W
Mark.58 Diorama bases

This is in some ways an easy review to write, as the assembly is very simple.  In some ways it's rather hard as it's a bit different from my normal kind of thing.  So here's the easy part:

It's a base!  It comes in a box!  It's very nice!

So now the harder part.  Like, I suspect, a lot of modellers I appreciate that my stuff would look better presented on an appropriate base.  However I would rather be making another kit then spending the considerable time needed to make a realistic looking one, and I think that's where Marc has a winner with these bases.  You could undoubtedly make something similar to some of them, cheaper (as several of the harder core club members commented) but that depends on your ability and how you value your time.  Personally I couldn't approach the quality however long I spent, I would rather be making another kit anyway and an that basis I think they're good value for money.  But that's getting a bit ahead of myself, so lets have a look at what they're like.  What's shown here is only a small selection, the current price list has 60 items in 48th and there are also a smaller number of 72nd and 32nd scale items.  There are concrete bases, PSP (3 different styles of PSP), steel mats, brick and wood (many different plank shapes and sizes), with some combinations, such as the brick and wood base shown.  There are also various shapes (round, t-shaped, rectangular) and sizes. As a basic product they come unpainted but with some level of pigment in the resin for a basic colour (pic 1) but many are also offered pre-painted (I know, I know, it's cheating) and that's what you're seeing here. 

The four provided for review are a round concrete base with a strip of ground at one side (if a round base can be said to have a side but you know what I mean) which breaks it up a little (pic2), a T-shaped wooden plank base (pic 3), a round PSP base (pic 4) and an strange shaped brick/wood base (pic 5) that I thought was a little odd but Marc has done his research and sent me some pics of this kind of thing in Holland.  It would make a great setting for a Tempest diorama!  And the casting is first rate, I can find no pinholes or indeed flaws of any kind on any of the four shown.  As these were provided painted I can't comment on how easy it is to produce the result you're seeing, but at least you can see what they look like when some-one who knows what they're doing does it.  I'm sure I wouldn't do a good job and as such the extra cost of the pre-painted items strikes me as a bargain.  Price wise the ones here range from around 24€ to 32.5€, unpainted they're about 7€ cheaper.

There's not much else to say, there's no fit problems or off register decals to complain about, the bases seem strong and are well packaged and I think you can tell I'm impressed.  If you want to see some more have a look at http://www.maqueweb.info/mark58_II/index.php?lng=fr (the French version seems to have more on than the English at the moment).  And if you're interested Marc also does special orders.  I met him a few years ago at the Brussels IPMS show (a great show by the way, held every other year in the aircraft section of the museum, it's on this year, 6&7 September and Brussels is really nice) and we discussed a Vietnam revetment scene.  Which he has now produced for me and hopefully I will get done soon to go with the many Phantoms I'm planing on doing (50th anniversary of the 1st flight, 27th May 1958) this year.  I'm including a brief description from Marc as to how he does his painting, hopefully it'll be of some use.

 


Painting is easy, it's all with acrylics, pigments or pastel chalks
 
First step : I develop colour shades for the resin to use these in transparancy in the painting process
 
This is why brick is moulded in brick red, concrete in a yellow-grey, wood in deck tan, ans PSP in black-grey
 

Second step : take an acrylic clear which can be mixed 50% with water


The thinned version will be used for final finishing coat
The concentrated version will be used to mix up pigments
 

Step three: look for pigments


- natural earth pigments which can be found in shops were they sell household paints
- pigments in smaler volumes that are available from product range for artistic painters
- pastel chalks , this is what I recommend, they are reasonably priced and easy to find
just grind these chalks
 

Step four: the pigment pastes
- mix up pigments with the acrylic crear
add some water to make it usable with a brush


Step five: apply washes
 
- with a small sponge
 
- with a brush, and wipe immediately excess of material off with a rag (acrylics dry fast)
 
Layers are applied in transparency( no thick coats or dry brushing at all )
 
This is basicaly the technique
Now starts the artistic work, with the perception of colours, contrast, light, style
The natural appearance of wood will not include brown for instance. It's yellow, green, grey and some black for the contrast

A-Mode

T

I

Thanks to me and my fondness for anything different from the norm for this one.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and quickly by a site that has nearly 350,000 visitors a month, please contact me or see other details in the Note to Contributors.

Back to the Previews Index Page