And you said I was a building machine 😄
You've really captured the mood of the scene, dynamic but not un-realistic. Excellent job.
Jacob

I have considered that and consulted a few period pics showing guns in position on a hard surface. I am going to chow how they cut down on the carriages' movement. Most of the recoil,of course,was taken up by the muzzle brake and the hydraulic/slide device. I have a film of a vehicle mounted PAK firing and it has a lot of barrel movement for sure ! The spent shell also ejected a good 8 or so feet out the back !!
J

Maarten and Jacob,
Thanks for the kind words fellas !
J

As always, your dio's look great. It's your figures in a wide variety of positions that's always caught my eye. A few attempts at figures were REALLY bad not only in painting, but seams where the body parts join together and until you mentioned it, never heard of Apoxy Sculpt. Learning how to use Milliput and found a Youtube video that seems to have solved that problem, but wondered what's the difference between Milliput vs Apoxy Sculpt.

First off,thanks for your very generous comments.
As far as the differences in those products go,there is really not much. They work on the same concept. I used to get along with standard plumbers putty called A&B epoxy putty. I like these because there is little to no shrinkage and they have a long working time. They also carve and sand well.
J

Started my usual process of first removing what I don't need with the dremel and scalpel and then adding layers of putty to include what I do need. First layer. Upper smock and sleeves.

Sean,You are correct,"Naturalness isn't a word. I think "Authenticity" would work.I'm more concerned where on Facebook I can find That reference.Thanks, Keith R.

Jerry,You really nailed the skin tone on the figure w/the 75 MM round. What brand of paint & what colors did you use in Your mixture ? He looks just like a soldier that'sbeen in the sun & hasn't cleaned up in a while. Great job. Keith R.

Looking good, Jerry. Figgies are coming along nicely.

Thanks man !
I use Life Color and Vallejo paints for the flesh parts. It's hard to describe what I do but I start out with basic flesh color,but dark,paint the eyes off white,add the pupils and the darker flesh tones. Then ,the last thing is add the light tones.
J

Thanks Ski !
J

Jerry, this is coming on brilliantly. Love the crew's natural poses and as usual you've nailed the painting of the cam down to a tee. I'm working on a similar project but it's nowhere near your league. If I can get it half as good as yours then I'll be happy. I'm using the Dragon Sturmpioneer set 6146 as my base figures as somehow (don't ask how as I don't know why) I've ended up with 5 sets so I'm going to do some more experimental surgery lol. Whatever you build is always a joy to watch as not just for the subject matter and detail but the photos showing your techniques which are invaluable. They're inspirational as they make us try new techniques as they don't look as intimidating as they did. Whether or not we can do them competently is however a different matter completely lol. Loving the build mate...Karl

You know I always love it when you post a comment Karl. You have the knack with words. I am so bummed about the world around me today this was very good for me t read this post.
As far as figs go. Just do it ! Then then,do it again and again! Go to yard sales or swap meets or their equivalent in your country and get old old sets of figs to practice on ! The tamiya ones from the 60s or 70s come to mind. Save the big hands though as they make nice gloved hands ! LoL Just paint them OD or field gray !
Thanks again brother. I am pushing my skill limit with the next fig. I hope I can pull it off.
J

Hi Jerry ,

the pose of the figure is very well done , nice work on that one and with your painting talent everything will work out nicely no doubt .

Kurt

Thanks,Jerry.I kinda figured Vallejo would have been in the mix.In my experiences,it's the best for brushing.Other brands kinda roll up as you brush. keith R.

Hi Jerry,

By chance I saw this today on one of my favorite sites on Facebook,maybe interesting to read.



