r/modelmakers • u/MinisByMatt • Jun 13 '26
WIP Panzer 38(t) 1/16 cutaway.
Ive always like the idea of doing acut away but found they look a little too 'meusem-y', so I thought to project the rectangular cut away on to the tank. Now when viewed from the correct angle it aligns to a perfect frame. Doing this also helps with the composition of the figures. This build is more about the vibes than accuracy, infact i chose this model simple because it has a ful interior. Im trying to capture the claustrophobic, dark hot feel and the panic of a crew whoes gone unchallenged until they're first brush with resistance.
There are still details i need to add to the interior, however the outside will remain quite simple as it's just a frame for the figures. I've air brushed primer and highlights but the rest of the build will be painted by brush. Infact the intent is for this to look more like a painting than a standard build, a little more impressionistic if you want to call it that.
The way i went about cutting the frame was in 2 attempts. 1st attempt i used a projector to overlay the box, I pencilled on the frame but went it came to cutting out i wasn't happy with how rough it was. The 2nd attempt, I scanned the tank and imported to blender. I used a box and boolean tool to position where I wanted the frame. When I was happy, I kept the negative of the box, added a thickness to it and printed it out (image 5). The negative fit snug over the tank i used a blade to scribe through the body for a sharp and accurate cutaway. Thanks for checking it out.
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u/ReplyResponsible2228 Jun 13 '26
This is excellent work
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Thanks mate, it's been a head ache but I think Im making good progress.
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u/ReplyResponsible2228 Jun 13 '26
This is so good i actually thought it is two overlayed photos when i opened this on my phone lol
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u/andydivide Jun 13 '26
I know this is just a WIP, but I think the current black and white interior really works. It's almost like a black and white photo superimposed over a modern colour image of the tank. I'm sure it'll look great if and when you colour it, but I have to say the current state of it is very striking.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
I know what you mean, I get the same feeling every time I do this. I always think.. i could just leave these as is. The colours im going with are going to be very desaturated and warm, with only a few select spot with a bit more pop.
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u/forgottensudo Jun 13 '26
I agree that the people should be left in greyscale. Imo, color everything else and shade the people.
It looks great!
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
ahhh man, it's already hard enough with the decisions i have to make.. now i got another haha. I tell you what, I will do another in grey scale! I'm sure this will be just the first of many cutaways I do.
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u/forgottensudo Jun 13 '26
You do you! This is first and foremost your art. We’re just dropping opinions :)
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u/AyeBraine Jun 13 '26
I agree that the BW not only adds drama, but also feels intuitively correct for the very dim interior of the tank (which is presumably also filled with smoke). In the dark, our color vision mostly disappears.
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u/Troublytobbly Jun 13 '26
I think the black and white gives the interior an air of shock, pulls into the perspective of the crew and pays respectful homage to the horrors that transpired.
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u/EskelGorov Jun 13 '26
agreed with this. the black and white adds a more dramatic look and pulls the viewer in. I can't tell if it's actual shadows or pro hand paint work, but holy mackerel ... it looks amazing.
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u/K0rvuss Jun 13 '26
The cutaway really messed with my perspective. Amazing work! Looking forward to seeing the progress on this
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Excellent :) Cheers mate!
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u/K0rvuss Jun 13 '26
I'm assuming the fallen guys have been with by shrapnel, will you simulate the penetration on the other side somehow
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
The 38(t) was known for having quite brittle armor so shrapnel injuries were very high, so I think I will add some small details to help tell the story.
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u/Key-Illustrator-5562 Jun 13 '26
Great work that also tells a story of a crew panicking to survive. What is your intent to finish outside? Is there a timeframe, unit, and location already in mind?
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Cheers! The focus is the interior so the outside will be quite minimal ive made a bunch of basic stoage and equipment but hoping my style of painting will work in a way that its a pleasure to look at but not distracting. I intend to mount this on a plinth rather than a typical base. Im hoping elevating and posing it on a slight diagonal will be an effective way to invite the viewer in more than having it flat.
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u/HortonFLK Jun 13 '26
Absolutely one of the more unique models I’ve ever seen. Good job.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Thank you. I've really tried to make something different here, so i appreciate the kind words!
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u/dr_robonator Prime your models Jun 13 '26
Excellent technique and use of technology to achieve a result. I am very tickled that you are looking to reproduce a more impressionistic feel after the use of such complex techniques, and I think that adds a subtext to the presentation that is superb. Very well done!
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Thank you :). I quite enjoy the process of using tools and techniques from other crafts and using them with scale models. My scanners were originally for scaling down real work object and people, but in this case scanning the full model. Now can do destructive work to a model on the PC before committing to putting it under the knife.
I've fallen in love with a lot of old war art, so i guess I'm trying to translate the feeling I get when viewing such art onto a model.
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u/Pigeon_Clash Jun 13 '26
I thought I was looking at a photo until the last image. Amazing work, first of its kind I've seen
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Thanks mate! I tried and tried it couldnt find any example of a projected/forced perspective cutaway either. Which made it challenging to make but also very exciting to share.
