Paint German Shepherd

Modeling Subjects Figures and Misc.
1

I got a German Shepherd 1/35 as part of a Tamiya set of figures. What gloss should I use for that? A dogs fur is hard to imitate since it looks like high gloss if sun is shining straight on it, and half gloss “in the shadow”. If memory serves me correct, I don’t see any German Shepherds here in Japan. /Lars

2

I did flats on the scout dog diorama I’m working on. With a smooth finish, the flats are about right. The colors match those of our coon hound, black and brown. I’ll try to get a pic up tomm (no net at home and that’s where the fig is).

3

Thanks, looking forward to that.

4

Unfortunately I won’t get the pics up today. My digital camera isn’t cooperationing so I’ll have to find my traditonal prints and scan them. The really sad part is I put the dog down after I removed it from the box when I was messing with the camera and now I can’t find it. I’ve looked twice now. I’ll have to look again. I’m not sure if I should be embarrassed, panicked, or both. Sorry for the delay.

5

Lars,

I don’t think you should worry about them being gloss or semi gloss. A show dog or pet is glossy because he is given a high fat or high in oils diet. He is bathed regulary and preend over so that his coat is glossy. Having spent alot of time in the field with german shepherds I can tell you they are fine if you use flat paint. If its the field briefing set, they are in cold weather gear. GSD’s build up a heavy underwool in the winter. There is little sheen to the underhairs. The guard hairs are far enough apart that the surface that would create a sheen is negligible.

I think any highlighting or dry brushing you do, especially at that scale would be sufficient and look good. If you try and artificially add a sheen i.e. with future, gloss paint or semi gloss, it won’t look right and be “toyish”

Mike

6

cassibill; no problem, whenever you find the dog and has time to post it. I’m still building the figures and trying to figure out how I want the diorama setup.

renarts; yes, it’s the field briefing set I got. I guess both of you are right, flat should be enough.

My mother used to have her own dog grooming business for over 30 years. She had customers coming as far as 1 hour away by air with their dog to get it groomed. I guess the dogs I’ve seen as a child were the top of the cream.

Is it your dog on the picture? He doesn’t look old, the colors in his fur hasn’t set yet. Or he could be a few years old just sheeding his winter fur.

/Lars

7

It was the principle of the thing. I’ve worked on it forever. Finally got it finished except for putting it on the base and put it away. I decided to put a Projects page on my website and you’d asked, so I carefully take it out of the storage container, the one I reserve for finish pieces of larger projects that doesn’t get moved much. I stick the pin on the bottom into the block of foam on my desk I use for that sort of thing. Postition my worklight over it. I then set up the comp. and camera. I turn around and can’t find it. I’m half panicked honestly. I’ve worked on this diorama on and off for getting close to a decade. I’ve finished the base and the scout dog, plus a few odd bits. The dog has gone missing.

8

A little trick I learned form horse model painters is to add some metalic to your highlight color in certain spots. It adds a glistening sheen to the coat. It does work well, but it takes practice. Use Copper, Brass, Gold or Silver, depending on what color your highlight is.

Also, I’d recomend using oils to paint it for two reasons. One, the paint dries with a slight sheen. And two, it has a breathing quality when completely dry, that yeilds itself to leather, flesh and fur.

9

Not that one Lars.

I have 3 German Shepherds. This is my boy though. My wife has two.

10

He got the correct colors. Mid-section of GSD should be black, just like his.

11

Nice looking dog. Would you tell me where was that photo taken?

12

GSD’s run the gambit of all black, black and tan, black, red and tan, dark sables, blonde sables, silver and white. So there is a large latitude to what markings can be used. I have photos of german shepherds used during the war that show a large variety (save white which is a relatively new “designer” mutation and not recognized by anyone other than wgsd owners.) of markings, including a couple of shots of some floppy eared gsds working a train station with some ss troops.

You can see by this pic that the build and coat variation can really offer some nice possibililties. Black and tan, all black and sable.

All three are working dogs and worth their weight in gold.

There are a few gsd’s available with figures these days but I really wish there were more of just the dogs. I have been talking to a sculptor and she is going to make a couple of masters for me so I can cast them in resin. It’s something that I think I will make commercially available as soon as we can get a line put together of various poses and components.

So far the only gsd’s I know are Tamiyas field briefing set, Dragon’s fieldgendarme and Takahashi Modeling stug crewmember and dog. I’m hoping to give the world something more. Cause you can never have too many German Sherpherds__…__

13

Amen! Beautiful dogs, renarts. Here’s our new 6 mo. pup:

14

jlaw22,

The single pic of me and my male was shot at Aberdeen Proving Grounds last summer.

Fred, I fixed you picture link. (next time, use on either side of img for posting pics.)What a nice looking dog.

15

Thanks renarts, yeah it’s the macs I use at work… Safari isn’t forum-friendly!

16

Renarts-Verlinden has one with a Tunnel Rat (Kit #528). It’s laying down. That’s the one I’m working on. There really aren’t a lot of dogs out there. There are some dobies. I hope to try sculpting a I. Wolfie and displaying him with a Roman Consul for my mom.

17

Thanks CD. I look forward to both your tunnel rat project’s completion and seeing the consul and wolf. (Very appropriate for a Roman)

Weren’t you working on another project with some working dogs a while back? How’s that comming along?

18

The Verlinden kit IS my working dog project. The never ending project. I only get something like an hour a month to work on it with school. As I mentioned higher up the dog has gone AWOL and this week being finals and having projects (not to mention poison ivy) the last week and a half, I’ve not had time to tear my room apart to find him. I can only pray my sister didn’t step on it when she borrowed glue of my desk. Nice of her to ask first. I thought I was gonna die when she returned it the other night. She probably didn’t notice that my “Watch your feet. Fragile Items Lost on Floor.” sign was up. I’m trying to get a project page on my web site up. I need to find my pics to add to it. Something else I need to find.

I had the base, canteens, ammo pouches and, now missing, dog done. I’ve been trying to finish the pack and weapons. I’ve been fussing over the handler when I get the chance as well. The webbing is going to be replaced I think.