Just a teaser for my thread in the Diorama Forum. The regulars seem to be doing that on these builds that suit 2 -3 different forums. Lots More on ^^that thread !
All the details are found over there. Please go check out the Diorama thread ~ ! Clash in Tunisia ! ~
Thanks…Indy
well, you complimented my figs so…i have to say i like the germans better only in that they seem more detailed. (on purpose??) should be nice when completed. btw, oils or acrylics? [tup]
~C.J. Mighty nice of ya, though never feel obliged. When I get to the painting it will be basecoats of Tamiya and thinned Vallejo. Most of the main paintwork in built-up layers af the arylics {including the skin areas} and some effects with will be done with Floquil. The oils will likely stay in thier box. I use fixitave(flat) during the process & Testors Dullcoat at finish.
~~Ok, so it’s back to building up the figures. A few simple conversions, and a couple more advanced ones. Easy to see the improvement made by the Hornet Replacement Heads(these can never be recommended enough)
A HUGE improvement,still had the expression I had in mind too 
Old DML/Warriors set
This one was maybe the most improved
The 1st attempt{back in the spares box!} 
Rifle sling added. I see now it needs some adjusting. 
I’m calling this lad the 'Rookie",as he does’nt seem to know quite what’s in store 
Not much more expression than before, but well suited anyways 
Helmet is alot better than DML’s I’d say 
Thinking of leaving this covered MKII for variety, if there’s no objections 
This guy was always part of the plan 
As usual, most of the equipment additions I will paint seperately, but 
add to the soldiers after the basic painting is done, but before any part of it is finalized, so I don’t knock myself out detail painting more than I need to, and in case modifications become nessessary, I won’t have wrecked much. ~This concludes this installment ~ Thanks for joining us (me), back soon with details about the heavier converts. ! ~ Indy
~At this point, I’m developing a few custom figures by way of parts barrowed here & there,and sculpting the needed connecting areas. I need a man at the gunsight, but having him bent down to sight seemed to totaly hide him from view, and maybe even suggest I was trying to hide him, so I’m building a pose where he is watching for the rounds impact over the gunshield, while casually puffing a ciggy, to show him very unaware of the incoming attack of foot-soldiers. 
It took some doing to get this position, and it’s obvious it isn’t done yet. The next steps involve some epoxy-putty to the area below the belt, to re-form the bottom of the tunic entirely,as well as replacing some of the top part of the torso’s features, and maybe a change of boots too. 
The lower is from a Dragon tankriders set, the legs changed by heat-bend from an even position. The torso & arms from a nice (but boring) Platoon figure, except the whole upper-right arm which I formed from Milliput. The head is Alpine. Probablly with get some boots from Warriors, both to bulk him out a little, and because the ones he’s got are a bit puny(DML)and of a type seen more in the ETO. 
I’m working on another figure at the gun.This guy is the one holding the follow-up round as is always seen in any in-action shot. I’m trying to model a fieldgun in a loaded & ready-to-fire condition, but maybe not an up-close, fast-fire scene. Given that. the breech is closed, The barrel elevated slightly, and the follow-up-round-guy has taken a knee,and is waiting for word from the targeter. A commander & another crewman(at the front of the blog) stand nearby, both watching down-range. This figure is also from the DML tankrider set, hands removed and sleeves drilled out(still to decide on some new hands for him) the head is Warriors(a bit of wash on it so you can see his sour expression. 
Same cummy boots, naturally. ~I took my que for these from some actual action photos, but still adapted what I wanted with artistic licence, as a full-crew won’t be seen, Im saying in my story(at this point ,at the end of the campaign) some crewmembers have been killed-off and some replaced by varrious personel. Convienient, I know, but I usually like to take the route of mixing up the uniforms as much as possible for intrest, contrast & variety. Here’s a few of those Pak 40 crew shots from history : 
This one from Tunisia. See how "hidden’ the targeter is in there? Full crew lines-up for fast-reloads–my figure’s pose is close to man at front. I’m sure they we’re trained to take that knee, and wait behind the relative safety of the gunshield. 
These fellows in France. Sherman-hunting in Normandy, no doubt.
