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~ U.S. Armored Infantry for my 1/35th scale E.T.O.~

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  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Ventura (at the beach) in California
Posted by *INDY on Monday, June 14, 2010 12:02 AM

I know Stick--You're totally right---Like I said, I want to show varied uniforms & equipment as much as possible--It's just too dull for me to want to have them all in the same gear--even if it's a little bit of a stretch with some in winter coats--not too unlikely going into spring--units being moved around--some guys getting re-equiped, others not, still others being deployed in more updated kit.

~Anyway there's going to be three different groups of men in this scene(not yet displayed in any way) There's a few guys up on an M2 half-track, a few standing around the area, and a couple more who just rolled up in a Jeep

Doesn't the 2nd guy back look like maybe the source of the S & T figure?

 

 

"Well...you gunna pull them pistols, or just whistle Dixie?"

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Sunday, June 13, 2010 11:49 PM

Indy, you have got four figures with three different GI uniforms going there. Figure 1 is perfect for 1945, M1943 Field Pants and Field Jacket, OG-107 shade water repellent treated cotton clothes. Figures 2 and 4 are wearing HBT fatigue pants and Tankers jackets. and then figure 3 in M1943 combat boots, OD wool trousers and the M1941 Field Jacket. Depending on the unit you have a mixture of cherries and vets or different units in the same piece of AO. Units were usually equipped or re equipped with the same  uniforms when they were pulled off the line. Just some thoughts.

So far your work is looking great as usual.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Ventura (at the beach) in California
Posted by *INDY on Sunday, June 13, 2010 11:48 PM

deafpanzer

WOW!  American GIs... this is going to be great for me to follow your work.  There's no question one of your guys reminds me of the Sgt from Saving Private Ryan... Sgt. Mike (Tom Sizemore).   I think he even carried a Carbine too!  Let me guess you are planning to rename your diomara 'Saving Private Indy'? 

http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/bevol4.jpg

~~Stick out tongueHee Hee Andy--yeah, he does look alot like 'Mike' from SPR doesn't he? A bit like our friend M1 Carbine too, that's why I'm naming him "Sarge' and "Bob'  Sargent Bob, I guess....

Someone did sculpt that charactor quite on purpose

  at least that's who he had in mind(and in his reference picture)--there's a great tutorial on sculpting a figure based on this one somewhere on Timeslines

Stay tuned, Buddy, lots more coming..................

"Well...you gunna pull them pistols, or just whistle Dixie?"

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Ventura (at the beach) in California
Posted by *INDY on Sunday, June 13, 2010 11:35 PM

Adding some indication of the eyes goes a long way towards being more life-like. Adding a tiny amount of W&N #6 Cadmium Red Deep Hue to the light flesh color gives the color for the lower lip, with a highlight at it's center.

And a bit of progress painting "Bob"

 

 Now switching from the oils palette to Vallejo, I begin blocking in the uniforms base colors.. 

 Just basecoats, nothings the right color yet--I tend to shoot for a medium tone to start--or to the darker or lighter side of medium for a little different effect. Above trousers are a mix of 894 Cam. Olive Green & 976 Buff--the jacket & putties 913 Yellow Ochre & 919 White & some of that Olive mix  (to tasteWink)

The next two chaps feature the wool trousers, based with 873 US Field Drab with a little 967 Olive Green. You can see I've changed-up the tone of the O.D. on his gear as much as possible--by time it's finished it will not look so starkly different but retain some contrast. The ammo bandolier was an item shipped as additional supplies , and coloured for the Marines in the Pacific--I painted it with a mix of Cam Olive Green , White, & some 925 Intense Blue. He wears the heavy winter coat that replaced the Mackinaw overcoat

These two also both have the later-style leather putties, and to base the leather I've used  819 Iraqui Sand with a little 873 (If I remember correctly)

Ammo belt & straps are painted the same mix for the 1st figures jacket,
 with a bit more of the  O.D.
I had planned to paint this G.I. with the the light drab field jacket, but when I went to do it thought it should be more a medium O.D. Now I'm thinking it whould be lightened, with only a light contrast to his gear, like the example below.


A good representation of a typical G.I. thanks to a re-enactment site(regretfully I forget which one and cannot credit the photos barrowed for discussion puposes only--no betting!)
 
 
Note the slightly different khaki tones which the modeller can mix 'n' match

 Thanks for checking out the progress---We'll get this attack underway shortly!  

 

"Well...you gunna pull them pistols, or just whistle Dixie?"

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Carmel, IN
Posted by deafpanzer on Sunday, June 13, 2010 11:28 PM

WOW!  American GIs... this is going to be great for me to follow your work.  There's no question one of your guys reminds me of the Sgt from Saving Private Ryan... Sgt. Mike (Tom Sizemore).   I think he even carried a Carbine too!  Let me guess you are planning to rename your diomara 'Saving Private Indy'? 

http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/41116/bevol4.jpg

Andy

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Ventura (at the beach) in California
Posted by *INDY on Sunday, June 13, 2010 11:24 PM

Using just the color in my basic skin palette, I've added some shadows & lights to these heads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Layer by layer.....allowing up to a day in between for drying...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiddling around at length on some of the finer features of these still....
 

 

 

 

"Well...you gunna pull them pistols, or just whistle Dixie?"

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Ventura (at the beach) in California
Posted by *INDY on Sunday, June 13, 2010 11:04 PM
Next on the hit parade.....this Good 'Ole Boy


Brand new release from a fairly new company(though I have a suspicion these guys are Tank's Allied division--just a theory-the pour blocks look the same and Tank seems steadfast against releasing American figures.....


