de Andrea Franco

I took advantage of the additional week to make a few final improvements to the diorama after noticing some details that could be refined in the photos.

I added a sidewalk in front of the arch. In the photos, it looked as if the arch was almost floating, so adding the sidewalk helped anchor it to the ground and made the scene look more realistic.

I also added a dried palm leaf on the roof to fill the large empty surface. This small detail creates a visual connection with the palm tree in the diorama and makes the overall scene feel more cohesive and detailed.

Here we are! After everything we’ve been through, all that’s left is to enjoy this final stage, give it our best, and end this amazing adventure on a high note! 
Cheers
Franco

I’m delighted to introduce Marco, Davide and Giovanni, who were selected following the casting to join the diorama. Welcome to the adventure!
The most challenging part of the whole project was recreating the “ACQUA” markings on the jerry cans in 1/72.

I’ve finished this little Benelli M36, which will be accompanying the SPA 38 on the diorama. The STL model is incredibly fine and detailed for 1/72 scale, although getting a perfect print wasn’t exactly easy. On the other hand, painting it was a really enjoyable part of the process, especially bringing out all those tiny details despite its small size. A small piece, but a very satisfying one to build and paint, and it will fit perfectly into the diorama.

I made good progress on the scenery this weekend, particularly with the painting. It’s really starting to come together, and I’m quite happy with how it’s looking so far. I still need to make the palm tree, which I’d like to be a bit more realistic than the soft plastic one supplied with the kit, as well as add a few small details and finishing touches to bring the whole scene to life.

The diorama project is set in North Africa, around 1940–1941. The scene depicts a water-supply team providing water to a combat unit, with jerry cans being transported using a Benelli M36.

I designed the scene to naturally guide the viewer’s eye. The palm tree serves as the first visual focal point, immediately attracting attention before leading the eye toward the vehicle.

Nearby, two figures are shown filling the jerry cans with water. This action naturally draws the viewer’s attention toward a third figure, who is walking toward the Benelli, creating a sense of movement and continuity throughout the scene.

The Benelli is positioned and angled in such a way that it continues the natural direction of the viewer’s gaze, reinforcing the visual flow of the composition.

The overall aim is to bring the diorama to life by suggesting an active water-supply operation, while keeping the vehicle as the central element of the composition.

Painting of the first two of the three figures produced by Model 3D Int, which will be included in the diorama, is now well underway.

The assembly of the final details is now complete, and the painting has also been finished.

The next step will be to integrate the vehicle into a small diorama set in Nord Africa around 1942, featuring a few figures. The final task will be to blend the vehicle naturally into the scene by adding dust effects to enhance the overall realism.

The project is progressing well. For this vehicle, I’m nearing the end of the painting phase. All that remains is to add a few details that are too fragile to be installed before this stage.

Several filters are applied to harmonize the tones, followed by different washes to bring out the details, and finally a first overall wash across the entire model to enhance contrast and create greater depth.

At this stage, the base color begins to change noticeably. These initial weathering steps enrich the color variations, highlight the surface details, and give the model a more realistic appearance.