Dont toss out those old Tamiya figures

Well said, Pawel. Well said.

I didn't even think of the pose you have on your TC. I thought the pose peculiar until I stuck the cig in his fingers, then it bacame an idea. I could have posed him very differently and more like yours and the story would change.

The story I want to tell is about the end of the day when you're looking forward to some bunk time and a hot meal. When all you can expect of the next day is getting back in one piece and repeating the process til your time is up and you can finally go home. I suppose I've been watching too many documentaries, but that's what those faces are telling me.

Even without a base I see your story. The TC manning and preparing his M2 as the turret swings onto a target. The map of Viet Nam giving it a time and place in an unspecified location.

I had noticed those elements earlier when you had posted a link to this build in another thread and I had a moment of imaginatory delight as I played out the scene out in my mind.

That is what I want to do, and not just build another static display. I already have more than a few of those.

Hello Mike!

Great job on those tankers! When I painted the same tank commander you did (it was more than 15 years ago!) he looked like Elvis Presley!:

And I agree - even if it's not a diorama, it's good to have some figures around (or on) your model. Without people the machines don't really have a point, do they?

It's all about trying - my parachute instructor used to say: "after 10 000 times it's getting easy" - it's the same with figure painting, modifying and other aspects of modelling.

Good luck with your builds and have a nice day

Paweł

WOW! Thank you for that comment! I am shocked.

I hope you guys are just as enthusiastic as I have become about your figure painting. Just like all of our other subjects, this just gets better and easier over time with practice. I know you guys can do this too. Karl certainly seems to have had a little fun with his figures lately and I think they are fantasticly painted.

I know a lot of you will disagree, but I feel that you guys are right here with me. Practice is the only thing that separates any of us. :)

"Most realistic fleshtones and eyes!" ...Wow, just WOW. Thank you ever so much!  :D

I often wonder if there are any others out there who see things as I do...

When you start your builds with the figures, the build has a different appeal to it and the subject becomes the accesory to the figures. I have seen so many examples of this and that's what I've set my mind to do. I haven't gotten that far yet, where I am telling my own story.

When the figures are the accesory to the subject, it lacks, in just that little way, that the attention was not to tell a story but to showcase the model.

Now, that is not always or necessarily the truth and don't get me wrong. Including the human element ALWAYS brings the model to a whole new level. For example; look at the attention we are all giving to Karl's finish AV7 build. Why is that?

His attention to detail and the outstanding work done to the model is second almost to no one I know of (besides some of you guys I can actually name). The accessories he added to the setting are little works of art in themselves to be sure. But what really grabs us is the story behind it all. The human element that carries the action of the story.

It's the figures that are telling the story. Even if he had done a half-azz job of painting them they would still be the action in the story line. The rest of it all is just the descriptive narative that sets the scene.

I think this is why I spend so much time and effort on my figures. I want to show the grief, disappointment, triumph, and exhaustion on their faces. I want you to connect with what I'm building and the story it tells. I have yet to get there, but I' will get there eventually.

However getting there sounds like a lonely position to be in all by myself, so I'll take as many of you with me as I can. LOL

Then we can all be story tellers. Epic story tellers. I'd like that very much :)

MB, those faces look superb! Most realistic fleshtones and eyes!

And the fatigues are sorted out. Vest and helmets next and these guys are done.  :)

Wow! That's a great compliment as far as I concerned.  :D

Thank you very much crown!

I find it funny how different my painting can look under different lighting. I prefer working with natural light and I don't do much painting at night usually.

The patches did turn out okay. It was a bit tricky to get the points on those stripes and they didn't turn out 100% good, but I checked and his shoulders are not even visible with his head in the hatch.

crown r n7

I'll drink to that but what really bothers me is when .22 costs the same as .223

 

You and me both pal! Unless its like it used to be when both types were quite cheap!

Crown, you are quite correct. Firearms are VERY subjective. I  spent 24 years in the Army, both active and Guard, and have been a cop for over 26 years now. I have been around firearms and shooting for over 40 years now, from .22s to wire guided anti tank missiles, grenade launchers, automatic weapons, etc. I LOVE to shoot. There are so many weapons out there I have yet to sample.  And what works best for me, may not be best for you, GM, or any other shooter due to a variety of reasons. But it can be lots of fun finding out. 

well your guys still great with thier patches 

this is like color its subjective whats red to me my not be for you. Im not in law enforcememt but I been around fire arms over 50yrs its all good

Great photo GM... The tankers are a mix of the WWII and 60s era helmets... Too funny! One interesting thing that I learned when doing some image searches for your Berlin stuff recently was that prior to the 1961 Wall Crisis, it seems that the Berlin Brigade was not high on the priority list for new weapons and gear. The Army was embarrassed in the press for having WWII small arms and had to fly out new weapons, and trainer teams to rectify that as the crisis wore on. Not what was expected of a showboat unit on "the front line" of the Cold War.

