Charles Klein
Frisco, North Carolina
Modeling the Battle of Waterloo is no small thing — even a small part of it in 1/72 scale. (In order to show more detail, only a portion of the entire diorama is shown here.) Charles settled on a 10- x 36-inch base, and, over “a leisurely four or five years,” posed and painted 168 French cavalry (plus horses), 143 British infantrymen, and 182 Scottish Highlanders — 493 figures, including casualties. “All these tiny soldiers also received shading and highlighting on their uniforms and equipment, just as a larger 1/32 scale figure would,” he says. He placed the infantry, brushed tan paint onto the base, and sprinkled finely sifted soil over it. Then came the cavalry, followed by more paint and soil. Eventually, he planted medium-height spring grass from Walthers and tall static grass using a Noch Gras-Master. Teasing polyfiber pillow stuffing produced puffs of gunsmoke.