Martin, It could be that you’re not quite used to the new head-gear (magnifier) … up … down … up … down! ... It took me a while — that and getting rid of the shakes!

Cheers!🍺
—mike

First of all there are some great looking projects going on here. I have been hanging back watching and learning different techniques. Here are my entries into the campaign:

1. Tamiya 1/48 British Infantry set
2. Evolution GRU Trooper 1/35



I started with the smaller figures which I see as expendable and more for learning purposes. I chose 4 figures. Overall they are not well made, detail is soft and their equipment sits on them badly. I rescribed many many details but they still look soft. Oh well. I am only going to add gun straps for scratch built parts. I am planning on priming them in different colors (white, grey and black) in order to see how it effects the overall painting in the end. Also I am going to leave the equipment off one soldier and try and paint it separately to see if that technique delivers a better result.



Should get some primer on these guys soon.

Would you paint eyes on 1/48 scale figures?

Thanks,
Bryan

Hi Bryan, This sounds like a great little experiment! Looking forward to the side-by-side results!

—mike

hi guys, i'm in! honestly, the only thing i got in my backlog right now was just a merkava, but i'm planning to build a diorama with figure to accompany it. i'm probably going for live resin's infantry figure, or may be another modern infantry figure. i suck at figures, so that's why i'm in, i need to practice more.
hoping this would be a good start!
cheers

Hi folks,

I haven't done much more on the ANZACs but I have started on the new MB Somme Infantry, making a couple in trench waders. Straps to add to the waders and also to the personal kit.

Al

Heres my entry for the campaign completed. Its without doubt the longest its taken me to paint a figure and as far as Im concerned my best yet. This has also been my first figure and model in about 9 years I think.
Ive definitely learnt a lot here, skin tones, highlights, lowlights, thinning of paints and paint selection, gap filling with green stuff and putty, sanding and under scraping.
Im not sure where I'll use him yet but he'll be cropping up soon.

So here he is.






















I'll continue to watch this campaign with massive interest as I know that for me, this is just the beginning and there are far more techniques and skills to learn from you all.

Great campaign.

Thanks

Martin, nice job!

If I may, a suggestion: If you took a small brush and with your base skintone just painted above and below the eye "dot" so that the white of the eye is only visible at the corners it would make a huge difference!

Thanks Johan,

I see what you mean on th ed left eye. Ill take a look at that today.

Thanks for the tip

Bought the kit today, masterbox' US army checkpoint. Gonna put it with my abrams bought today too.
Spent about 180$ in total, the churchill & gunpla are not mine,though. Here they are

Hi Martin,

Nice work.

Some more work on the MB 1916 infantry, turned the trousers intio waders and added some buckles and straps for the water bottles.

Al

Nice!

I'm guessing Aber PE 'Buckles and Straps?'

—mike

Hi Mike,

Thanks, Resicast ones and rolled lead wire.

Cheers

Al

My two figures are now officially done, so some closeups on the vignette base:








Also a couple full shots with the vehicle and a final one with everything photo shopped with a background:





regards,
Jack

Jack-Great work, you did some justice to those figures. I enjoyed the vignette. I think you captured the spirit of the campaign.
Take care,
Don "Lakota"

Cool figures Jack, excellent work.

Al

Great work, Jack. Really awesome job, looks very realistic.

Thanks for sharing

Jack, those figure were great! The last picture was photoshop, eh? You did greatvon that, too! It would take years and a hell lotta figure for me to train to achieve a detail like that! Keep going

Hi Jack, IMHO, a little more work is needed in the last image. The foreground subjects are not blending into the background image very naturally. But that’s about Photoshop and completely off topic!

Now, about those subjects … really outstanding work Sir!

Will you be submitting this for a feature or posting a separate blog? You should, as your work should be seen by many members ... and things do tend to get lost in the campaigns.

Cheers!🍺
—mike

Thanks to Don, Alan, Jesper, Fernanda and Mike - really appreciate all the comments and feedback.
I will be posting these and many more photos on a couple other forums as the vehicle was the subject of group builds there. I will put a new topic/entry in the dedicated axis armour forum. Does this campaign require that photos be uploaded to kitmaker?
--------------------------------------
For sure, I felt the photoshop picture was not convincing enough. I posted it in hopes some would point this out. So, tweaked quite a few things in a second attempt. Some of which was a slight blur and desaturation of the background photo - this helps to convey more depth. Also worked on giving more ground shadow, mostly from the vehicle, but the figures too.



regards,
Jack

Much gooder now. Photoshopping is another one of the dark arts, I like to dabble as often as possible. Kinda takes the fun out of it when you spend two hours just eliminating artifacting and outlines.

Kimmo

Thanks Kimmo.

For sure, a lot of the work in paint programs can be tedious, but when it does all fall together, it can be rewarding to see the end results. I usually do one of these for each build as I really don't have the shelf space for a full blown dio or large vignette.

regards,
Jack

@ Jack – Very nicely done Congratulations! 🍺🍺🍺
_______________________________________


Here’s a small update on ’Tug of War.’

‘Deutsche Frau’ modifications: Slimmed hip areas, removed buttons and original waistband, opened-up front flap and coattails, added pockets and a new lead-foil collar and waistband.



My apologies for the poor pics — been rushing things

Cheers!🍺
—mike

Hi guys, Here's some more work on 'Crazy Ivan' and the 'Deutsche Frau.'

A step closer to the reference image.


Cheers!🍺
—mike

… and now, some primer for the troops.



Cheers!🍺
—mike

Fine work Jack, and the background finishes it off nicely.


Mike the figures are coming along well. The womans face matches the one in the picture too. Great work buddy.


Pete