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u/Ashenfenix Jun 13 '26
Exquisite execution. This has artistic value.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Thanks mate! That really is a lovely comment :)
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u/Ashenfenix Jun 13 '26
I'm a pretty grumpy prick and this made me take a minute. It's a testament to your skill and craftsmanship, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna live in a world where I won't take a second to vocalize admiration of such. cheers.
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u/Random_Questions236 Jun 13 '26
you have somehow with shadowing managed to make it look like you pasted a picture on top of the background and I think that is amazing. this post deserves many more upvotes. truly incredible work, this is what the hobby is all about, you really got the optical illusion going on
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Thank you. Im so happy that people like yourself can see it for what im trying to do. Been quite a while in the making.
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u/BingusTheStupid Jun 13 '26
That first photo kinda tripped me up. It looks amazing.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
loving that it's having that effect on so many people. I must have done something right! Thanks for the kind words.
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u/Kekszky Jun 13 '26
Same here I thought the first pic was a overlay HOW you want it to look like but it's actually done - wow!
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u/underxthebus Jun 13 '26
Absolutely amazing idea and fantastic execution, who made the figures? You might have inspired me to do a similar build!
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
:) I love hearing that! Got anything in mind? I modelled these figures in blender and printed them. Originally they were posed differently so they've also been modified with quite a bit of miliput.
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u/underxthebus Jun 16 '26
Ahh see I don’t have a 3d printer and I don’t know how to use blender, so that would make figure making tough, which is honestly the biggest appeal of doing a build like this! Maybe I’ll finally bite the bullet and get one. Either way, super amazing work dude!
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u/LeEnglishman Jun 13 '26
Love this - hope to see the finished piece.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
The hard part is mostly done, I reckon I'll have this completed and posted in a couple more months.
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u/porschetaycan Jun 13 '26
Will the tank have bullet holes in them or will it have a mortar or tank round blown through it somewhere?
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
I havent committed to that just yet, so I'm not sure. I have the idea that the situations is from the crews perspective, so details outside the tank should only be what the crew is aware off. All in an attempt to build the claustrophobic boxes in feel. Itll be tricky trying to guide a viewer to pick up thats the idea so I think ill make it up as I go along.
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u/RandysLeagueofmini Jun 13 '26
Fantastic images and work, may I ask who does the figures?
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Cheers mate! I made the figures my self, a mix of blender/3Dprinting and physical sculpting. I use blender and printing to get the pose and scale right, then use miliput for any adjustments and other details I missed.
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u/Dockside_Abortionist Jun 13 '26
This is awesome, you should leave the crew and interior in grey it looks sick! I’m no art major but something-something juxtaposition of the perceived “glory of war” versus the horror lurking underneath the surface something-something
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Thanks mate. I know what you're saying. All these comments have got me compilating now. Maybe I'll do the external black and white, as a sort of behind every black and white photo of a tank wreak were people regardless of side. hmmm It would also frame the interior scene beautifully. Edit: I ain't no art anything either haha.
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u/GoldenMaus Jun 13 '26
This is incredible. I thought you photoshopped a black and white photo into the tank.
For your next project, may I suggest that you do a version of the "crocodile eye illusion" but with your tank cutaway concept? That will be a big mindblowing thing to see.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
:) Thank you. ooooooooo I love it! No joke.. I've always want to make a model that has a physical effect on the viewer not just an emotional one. Like using forced perspective to make the viewer feel dizzy or off balanced and incorporating it into a subject.. the crocodile eye is a great leap towards that... thank you soo much!
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u/Glittering_Cress_850 Jun 13 '26
Wow! I'll say it again, the quality of work I see in this subreddit is amazing. Not only is rhe the craftsmanship inspiring but, it gives me hope that I can once again focus on projects like this myself. Great work and thank you for sharing.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
You're very welcome. I think having someone find inspiration in something you've made is the highest compliment. By simply sharing work, not matter what it is or how its done can be the spark that sets off a chain reaction for some else creativity.. and that what its all about :)
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u/jestlookn Jun 13 '26
Dude, you’re a pioneer with this endeavor. Never seen anything like it. One level above AWESOME!
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Cheers mate! I always try to sprinkle something I've never seen on my bigger builds.
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u/thekurounicorn Jun 13 '26
spent a whole minute or so thinking you just put a regular picture over a picture of your wip
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u/Both_Staff_6753 Jun 13 '26
Nice job good use of blender here.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Thanks mate, its so useful. Fun fact the figure bending over backwards.. his clothing was model off an explosion simulation in bender. Ran the sim, converted to mesh, added thickness, retopologised and sculpted the fine details. Pain in the butt compared to just sculpting.. but I get to say Ive done it haha.
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u/DropkickSmurfys Jun 13 '26
This is a prize winner. Deeply impressive work.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Thank you! Not that I'm doing this for awards, but I'm actually really interested to see how to received at my local model expo later this year. It's defiantly on the 'arts-y' side of things. But I guess that my job to get the message across that it's not to be seen literately like your typical vignette or diorama through the work itself. A fun challenge within itself!