I found this dug-out set-up interesting, as Im sure there’s no way to get comforable manning one of these, but my gun-position is supposed to be a hasty one, so I couldn’t use this set-up. I’d say that gunner on the right better watch his hand, eh? ~Ok, I be back when I get these conversions looking like something. Thanks to ya, if your still there Mateys ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Indy
~C.J. Mighty nice of ya, though never feel obliged.
no problem indy…i wouldnt of wasted my time or yours if i thought i had to post. kindness begates kindness…or so i’ve been told! [:D]
Words to live by, no doubt. Not sure if it will work with Al Qaeda, or Modelchasm [?]
Both of them got thier 'clown-shoes' shaved down. Pity to lose all that detail but it WAS very over-scale. I did a fair amount of other sanding here and there on both of them...amazing when you really take your time how much you can find needs done ! [](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/wartom1a.jpg)Still have the bootsoles to work. ~~~I was also quite busy with my targeter : [](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/targeter1st.jpg)
Sculpted that missing area of his tunic and pressed in some equipment while at it, Not the most difficult sculpting task, but still not as easy as you think it will be beforehand. [](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/targeterrough.jpg)Here some thin slabs of Milliput(fine white) are layed in his lap, ect.
It's pressed & kneaded near flat to meet the belt. Breadbag is a 'painted spare'(DML)the straps of it softened to flush-up to the belt, pressed into putty [](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/breadbagcloseup.jpg)
Cigarette was added from some .013 brass wire, a drop of thin CA to the back, then snipped. This let me make sure I had a square-cut to it's front end, and just the right length. [](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/makeciggy.jpg)You can see the tunic between the legs here too. Not really going to be seen later.
Smoking brass WILL kill you. [](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/ciggycloseup.jpg)More shaping was done after the Milliput cured, with micro-files, dimond-needle-bits in the Dremel, and sandpaper. When somewhat happy with it, it was surfaced with Tamiya Liquid Putty, thinned with laquer thinner. [](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/targeter2nd.jpg)I thought it might be more interesting to show it here on the gun *before* I primer, as I will primer in a very close color for this DAK Daddy. Loads more to do...off to work now!
OK~~Here’s "Follow-up-Shot-guy__"…still needing some careful clean-up, but__ in the interest of keeping this thread updated… also the round is just set in place(glue needed to seat it to his palm correctly), BUT I think I’ve got some good balance with this one… 
Another Alpine Head ! That makes 3 of 4 crewmen with them. I like his chisled, gaunt look. The hands are from a top-notch Warriors “Waffen SS Gebirsjager” figure that I happened to have bought 2 of ( I guess for parts) cause it was so cheap. A hair dryer’s heat softened the right hand to get the grip on the warhead. The rest of him is all DML 
One area still to slean-up, that bootsole.The breadbag got straps scratched from some .020 styrene rod. 
Heres those 2 gunners together in a near-relation shot. Both got some Dark Yellow "primer’. These we’re the 2 most “unfindable” figures I needed. Having them close to ready-for-paint brings me very near done building my figures, but there’s a few more tasks to do…“I shall return!”… ~
So to get off the figures for a bit, the last few tasks we’re done, namely putting the Dunklgelb on these 2 fellas, so you can see how well (or not) it’s going to paint-up 
Brenman looks pretty smooth
This guy not bad…
Amazingly, I never saw that mould-line on the left-center of his shorts, or the back of his neck, with the professional grey primer that was on him~~in fact I didn’t see it when applying the dark yellow or photo’ing him either. It was only when I went to copy the images to post here that I saw the easy-to-sand-off-blunder, but I thought it more usefull to show the pictures as-is, and then fix it with some 600grit paper, then to just show this looking perfect,{This illustrates one of the prime advantages of doing a really thorough build blog here! } 
I modelled the hobnails with some tiny bits of styrene softened in xtra thin Tamiya glue, and made them a little overscale(the bits we’re pretty small!) I thought I’d see what to do better with this colour on there, and did a little careful sanding since.{ These details will be slightly obscured by paint also, as I don’t see any reason his bootsole would be clean!} AND THATS IT FOR BUILDING FIGURES FOR THIS DIO ! I have ideas for 1-3 more, but I already have 7 Germans & 6 Brits (11 is the most I’ve modelled together before) I think these will do the job. I will see after placement of all the elements happens. So~!~~~~~In the interests of keeping going, Paint coats are going onto things AS building continues.(hopefully this blog still appears well-built and not a jumble!)
