know. Seeing this, it's interesting to note how small the Gyro and Reactor probably are on the Locust BattleMech. Says a lot about how compact some stuff has become in BattleTech.

Brother Jim · « **Reply #51 on:** 20 July 2015, 10:24:33 »

I just want to point out that the OP hasn't been on the boards since about 20 minutes after his last post.

Which was in 2013. O:-)

serrate · « **Reply #52 on:** 20 July 2015, 10:36:59 »

A shame, I really would've liked seeing this little diorama painted up and finished.

Brother Jim · « **Reply #53 on:** 20 July 2015, 15:41:43 »

I would like to have seen it finished as well.

Schadenfreude · « **Reply #54 on:** 21 July 2015, 13:30:41 »

Quote from: Brother Jim on 20 July 2015, 10:24:33

I just want to point out that the OP hasn't been on the boards since about 20 minutes after his last post.

Which was in 2013. O:-)

I must admit, I saw the month, didn't notice the year. I'd have liked to see the finished diorama, esp after the step by step posts. Sucked me in like a reality TV show, it did.

Two points I'll contribute, just for the record (or to provide ideas for other diorama builders). The first is regarding the entrance/escape hatch: the modeler might have used the "automobile hood" technique instead of double-doors to both show more of the interior of the cockpit (after all the work he did) and because it seems more logical that something as massive as the hatch protecting the 'Mech pilot behind it is going to need hydraulic or pneumatic assistance to open or close. (And also for if/when the pilot is forced to hit the eject button.) Double doors wouldn't seem to cut it.

The second point is regarding the positioning of the Marauder. It would seem to be possible that part of the end of that right arm could be dug into the ground. I mean, if a 75 kiloton BattleMech were to collapse, and stick out an arm to break it's fall, it's going to be like jamming a spike into the ground. And in addition to what penetrates the surface, you might also see some warping and/or buckling and/or collapsing such as you might expect to see on the body of a car that's been in an accident. The bottom line is that you could shave off part of the end of that arm, since it would be "below ground level". And it doesn't have to stick up at a 90 degree angle if you cut it off at a DIFFERENT angle. And if THAT were the case, the actual ARM might not look so awkward and "extended".

But I really, really am curious to see how this project turned out. (Assuming an irritated wifey didn't chuck it in the trash to get her husband to spend less time building his diorama and more time with her.)

hakoMike · « **Reply #55 on:** 06 August 2020, 10:19:45 »

{THREADOMANCY ALERT} -- But I'm OP so I'm gonna say it's okay ^-^

It's been pretty much forever since I worked on this thing, but here is a current WIP. I'm finishing it for a painting comp on Twitter (#chinsquigchallenge3).

jimdigris · « **Reply #56 on:** 06 August 2020, 10:29:13 »

:thumbsup:

hakoMike · « **Reply #57 on:** 12 August 2020, 23:21:25 »

Another WIP for the September 1 competition deadline. I still need to paint the Locust legs and feet and do a lot of weathering on the Marauder. I may add some colorful details on the Marauder too. It's kind of drab as is. The graffiti on the burned out wall is a reference to the hilarious podcast I'm listening to currently, "Kasting Cuzzins".

avon1985 · « **Reply #58 on:** 13 August 2020, 04:46:13 »

Very Sweet! very cool! :thumbsup:

garhkal · « **Reply #59 on:** 03 October 2020, 00:31:28 »

Awesome work.. Well done :thumbsup: