(sorry for all the text, please lend a hand)

I'd like to get into painting figures and maybe make a few vignettes. I'm just wondering do people thin their paints for brush painting figures. I know the base colour is airbrushed, and then subsequent highlights and shadows will be added(I just bought Osprey's "Modelling WWII Figures) but I'm not sure about thinning etc.

And since oil paints do not affect the acrylics, there's no future or dullcote needed is there?

I did some major modifications to a US figure I had from a US halftrack kit. They're both supposed to be sitting but I modified one to be down on one knee(his elbow resting on his leg, still holding his rifle), and the other will be close to the same.

The idea I have came from a photo in a book I bought yesterday entitled "The March to Victory". The photo is of 2 US GI's kneeling in a snow covered forest, wearing newly issued snow capes. They are in Vossenack, January '45.

If anyone can lend some input on the painting, because with the cape you can't see much, just a boot or two, and his face(the cape will be made with facial tissue). Also, any pictures are greatly appreciated.

I couldn't find the picture online so I took another photo of it, as you can see it's only the two GI's in a snow covered forest in Voessenack. I'd like to try my hand at snow, and because the figures don't have too much detail, I'd like the terrain too look nicely. Also, I'm trying to find information on what happened at Vossenack so that maybe I could add something to the photo to convey how that battle was fought/won/survived etc etc.

PICTURE:



MODIFIED FIGURE: (legs shifted, hand detached and adjusted)




I'm still scrounging for a rifle for him. Only the barrel will be seen so I don't think the type is too important but I'm still going to try and be accurate. Once I find a rifle I can attach the other hand and make the snow cape.

What do you think?
(sorry about the wall of text!)

Here's the base on it's way:



The mounds are of brush, I know its just a pile of plaster, but I'll be sticking roots/branches out of the sides of it, and draping a few over top to look like a snow covered pile of brush. You can see along the top of the photo one of the pine trees I've made. These are from a tutorial I read here on Armorama(just search Easy Pine Trees). One of the trees grows up close to the small mound, and one GI is beside it, the other tree - which I opted to break at the top - will be close to the bigger mound, with a GI beside it.

A small section of dowel from the broken piece will be laid somewhere close by for the top of the tree that has fallen due to rot etc. I have a container of brush bristles that I saved from cutting brushes for weathering techniques, and those will stick out of the ground as grass.

How am I doing so far? This is my first dio attempt!