DAK Pz III and troops on the offensive, July 1942

The first figure, these are masterbox 1/35 and superbly sculpted/cast.

DAK infantry officer for Pz III diorama by Gadgetworks3D, on Flickr

Infantry finished and painted. Next up is the main base layout/construction. Still musing over how simple to make it and if I can manage convincing sand dunes or should it be more rocky..

Afrika Korps Infantry by Gadgetworks3D, on Flickr

Beautiful work!!!!! Your figure painting skills are simply outstanding! I really like Masterbox figures myself. You have made them really shine!

Don't forget slings for the weapons.

Good reminder, but I hadnt forgotten them.. checked how they go on the k98 rifles, most unusual side fitting, but easier!.. will be using metal foil cut into strips to make them with some bits of pe for buckles.

Figures look awesome, what brush do you use? do you use a maginifying lens? and what paints do you use?

Thanks very much!

Brush is mainly a standard 0 pointed detail brush. Occasionally a larger one for base painting the main areas. Certainly nothing smaller! For figure painting you only really need one good brush.

Paints are acrylics, a combination of Vallejo for general colours and AK in this case because of the excellent uniform colours AK do. I also used tamiya pinwash to accentuate detail after the basecoat but before any shading, and metal pigment to highlight the metal guns. The pinwash step is a bit lazy but the tamiya panel line pinwash is very thin and subtle.

I used an illuminated magnifier for the final 'eyes and badges' step. Prior to that I prefer to work un-magnified as I find working magnified is hard work and leads to no more pleasing result.. painting models is something like impressionist painting after all! I am fortunate in having good eyesight so others may find the magnifier just necessary.

The main thing is illumination.. bathe that thing in light at all times, the best work is in good daylight from my experience. That and painting in thin layers (if it doesnt cover well let it dry and do another layer) and using tiny amounts of paint on the brush tip once working on highlights etc, washing and wiping the brush often.

I ought to hook up the gopro and do some videos of painting figures next time, it really isnt very hard if  you get it all in the right order, and with acrylics you can correct any errors in a few minutes by just painting it over.

Shaun

much progress and clarification of what is going to go in there..

I made a resin cast broken down wall to dress the scene..

desert wall, resin cast by Gadgetworks3D, on Flickr

I made some basic etch for the gunslings and some barbed wire

home-made photo etch by Gadgetworks3D, on Flickr

and Im now building a destroyed stuart/honey for the background, to give the thing some story and impact.

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In progress destroyed m3 stuart/honey by Gadgetworks3D, on Flickr

Completed this one.. decided in the end to leave aside the honey for its own dio.

Base is the usual foamboard, plaster, sand/gravel etc and paint.

Afrika Korps advancing, Egypt 1942 by Gadgetworks3D, on Flickr

Panzer III ausf J with DAK Infantry by Gadgetworks3D, on Flickr

very well done and the figures look amazing. I for one would love it if you made a vid on how you paint your figures, I can't master eyes in 1/35 every time I try they just look all bugged out lol

I have a gopro so will probably give a figure-painting video a go.. my techniques are very much my own developed over many decades, rather than any sort of standard process so it would be a different video to others out there, for good or bad!

I really like the way it has been set-up! the bricks on the ground ad the perfect amount of detail.