~Thanks for following guys, It will be a little while before painting all these figures happens, but that will be a mini-blog in itself Cheers til then! Indy
- Painting the Figures
Gents…The work has finally begun.
Upon taking on the painting of the fourteen(14) figures for this Dio, I picked them all up and considered them all again(CLOSELY) to ensure I’d removed any offending parting lines, rough spots, or pits, ect…and as soon as I began adding basecoats, many of those imperfections made themselves known ! And so since have attempted to quadrupal-check everything…none-the-less, no doubt something will squeek by 
Way back when I completed each figure it was carefully and completely primed using Tamiya Dark Yellow. Several days ago(prior to really sitting down to begin painting) I used a number of washes, made of Windser&Newton Burnt Sienna and Van Dyke Brown Oil paint in white spirit----over all the flesh areas, to bring out every little nuance of the features.
~One application does a fairly nice job of it if you’ve mixed the wash right, but several selective applications can be an easy way to set off features. Afterward, I lets these areas dry several days–(likely much more than needed) to play it safe, {as oil and I are still at odds}
Although I tend to mainly work in acrylics, this is a tremendously excellent way to begin, which many painters use, but I credit Mark Bannerman’s superb tutorials on Missing Lynx with showing me.
So much has been written on the subject of figure painting, and in the interests of having so much ground to cover with this figure painting job–I do not intend to do a blow by blow with each mini-man, but since I’ve tried to log a very complete build here, I hope to present this phase in a thorough enough way that the subject is not glossed-over, and I can show my way of doing things, both the common and unique.
After treating the flesh areas of all 14 figures in this same way, I began with the Brits, blocking in the base colours of thier fatigues. I like to have base colours on everything before I complete the heads, as there’s just too much paint being flicked-around for my liking during that. I also have found it’s better to have the base colours everywhere before attaching personnal equipment, or I’ve found there’s always missed spots. For these uniform colours I’ve made varied mixes of Vallejo 004 Off White, 116 Middllesone, & 304 Track Primer(from Panzer Aces series) The standard battle-dress trousers that two of the Desert Rats are wearing, we’re based with 141 English Uniform, lightened with 120 Buff. The Lee Enfield rifles got two thin coats of Tamiya XF-9 Hull Red to start–
Plenty left to do, but it’s starting to get fun !
More to come…Indy
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/germanpostcard.jpg
Postcards frome the Front
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/firstgermangroup.jpg
At at the bench tonight blocking-in the base colors for the DAK uniforms.
…more posted as it accumulates
The Next Part
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/bbrits1.jpg
The next phase, for me, after blocking in the uniform areas, is to go back to the skin, and really get to work the face & hands & in this case…well…knees…by first blocking in a medium flesh tone, and then working it in from medium to medium-dark.
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/bbrits2.jpg
I don’t really need a full palette at this stage–that’s just too much to try to do all at once, especially with this many figures I’m working in a row. Above is what works for me–a small cigar tin full of bottlecaps(save your caps!–if you drink beer or pop–drink it out of a bottle and collect the caps!! They are awsome for this–the Missus puts them in the dishwasher basket for me and into my collection)
For this stage in the palette is Vallejo
019 Dark Flesh,
024 Medium Flesh ,
80 / 20 % 147 Leather Brown & 150 German Camo Black Brown
70 /30 % German Camo Blk Brn & Leather Brn
All mixed down to ‘feel’ with Distilled Water
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/bbrits3.jpg
First I block-in the most medium shades of flesh using…well …Medium Flesh! I use a fine 6/0 liner to draw out alot of the features, saving the areas of the dark wash in most cases, as they define the sculpt(and the coming paintjob) I also use a very typical choice of a #0 Round brush doing this, and a few other larger brushes to smooth out the larger areas to avoid build-up anywhere.
