Sir Nick, you are ridonculous man!!!!!!

Seriously how can you possibly do this kind of stuff over and over again at the levels you do it? You the foshizzle man!

These pictures are sick! My non modelling buddies think you are lying to all of us here....so I think your on track with this one too.

I was cheering for the Giants too, but I gave them my undivided attention. I wish I could multi task like you can. I be on my second diorama for sure by now.

Absolutely awesome work again sir..... Well worth the wait!

Your fellow modeller, in stunned amazement,

Dave

Hi Nick ,

i've learned my lesson well ! Before i visit your topic, first i take off my shoes and then i go outside looking at your photos .

The reason for that is because everytime you blow me out of my shoes and i'm getting pretty tired to put them back on afterwards and no more holes in the ceiling too !

Awesome work Nick , the line between fiction and reality is getting smaller and smaller ...

Cheers

Kurt

Ditto the above. Amazing work!

Hello - glad the forums are up again!!! man, tough not seeing what people are up to!

Thanks for having a look, and the positive words - I appreciate them!

In fact, I'm relying on that positive energy to get me through the current task: figures! I'm taking it slow and steady - and am about halfway done - so far, I've done a few soldiers and a few locals - please take a look:















And there you have it! a few guys painted, and a few installed - I have more to go - I've been in touch with the esteemed European model builder, who I will call "Romain" for few helpful tips along the way!! not always easy, but resulting in a better build!!! the crits have helped me tune things up!

This week after work, painting more soldiers and locals...

thanks for checking it out!

cheers
Nick

amazing

Hey Nick, good to see this weeks update! Glad you are in touch with the masterful Romain, he will keep you honest. The locals look way better with your "dirtying" them up a bit. The first couple shots they looked too showroom shiny.

Keep it up and we will be asking you to critique our figs soon!

Can't wait to see some outdoor pics of the scene with your guys hanging out watching the boys work.

Take care and I'll see you in the funnies...

Dave


PS. Should get some model time soon, the next few days are forcasting for daytime highs of only -18Celcius, brrrrrrrr

Fantastic! I love the figures!

The big question: Oils ... acrylics ... both?

—mike

Hi David - good response!! 😀😀 thanks!

Hi Dave - yeah....fugures!!! You guys who know what you're doing!!! Argh!! So, to catch up I've been paying attention and trying to pick up the techniques!

Your point about the shine is correct - as I'm not that terrific at figures....I didn't show the steps, but did show the villagers right after painting, then again after a dust (diluted Lifecolor dust) wash on their clothing and shoes, then a rattle can spray of Dulcote. The big victory for me has been in getting better at finding "tones" of color on facial features - I'm still trying!! Also, I'm with you, looking forward to seeing the guys in sunlight!!!

Btw - you must be freezing your butt off!!! Get inside and back to the dio!!

Hi Mike - I'm using acrylics - Scale 75 for skin, and Vallejo for all else. Once I get to be somewhat better than acceptable I'll try oils - who knows where I'll settle. At least I can finally say with clear conscious that I no longer hate or fear painting figures - I believe it was the great Jerry R who pointed out that you can't get better without practice - he's right.

Cheers and thanks for having a look!

Nick

Oh, yes, Dave, I do owe a special tip-o-the brush to Romain - he does know what he's doing!!! And offers pretty strong (and valid!!) critique! There's no crying in baseball or when painting figures!!!

Thanks, Romain!!

Cheers
Nick

You certainly don't have to worry about crying, either in baseball or figure painting Nick. Your Giants showed their true colours in that awesome game 7!!! And your figures are leaps forward from your first ones were.

Was the rattle can dulcote a tip from one of the 2 gurus you are learning from, or your idea? And how do you keep it from going on too thick?

Hi Dave - you're right! We've had fun watching the Giants for the last few years!!
I've manged to listen to most of their games over these year while building models! A pretty good combo I'd say!!

As to the Dulcote - I started using it when I fooled around with model railroads - turns out I was a better model builder than railroad enthusiast!

Jerry politely recommended I use some Dulcote on my half baked effort at figures in the Truck Fab Shop dio - as for the spray can, I've used them for a long time with pretty good results. I use the small Testors can - but generally spray over rather than directly on the guys - and, no blobs - maybe give it a test shot on some practice guys and see how it works for you - I think you would get blobs with a paintbrush, or you'd have to be very attentive and keep it from settling where you don't want it!

Cheers
Nick

I will give it the old college try on my next guys, the ensemble for the piano-man, after I've practiced it on a couple spares that is. Thanks.