The attachment points are smallish, andthe left arm came loose, with a hand missing the ring fingure---there's plent of hands in the spares box, but still, for this kind of money.....
 
 
Most of the casting is brilliant, really nicely proportioned and sculpted and cast---the arms are dryfitted here only--they fit that well! As you can see the head is moulded in place with a sub-sized cranium--I guess they figure it's better to be able to adjust the 'sit' of the helmet than have the whole head seperate for painting. My major problem with the figure is the .30 carbine is too small--it's out of scale with the figure unless he's suposed to be HUGE--the .30's not even as long as his arm--that's not just foreshortening in the photo-it's small. i used to own one and I know they are compact, but this one will not work for me, especially with  the nice looking M1 gripped by my Verlinden figure.. This guy has some really well moulded .30 carbine ammo pouches, so no changing his weapon. Likely I'll change out both hands , those in the kit are nothing to special, and worry about arming him much later.
 

 

 I selected some new hands for him from a Legend set and painted alongside

 I think they'll do the job by time they're all finished. One thing, I always like to paint the hands as I go, so the end up matching the rest of the fleshtones--something often missed.

 More updates to follow shortly.........

"Well...you gunna pull them pistols, or just whistle Dixie?"

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Ventura (at the beach) in California
Posted by *INDY on Sunday, June 13, 2010 10:54 PM

 

~~The 3rd figure going into my Germany 1945 scene will be
 

 


Sold as "Sniper", his Garand is fitted with flash-suppressor and cheek rest, but no scope! In fact some other detail is missing from the rifle including triggerguard & trigger. I may yet  add details or replace it, not sure yet. The rest of his seperate gear looks very good, but I will likely replace his model 1918  'T' handle shovel, it looks a little outdated I think.
 

 


The castings look Exactly like a kit from Warriors. I sense a shared manufacturing source. Most of the pour blocks are not a big problem to deal with, but the weapon is nearly impossible to recover properly---be nice if there was a scope there when finaly done!
 


Everything was prepared and painting started, again, same as above.
 

I'm really, really liking the stock head. Eastwood in my scene too? 
 I've got goosebumps  Sad

~~More comin right up......

"Well...you gunna pull them pistols, or just whistle Dixie?"

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Ventura (at the beach) in California
Posted by *INDY on Sunday, June 13, 2010 10:42 PM

Next up, is the man 'Heading-up this operation'

 
What I would say is a very average resin 1/35 scale figure, From kit #1928 from Verlinden
 
 
 supplied in an odd green material,   with considerable(but normal) amount of pour blocks to remove and scraping & filing to get done----but I really, really love the pose---it reminds me of John Wayne in action (though I don't recall him in the field in any E.T.O. based film---but lots of USMC roles in the Pacific--maybe I forgot one?)
 


The barrel of his M1 Carbine was mutilated as delivered, as I find is usually the case with Verlinden figures---I like them ---they are great after you put the work in--but there is always plenty to do , judging from the several I've built. I scratched a new barrel from some appropriately sized drillstock, with gave me a perfectly straight barrel (for a change), with the drawback of having no way to bore it out--still, I liked the result and so kept going and made a new muzzle-lug and front sight using UV setting resin (don't ask me where you're going to find that)Surprise He also got a replacement head from Hornet.Yes


I started the painting in the exact same way as the previous figure.

 

 

 ...and with the flesh-base...

 

and with another layer of flesh-base and some blended shadow & a 1st highlight 

 

 

 

 

"Well...you gunna pull them pistols, or just whistle Dixie?"

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Ventura (at the beach) in California
~ U.S. Armored Infantry for my 1/35th scale E.T.O.~
Posted by *INDY on Sunday, June 13, 2010 10:27 PM

 

                                            

 

~I''m just getting some elements going for an upcoming Diorama, the title of which at the time of this writing is " Beyond the Rhine "   . As usual for me there will be a number of resin figures involved,  from varied  manufacturers, representing some variation in uniforms & equipment.

 

 

To say that clean-up & assembly was a breeze would be an understatement. Actually I think this is the best resin figure I''ve seen--even fitting both arms and the Garand with attached hands was simple, with keyed attachments for both arms, there was nearly no play, and after gluing the arms in place, the weapon/hands part can dry-fitted  perfectly. I''ll have this piece seperate for painting, and  am using a small piece of clay to keep it in place here. The head is in place with a music-wire pin, and will likely be left free to turn until final placement in the Dio.

 

 

~It was really difficult to photo, as this is a extremely small detail on an uncoated part, but you can see that the hilt of the bayonet is actually drilled out to scale--a feature of detail I haven''t seen before.

 

 Another detail I thought was quite exquisite, was the complex Garand sling, cast as a seperate resin part, which easily fit in just the right spot.
Everthing was mounted-up on music wire 'pins' and sprayed with a few very ligth coats of Tamiya TS-3 Dark Yellow as a primer/basecoat

 Next was a few washes of W&N  #2 Burnt Sienna & then # 41 Van Dy ke Brown in White Spirits

 

 Next went a thin layer of flesh-base made of #45 Zinc White , #44 Yellow Ocre, & #2 Burnt Sienna

Even a thin flesh layer makes those hands look less skeletal.

~~~~Plenty more coming right up...............

"Well...you gunna pull them pistols, or just whistle Dixie?"

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