German Crew for Sd.Kfz 234/1 & StuG III Ausf B

Modeling Subjects Figures and Misc.
1

To make our friend Indy happy… I promised him I will post this. [:D] It has been more than a year since I painted the figures…

Two figures from Verlinden is for Sk.Kfz 234/1 I built earlier this year for 8X8 GB.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Sd Kfz 234-1/DSC01324.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Sd Kfz 234-1/DSC01314.jpg)

Bought it for only $5 at train expo… no kidding! [:P]

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Sd Kfz 234-1/DSC01313.jpg)

Another set of figures from Verlinden is for the StuG III B I recently completed for Turretless GB.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Stug III Ausf B/DSCN0130.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Stug III Ausf B/IMG01294-20100702-1032.jpg)

The figures will be painted like this… Ron Volstad answered my questions regarding StuG crew uniforms earlier. Indy made me realize it was ‘HIM’. LOL

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01339-20100720-0118.jpg)

All figures have been primed using the $1 rattle can from Walmart. I am using MM enamel for the uniforms this time. I plan to use MM acrylic for the flesh next… I will apply dull coat at the very end to tone down.

For the 234/1 crew…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG_0241.jpg)

Early stage… base painting only.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01334-20100720-0116.jpg)

Applied highly thinned dark gray to the black leather… I might need to do it one more time.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01333-20100720-0116.jpg)

Darkended and lighened field gray tones were applied. I will work on the trouser next… going for the pea dots pattern like this…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01336-20100720-0117.jpg)

For the StuG III crew…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG_0242.jpg)

Base painting…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01327-20100720-0114.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01326-20100720-0114.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01325-20100720-0113.jpg)

For the uniforms, I painted MM field grey as base, then I applied two different tones to the base afterward… darkened field gray using black and lightened field gray using white on the edges so it won’t look too monotoned. Sorry I had to use my BlackBerry to take some of the pictures so I hope you can see the work.

Thank you for looking… feel free to comment. Jeez, don’t you agree Germans sure liked to smoke? [+o(]

2

wow, that is looking really nice! How are you going to tackle the pea dot camouflage?

Thanks, Jim

3

Looks like your coming along nicely.

They sure do like to smoke. Every time I look up a refrence picture of a uniform they have a cigarette.[:XX]

4

Thank you Jim and Jetmodeler! Still a long way to go… painting flesh is next and the idea scares me. [:|]

I haven’t painted pea dot camo before… it will be my first attempt. I will paint brown using MM Military Brown then MM Olivgrun or Dark Green to outline the edges and in dots. Then wrap up with few more dots using Testor Flat Green since I don’t have any light green in my stock. If it is not light enough, then I will add a drop of yellow to make it work.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01340-20100720-0949.jpg)

5

ANDY!

VERY nice thread Buddy! (You’ve learned fromt he best)[:P]

I like your Stug ALOT–and that set of figures was a real score–they look very cool-with good charactor.

I’m sure you can get lots of pea-camo advice around here–I’d just say find an example you like the look of before you start–thatre’s alot a variations on them

And try and go from a real garment not another painted one

SEE this

6

Thanks for the comment about my StuG. Gonna post better pictures using my new Canon camera when we return home. My family and I are in Denmark right now for a week and it is a very beautiful country especially the ladies… trust me on this! [;)]

For obvious reason I will not be able to post updates for next two weeks. I did some fine detail painting on the figures the night before we left the country but I wasn’t able to post new pictures. I will attempt the pea pot camo first thing when I return… thanks for the pictures! [Y]

7

Hello boys! I am back!

Trip to Denmark and Sweden for two weeks was AWESOME. You will love Denmark… no question Danish folks are one of happiest folks on the earth. Don’t ask me about Sweden… it wasn’t as good as Denmark which surprised us. You won’t believe how beautiful Scandinavian ladies were… hope my wife doesn’t read this! Anyway I wasn’t in mood to do anything for a week due to jet lag but returned to my workspace yesterday finally. [:D]

Here’s the update on my figures… did some detail painting on the Stug crew especially the red pipings. Unfortunately the wood holding the figure broke so gonna have it re-attached.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01367-20100808-1740.jpg)

Now for the 234/1 crew… more detail painting and started the camo job on the trouser.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01373-20100808-1745.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01383-20100815-0104.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01405-20100815-0139.jpg)

The camo painting was still wet when pictures were taken. Gonna apply a thin layer of thinner to make the result smoother if possible. One more color (lighter green) then I am done before I airbrush acrylic clear flat on it.

For the crew flesh, I am using MM acrylic paint which I am not too crazy about. Gonna have those replaced soon. Applied MM Light Skin Tone as a base… soon I will paint darker colors.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01369-20100808-1742.jpg)

Now guys, I really need your input [:P]… what color should I use for the 234/1 crew’s shoulder pipings? The artwork of the kit box shown below shows yellow… my reference books tell me they belonged to the Signals division? What the heck… I am not familiar about this group… perhaps same meaning of recon? I was planning to paint pink (Panzer) or light green (Panzer Grenadiers) if 234/1 were used in other divisions… which would be more historically accurate? HELP!