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/bbrits4.jpg
The next step involves all four colors in my tin(and some intermixing in some cases) At this point, things begin to take shape and I thank Andy Mitchell for nudging me to order the Hornet Heads for this!! The face has a somewhat ‘digitized’ look at this point, and is far from complete…but the importaint features are all readable, even if I don’t worry about being entirely accurate about everything at this stage.
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/bbrits5.jpg
Thin layers of the darker skin colours are layed into shadow areas, actually softening the work of the original washes…but also blending some with the larger areas. Last step is to add basically the first highlight with the Dark Flesh, which is just slightly brighter than the Medium.
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/bbrits6.jpg
I paint all the areas of flesh as I work each figure–nothing worse than having to try to match your work later and having the legs not match the arms! Part of what makes this stage quick and effective for me is I actually do some wet in wet blending with the acrylics . YES…it can be done–no you don’t have time for alot of manipulation, but as I don’t need perfect colour placement at this early stage…I can use it to get far along in the shading process in just a few minutes. It helps to have multible brushes in hand for this–one for each color and another clean one to blend.
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/bbrits7.jpg
That kneecap will need some defining later with highlights (and widening) but not bad considering it didn’t exist at all a few minutes ago.
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/bbrits8.jpg
Here is another of the Desert Rats taken to this stage. I got all six to this point in one evenings time…
Continuing along with my Medium to Medium-Dark Fleshtones…
Again…i’m working to bring up the features…but not too worried about getting everything perfect at this early stage, in fact going pretty rapidly.
~I’m also not interested yet in personalizing anybodys’ personal skintones…plenty of time later for rosey cheeks & 5 O’clock shadows. Just sticking to foundational stuff. I do tend to use the tip of working the left side and then the right (being right handed) during each pass, or layer, so I can see well the semmetry being created (or not!)
" OH HOLD STILL!! It Doesn’t Hurt!!!"
I am at this stage trying to build on the sculpt a little though. The right hand above is an example. I’ve blocked in colours , quickly, to build on the features that should be there, but without stopping to try to blend much, as there’s not much point in it without the real dark and light tones, yet to come.
One thing I’ve learned is I need to paint the boots pretty much last—even mounted on a block I tend to rub the paint off of them as I work.
This guy started reminding me of Sean Penn a little (don’t say it Schnobs!)
More to come…
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aafig1.jpg
A basic layout of colors for the iconic Alpine Panzer Commander *(his tank now a wreck, has joined this gunteam to act as spotter) This was the very 1st figure built for “Clash”, a few months before the rest.
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aafig3.jpg
I often don’t find that I like the heads seperate for painting, maybe I just don’t like handling & gluing the heavily worked parts…but sometimes it’s essential, like this guy. (His awful-sour expression is coming right out with a little paint.
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aafig4.jpg
“It’s casual” My highly custom “laconic German gunlayer” , will sport the sand coloured blazer and now in vogue Euro-putties–no accounting for taste !http://www.militarymodelling.com/CuteEditor_Files/Images/emsad.gif
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aafig5.jpg
His loader, no arguement , the hardest-working mug in this unit, will have his over-worked image enforced by a particularly heavy beard on his gaunt face.
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aafig6.jpg
“The skeptic” There’s one in every group. This head seems made to take paint !http://www.militarymodelling.com/CuteEditor_Files/Images/emwink.gifOne of the funner jobs.
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aafig7.jpg
~Could be the “Skinny Kid” doesn’t even know enough to be really scared!
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aafig8.jpg
Ok …that’s about it for base-paint, foundations, and middle colours. Time to really get into things .
…".I’m going in! Cover me! "
Some very cool looking figs there, Indy. I like your method. It appears we both paint from dark to light. They all look very much like African front figs…great job…[Y][Y]
Adam - looking awesome brother, Im paying close attention, best figgy lesson yet. The longer I keep watching you I may actually be able to paint a decent figure.
Bob
~Eh…Thank you~ I really appreciate having the Manstein seal of Approval in this!