M. Brindos

Hmm... now I better go educate myself. I don't like feeling stupid and I prefer not to perpetuate urban legends lol.

 

unfortunately with the Internet, it is all too easy to pass on stuff opined someone as hard facts. When it comes to pistols, there is a LOT of mystique associated with the 1911. As well the ongoing .45 vs 9mm debate. And a lot of snobbery and bias can be found in there. People pick and choose their facts to support their viewpoint. The reality is far more nuanced. 

It is kinda like we see in this hobby in certain quarters. 

I owned a 1911 replica. No love for that gun. And it's true- .45 doesn't help much if your effective accuracy is maybe 50 yards.

On a slightly different subject, my Berlin tankers in 1961 still have the old style tankers helmets. Have a look at this photo. Stik if you had a minute- a rundown on this rummage sale...

Hmm... now I better go educate myself. I don't like feeling stupid and I prefer not to perpetuate urban legends lol.

You guys are repeating some urban legends in regards to pistols. I was issued a M1911 as. My duty weapon in 1984. It was junk- worn out. Move it around and the parts rattled like nuts & bolts in a coffee can. I would not get issued a GI M9 Baretta until much later in my career. And it was nice. As far as the military shooting +Ps goes, not allowed. Only standard ball ammo is issued, per Geneva convention. Only SOF types use the "hot load" 147 grain +P hollow points. The same round I have carried on duty for nearly 25 years as a cop and put thousands thru my department issue 92F with no slide cracks. It is a good pistol. As far as combat use of the M9 goes, there has not been much. Panama & Gulf War did not see much pistol shooting by guys issued M9s. By the time of OIF/OEF, the pistoleros who did combat shooting with handguns, had the new HK .45s. Shot placement is what drops your bad guys most, not caliber. A proficient shooter is far more likely to drop his target with a 9mm than a poor shooter with a .45. The SAS used the 9mm Browning High Power for decades with no complaints to drop lots of bad guys. Because they were proficient. It's the shooter that counts most in a gunfight. 

Of course, that makes sense. That's a "duh" moment right there. :/

steel side on aluminum frame cant take to much mg ammo

Ah yes, I'd heard about that. Something to do with the metal in the frames being a little substandard? Or was it just the hot loads the military ordered that were not meant to be fired from the Barretta?

when they used (9mm+P+) THE m9 frames cracked after awhile

Yes they did. My Dad still used them in the late 70's and early 80's I believe. The problem with switching out the 1911 for the M9 was that every guy who had the 1911 first didn't want to give it up for that puny little 9mm toy. It took more bullets to drop someone.

so true early vietnam US still had 1911's from korea

Yes indeed. No change happens overnight in the military. Especially with equipment. In any service it takes years to phase out the old and replace it with the newest stuff all across that service.

Oh good, then I'm headed in the right direction with these guys. I know they have the early type helmets, but they used those for a while even after the newer ones were introduced. That always seems to be a popular theme with our military lol.

They were in 65 and before during the advisory period. Along withe the full color unit patches, name tapes and service tape on the chest. And all proved to be "sniper bait" for the VC & NVA. Some units kept their full color patches longer than others, but rank was subdued very quickly. And by late in the war, enlisted rank was moved from the sleeves to the collar on fatigues. Which only recently ended when BDUs were replaced.

Thanks Stik. I found some pictures and you're absolutely correct. I don't know why I thought they were yellow.

Back on track however. :)

Except for the earliest days of US involvement, from early 1966 on rank chevrons were black embroidered on Olive Green background. Before then, they were the same as on the dress Greens and Khakis: gold embroidered on army green. 

I added some dark brown between the loader's eyes and eyebrows. He doesn't look quite as amazed as he did before and I think this will help him look more life-like.



I then blocked-in the TC's vest. Looks like poo right now, but it will clean up well I'm sure.



And for the final detail on this bust I decided to add some rank patches. I need to look up the proper color for these. First thing I thought of was yellow, but I think its probably more toned down than this.




Have a good one guys! Happy Friday.