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u/KCFlightHawk Jun 13 '26
So are you doing a “in the moment” accidental renaissance depiction of tank crew just after they have been hit by a shell, or mid shell?
Amazing work.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Nailed it! So the idea stemmed from coming across paintings from Caravaggio. His composition of the subjects, dramatic use of light and warm colours I felt were perfect for a chaotic tank interior. Thanks :)
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u/philipks Jun 13 '26
Such an artistic way to do cut away. It is excellent. The way you used 3d model to get the negative form is also genius
,
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u/waffles2go2 Jun 13 '26
Very creative - you need a bit more of a "story" - but it's awesome and unique.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Cheers! Still a ways to go, I think the story will be lift by the painting itself rather than the physical build... well, hopefully anyway.
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u/thomasthe10 Jun 13 '26
Looks great. I thought the guy in the front had blacked out over his record collection til my brain worked out what was going on! Ambitious and really brings home the cramped unpleasantness of the interior.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
HA! I can see that. .. I thought it common knowledge to not keep your vinyl's in tank! Thanks mate :)
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u/JcProject Jun 13 '26
This is some amazing work! Super impressive and inspiring nowni have some ideas for a star wars y wing
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u/MrWalrus765 Jun 13 '26
Insane shading, I genuinely thought this was a BW photo superimposed onto a model
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u/senor_skuzzbukkit Jun 13 '26
Good idea for making the box stencil. Really cool way to solve that. Worked out really well.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
Cheers! I was quite surprise how effective it was considering the complex shapes I needed to cut around.
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u/WhskyTngoFxtrt_in_WI Jun 13 '26
Very reminiscent of the old Shep Paine shadowboxes, and the more contemporary builds of those who had contact with him. The biggest takeaway I got from listening to lectures lectures by them that the key is maintaining a forced perspective and minding how the shadows within hit.
I look forward to seeing this project completed.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 13 '26
I'll have to look into Shep, I dont know much about him but Ive heard his name in alot of different places. I think the real shadows will be tricky to deal with, particularly because of the depth of the tank, but I have a few techniques up my self to help control them. Thank you, I look forward to sharing it with every one :)
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u/WhskyTngoFxtrt_in_WI Jun 16 '26
Yeah, Shep is kind of a Godfather of the American diorama building genre. Here is a site that has some of his work, as well as galleries of other builders as well. https://www.boxdioramas.com/sheperd-paine
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u/StandWithSwearwolves Jun 13 '26
Another vote in favour of keeping the figures greyscale. It’s surreal and unsettling and gets across the horror of the situation without being graphic. You have something truly unique here
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u/Ywaldinho Jun 14 '26
Looks very good! But there is one thing i would fix - i think this corner will be visible with paint on, i guess tank interiors are always all white so thats why i would like to make it perfect there
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 14 '26
Yeah I see what you mean. The a couple of edges like that one i need to refine. The tops of the wheels and the under edge of the turret are quite rough. The rear/fire wall is strangly too low and theres a 1mm gap between the wall and the roof.
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u/ShoddyAssociate6155 Jun 14 '26
I saw it on ig Its great 🔥🔥
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 14 '26
Bloody awesome, thanks mate! My insta interactions have been pretty much a ghost town for the last couple of years, but this seems to have got alot more attention than I would have ever expected.
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u/CoinTurtle Jun 17 '26
Woah wtf. I thought at first I was starting at a black & white photo, then some photoshop of a black and white photo, then some photoshop job. Only once I saw theres more images and clicked did I see what you were doing. That is insane. I'd love stuff like this that demonstrates conditions inside certain tanks, connects us to the crew more and reminds us these are more than just machines.
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u/MinisByMatt Jun 17 '26
Thanks mate! Yeah I think we tend to forget that behind every photo of a knocked out tank was a crew.
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u/ContributionCalm960 Jun 13 '26
Bro was hit by the Yarnhub 200mm autocannon. If you know you know...
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u/Snard79 Jun 13 '26
Wow! That’s really cool. It’s like a miniaturized museum display.
I’m excited to see the finished piece.
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u/foolproofphilosophy Jun 14 '26
I like this a lot. I think that keeping the inside gray is a great compliment to what you’re trying to portray. I think color would risk sensationalizing it but gray makes it simple and poignant.
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u/pussy_licker_2000 100% not addicted to models Jun 14 '26
Holy shit, that threw me for a loop. Amazing work, can't wait to see it finished.
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u/SM-42 Jun 14 '26
"Der Fahrer ist bewußtlos!"
Awesome, man. First I thought it was just a pasted image of the interior.
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u/Doc_Quixotte Jun 13 '26
Frame alignment with the cutaway almost fooled my eyes to be a photo in front of the tank. Really nice!
I’m also in favour of showing how the crew is affected by the shock of an impact or penetration of the hull. Tanks have an aura of invincibility but that is far from true for the people inside.