I believe they are coming right along–I’m down to the final weeks in this long build. You and I definately have much in common as to how we work and think as modelers–It’s great to find common ground in such a vast field of interest with so many approaches and qualities of outcomes I guess you could say I work from dark to light–though I have yet to try the black primer figure method. Really my paint theory is to me, from medium out–> . That is I put down base colors that are as medium a value as I can figure–giving me an appropriates starting point for each item and a maximum amount of room to go dark and light from there. Make sense?
~BoB~ You’re awsome Man! Keep that up [:#]
Small update~
~~Not having nearly enought time to get back into the ‘flesh paint’ yet- and not yet wanting to pour the palette out for it yet—and needing to define the complex legwear of the desert Tommy(having no leg-painting experience) I got some base coats onto those areas
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aabsox!.jpg
I’d noticed(although colour-references are rare) that the only items of O.D. green likely found on these Gents would be there long socks(unless they had the fashionable matching woven gloves) Likely an easier way but I mixed the O.D. with Vallejo 169 Black + 015 Flat Yellow (the recipe for O.D. !) plus in this case a little #120 Buff to lighten(Likely be my highlight color later too)
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aabsox2.jpg
Just to define the footwear I used 2 washes of #150 German Camo Black Brown. These Ammo Boots we’re black, but in the end that’s so muted by dust it’s tuff to tell. I just wanted to start this way to try to retain the shallow details of the boots–and now I can see my scratched hobnail detail!
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aabsox3.jpg
The putties color was some sort of yellowish-buff mix, but is again, just a base color–made a bit bright to try to retain some yellow to it, but again, will end up dusty. I also layed in paint to the pack-straps, belts, & harness to each figure using varriations of sand, khaki and buff, as this equipment tended to be a bit mix&match between lots. These items should be similar to uniforn colors, and will be further defined later on.
Plenty more to come…
!http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aa2.jpg
~So here’s the chap above–swung around— I know his head is largely in shadow in this pic, but I really just wanted to show the work on arms & legs-- relatively overlooked areas even on some really well-done work-----to show how, before taking time to try to perfect over-all skin tones, I’m attempting to better define these features in the limited DML parts in particular.
At this point I’ve expanded my palette to include the same Med. to Med-Dark colours I had been using plus lights :
60/40 %(or there-abouts) Sunny Skin Tone & 003 Glossy White
75/25 % Sunny Skin Tone & 003 Glossy White
020Sunny Skin Tone
019 Dark Flesh,
024 Medium Flesh ,
80 / 20 % 147 Leather Brown & 150 German Camo Black Brown
70 /30 % German Camo Blk Brn & Leather Brn
A wash of German Camo Black Brown with a few drops of 028 Vermillion
All thinned again using Distilled water & Vallejo thinner
As an aside, I’ve base-painted the personal equipment using varried, thin versions of the uniform khaki, to get across some of the common differences in color from the start.
Another update coming right up
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](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aac7.jpg)
I build as an homage and of as a means to see the parts of story little or never seen.
~Adam Kuller
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](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aac6.jpg)
Here you can see my Dragon/Hornet Hybrid Tommygunner coming along a bit. Highlights have been placed and even blended somewhat. Some areas of muscle in the original feature-less legs have been defined. Another sitting with him will include washes into dark areas and final highlights.
[
](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aac3.jpg)
I have decided to heavily portray sunlight shadows in some cases and that can be seen here to the extreme. I like to paint with high-contrast and move towards blending later.
[
](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aac4.jpg)
Still in mid-process here, and sorry I didn’t think to get the photo light values matched here, but you can see particularly on the neck how I’ve gone from drastic contrast to a blend by adding thin layers. Below some work to his hands:
[
](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aac5.jpg)
[
](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aac8.jpg)
Similar work going on with this chap.
[
](http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/aac9.jpg)
A bit of a blur I know, but it’s working to my advantage at this stage !http://www.militarymodelling.com/CuteEditor_Files/Images/emwink.gifThat dark area at the join of the ankle and sock must be carefully worked with the reddish-brown wash, as those small shadows inside tend to be importaint in the end.
Please Stay Tuned….plenty more to come…