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01348-20100721-0913.jpg)

Thanks for looking… hope I will have an answer to my question.

8

Hi Andy~

Nice trip? I bet–Did you get into any cool war museums—I guess not the best Euro locals to find them–still, there had to be some interesting sights(besides the skirts[:S])

Great start on your crewmen. The camo colors are looking too color-saturated though–too much color–need more fade–camos need highlights and lows worked in too, just like solid colored fabrlics and look more real when they dont contrast too much–some serious weathering can take care of this–or additional layers of shades of the colors on-top of the bright blocked color areas–or both[:D]

For your insignia here’s a tremendously good site for Axis research Axis History I got the tip from Von Hammer and the answers are there. Looks like your boxart was depicted the crew as Signal Corp

keep us posted Buddy’‘’‘’‘’‘’

9

Hey Indy!

Believe it or not… didn’t go to any of war museums as the largest one in Copenhagen was closed for remodeling… unbelievable! But we went to one of the cold war relics by the shore at the closest point to Sweden where ships pass thru and it was unbelievable cool… it was a NATO missile defense system with two huge artillery pieces. I think I will post the pictures in Odds-n-Ends one day because I’d love to make a diomara out of it one day.

I am still early in the camo painting stage… will add one more pattern then I will tone it down with lighter & darker tones of same colors that I used. Then I will weatherize it like I did with other figures. For sure its pretty loud right now especially that I am using enamel paints! LOL It is my first attempt so let’s hope it comes out OK! [*-)] Feel free to say prayers for me…

Like always, thanks for looking and taking your time to share comments!

10

Checked in here a couple of times to see if you were blogging on those figures,looking pretty goood so far.[Y]

11

Jeez! [:^)] This is one of my longest WIP for sure… I finally got back to my figures after completing 2 GBs since August. Here’s my update:

Completed the camo… I should have added lighter tones to the trouser before I applied the spots like Indy suggested. Learning experience for me here.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01417-20100815-2254.jpg)

Used flat clear to protect before I toned it down…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG01698-20101024-0020.jpg)

Applied more thinned MM flat black to the edges

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02051-20110209-0003.jpg)

I brought Flesh paint set from Vallejo and I FELL IN LOVE with those… good bye MM acrylic paints! First I used light base then darker tan around eye, nose and mouth, etc.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02048-20110208-2335.jpg)

I cheated… I used very fine black marker for the eyes. It was the hardest part. I had to make few attempts before I got them right.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02075-20110211-2113.jpg)

Here they are… completed figures for my StuG. I’d love to hear your comment and feedback. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02079-20110211-2216.jpg)\

I am not satisfied with this figure eyes… I will have to try it again when I am not tired. Tried to make his eyes looking at lower angle.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02082-20110211-2218.jpg)

This is definitely my favorite especially his chin dimple and his hairdo. He’s as great looking as me! [whstl]

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02081-20110211-2217.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02080-20110211-2217.jpg)

Detailfreak kept me going in Turretless GB… thank you buddy! I guess a diomara will be next… [:|]

Here’s the crew for 234/1 I completed for Eight Wheels GB last spring… it is not really complete because I still need to attach the jerry cans to the crew hands.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02084-20110211-2227.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02086-20110211-2228.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02085-20110211-2227.jpg)

Promised myself that I will have 1 or 2 figures for every armor I build. Catching up here! Thank you for looking…

12

Sure it is very quiet here in Figures forum. [|-)] The figures are completed… weathered the uniforms a bit more using either flat black or raw umber. Corrected couple of eyes and it wasn’t that easy… flesh wash helped. The jerry cans have been added…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02094-20110213-1757.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02096-20110213-1758.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02097-20110213-1805.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02102-20110213-1928.jpg)

Closer shot…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Verlinden Figures/IMG02104-20110213-1932.jpg)

I will be working on Tristar figures that came with Panzer I Ausf. A next… have a good week.

13

Figures turned out nice, Andy. Good job with the camo.If anything, I’d say you could “pea” on it some more [;)]

14

Thanks buddy! [Y] I have to agree with you… I am afraid I may have been too conservative because it was my first attempt doing pea dot camo. Next time I will drink couple of high balls to loosen myself up. [D] Am always learning and this forum is a great place to get helpful tips.

You may have noticed that I used painter tape (green) to hold the figures on the StuG. I didn’t want to glue them to it. Is there a better way to keep them attached without gluing? Maybe some kind of putty clay like we use to hold posters on the wall? Any suggestion would be helpful… thanks again!

15

Yeah, you can use that Blue Tack wall poster stuff, also comes in yellow. Or, maybe a dab of dried rubber cement?

16

Thanks Steve for taking your time to reply. [Y]