My dad was a great model builder, but I think he was an even better train builder. I think that's why I get into dioramas so much. I don't recall him ever building a dio, just 54mm figures on plinths and stuff like that. But his scenery on the N scale layouts really inspired me to try my first diorama way back in the day.

Thanks for the tip...

Dave

You are most welcome m8!!!

Whatever I can do to help..!!

But the gentlemen above are absolutely right...your latest figures are miles away from your first efforts...and that's exactly how it should be!! The more you paint, the better you get!

It's like teaching children to ride a bycicle...and before you know what happened...they win the Tour de France!!

Cheers

Romain

Hi Nick ,

Those figures are very well done ! I like to use the word Top-Notch.

I really don't know why you ask yourself questions about your skills???

You sir , are a very complete builder and a good painter , i have great respect !

Kurt

I see that you have made kind of a quantum leap with your figure painting! Lots of improvement.
Must be the Ostereicher guru looking down from his alpine perch.
This is really a great set of work. I love how you removed plaster from some of the stones in the wall to show them indented. Very realistic texture. Cool choice of figgies as well. Wow! I would doff my hat but then you would be blinded by my bald head.
J

Going to go crawl into a hole.......

Once again I really admire your work and your scratch building prowess. Amazing job all round. Could you be so kind as to give tell me the names of the manufacturers of all these figures you are using? THanks.

Hi guys - thanks for having a look!

Kurt, it is indeed a constant and interesting challenge! I suppose the fun of a dio is you are more or less forced to try many different approaches, subjects, materials etc! the figs are no picnic for me! but, good reason to keep trying!

Hi Jerry - yeah, I don't want to even look at my other efforts with figures! not all that great - even, yes, BAD!! haha!

Hi Matt - - well then, stay in your "batcave" and keep doing cool stuff with technology!! Keep building stuff Matt!!

Hi Charles - thanks for the positive words! The figures include many sources - the local village people shown before are MAIM, and Nemrod, below you'll also see a few modified figures from Warriors and CMK.

The soldiers are Valkyrie, Legend, and SMK. For both soldiers and locals' I've made various modifications to suit my purposes -

Below are more pics of figures - I've added a few more local people and another soldier.

In these pics, the first few are essentially pre-weathered, so they're a bit shiny still - the darker photos (taken much later that day)show dulcoat on the villagers, and detailing to the soldiers.

Please take a look:





[img}https://gallery.kitmaker.net/data/29374/3fourmoreguys.JPG[/img]







I think I'm now done with the figures for this build! While they could probably be better, they're much better than my earlier attempts! oh, yeah, the upside of the pics is that the flaws really jump out! so, the soldier's face in the first pic was redone, and some mods to the locals' too!

For the next steps, I think it will be back to the ground plane - not too much work, just adding odd bits and pieces etc. When the ground is done, I'll add the figures, and when they're in place, the vehicles!

thanks for checking it out!

Nick

Lookin really good Nick.

Good to see you back on your traditional Monday Updates again. It is Monday right?

Later days!

Dave

Hi Nick ,

these photos are showing very good paint work on the figgies . I understand that painting figures is no picnic for you (even for me it isn't), in fact it's a specialty . You can't do good for everyone so you have to... like we say it in my country ''Seek for the golden middle road''.

That means that you have to find a compromise in the things you do especially for dioramas. Something in between perfection and very good .And honestly i think that you have achieved your goal with the paint job on the figures.

So a lot of congratulations Nick !

Kurt

Hi Dave - - well, I guess the snow has set in! you were able to post mid-day! Yes, if I get anything done, I try to post quickly during the lunch break! that's why the text is sometimes a bit short!! the last few weeks have been very hectic! I haven't had time to stay focused on the dio or, Armorama!!! only a few minutes here or there! but, as these guys are getting done, I want to post 'em!

Hi Kurt - yes! I hear you - to some extent I'm joking about the figures and my "pain" over them! For now, my goals is that they be better than OK, and dare say "good" - who knows - someday! In the mean time, I see them as being a contributing element of the larger project!! as long as they don't take a way from the scene, I'm fine with them!!

thanks for checking in guys!

NIck

Hi Nick,

I agree with the guys. Your Monday updates get me all fired-up ... on my five remaining cylinders of eight! Great work on the population!

--mike

Still reeling after the amazing scratch job you did on the Sheepsfoot compactor. Fantastic!


A local vehicle seen around Central Kentucky.

Expect new pics shortly guys! I got some sneak peeks this morning.

Extraordinary work! I can't believe how authentic and effective your uniform camo appears! The old man with the cane - a work of art!

Super work!