Yes, space is definitely at a premium in that scale. I used to do a lot
of 1/35th scale Vietnam stuff in my youth, and I crammed as much crap
on them as I could fit. I thought it looked great at the time, but
looking back, it often looked cluttered.
I think I've modeled maybe four 1/35th scale figures in ten years, and
two 54mm figures. Sculpting is really my forte, and I work mainly in
120mm and up, so that's what I tend to paint. You can certainly get
away with more equipment on a 1/9th scale figure than on a 1/35th scale
figure. My 1/9th scale Green Beret has fully loaded web gear, complete
with frags, side arm ammo pouch and a 1st aid pouch, and an overstuffed
ruck with canteens and smoke grenades strung all over it. He also has a
butt pack, a trench knife on his boot and 1911 in a shoulder holster, a
captured AK47 mag pouch for his weapon, then there's his McGuire
extraction rig. There's still more I could have added, but I think I
got the point that he was going somewhere very remote across well
enough.
As for oils, like any technique, it takes practice. Though, I
also think that certain people are geared towards certain techniques
over others, so whatever works is the going rule. I've found that
getting the level of results out of acrylics that I get with oils is
just beyond me. I understand how it's supposed to work, but I can't
seem to make it work. I had the same problem with enamels. Once I found
oils, my painting entered a whole new realm. But that's me. Like I say,
whatever works.
Great work, keep on plugging.