Harrowing German anti-tank gun duel with Soviet tanks
Late morning, the outskirts of Sevastopol, December 29, 1941. For over two weeks General of Infantry Erich von Manstein’s Eleventh Army had battered away at heavily defended Soviet Sevastopol...
Having enjoyed a rare meal of roasted potatoes, Gefreiter (Lance Corporal) Bidermann assumed sentry duty at the shattered window of the small stone house. The Soviet artillery barrage built to a crescendo, the shells exploding amid the snow covered ground and buildings surrounding Mekensievy-Gory (Mekenzijevi Hory) rail station. The artillery stopped, leaving several buildings in flames. Bidermann watched two landsers running along a street. Red flares shot into the sky; the signal for an enemy attack.
Bidermann and his crew as they raced out of their building toward their anti-tank gun position. Rifle and machine gun fire resounded through the air. Taking cover behind the gun shield, Bidermann peered over the edge. He heard the tank before he saw it. A German messenger ran past, yelling “Panzer, Panzer.”
Biderman caught a glimpse of the dark turret moving among the houses, drawing closer. The tank reappeared at about 150 m distance, on a rise in the street, headed straight at the 37 mm Pak. His eye pressed against the rubber ring of the optics, Bidermann punched the fire button. The shell hit the turret but to the horror of Bidermann, ricochet and shot skyward.
“Panzer-forty meters!” screamed Bidermann. In the blink of an eye, crew members Konrad and Wolf slammed another shell into the breech. Bidermann, “I felt the cold air and the pressure wave on my cheek as a heavy round screamed past us.” The tank round barely missed the Pak, blowing up a burned out truck to their rear. With the tank still in the cross hairs of his sight, Bidermann pressed the firing button again. The crews ears rang from the noise of their gun as the armor-piercing round smashed into the tank. With a blinding flash the ammunition inside exploded, “ripping the turret from the frame” and sending a “huge, black mushroom cloud rolling into the frosty clear blue sky.”
The crew barely had time to catch their breath when machine gun fire ripped into the snow ahead of them. “Panzer to the right!” someone screamed. The four men frantically turned the gun to face a another oncoming tank, 80 m away, smashing through a wooden garden fence. Coming to a halt, the tank turret turned towards the anti-tank gun. Zeroing in on the tank, Bidermann found himself staring through his optics “directly into the round, black muzzle of the enemy gun.” Now a fraction of a second was all that mattered between life and death. The 37-mm rocked with recoil as its shell punctured the turret. Moments later the tank “crew scrambled out of the smoking tank.”
Even then it was not over. A third tank was dispatched attacking from behind the burning wreck of the first. Charging Russian infantry were dispersed with anti-personnel rounds. Later on Bidermann inspected the second tank destroyed by his Pak. He looked through the cross hairs of the gun sight; it pointed exactly at where his Pak had stood.
Out of the twelve platoon members, who marched into the Soviet Union with Bidermann in June 41, only three survived the war. Bidermann was one of them.
All quotes from Gottlob H. Bidermann, In Deadly Combat (Kansas; Kansas University Press, 2000)

Ronald

Thanks Ron,
That was an interesting episode in history for sure ! The German were outclassed very early on with that "door knocker" of a AT gun,the 37mm.

Here I have worked on the lower part of the smock and the leggings. The y straps and belt are lead foil of course. Helmet is LiveResin.




Work continues at a slow pace.
J

The "calvados carrier" and the rest of the foil stuff is added. Ready for primer now.

Hi Jerry - fine work as always! And...not to sound like a broken record, thanks for posting your process; skip, thanks for posting your process; skip...!!!

Cheers
Nick

Thanks Nick,for being a good friend and also for interrupting the tumbleweeds blowing through here ! LoL
I watched this website and also Missinglynx both have a precipitous drop in participation all at once. I am still trying to figure out what happened. The Photobucket thing maybe ? Summer break ? I wonder what gives ? A bunch of the "old gang" that used to post on this forum all left at the same time.
J

Love the foil work and the shape of the belt is very convincing! Not sure what you have going on with the smock in the middle of his back? More gear to stow there? Maybe just angle or lighting.
Again, your guys look just like mini professionals going about their jobs ...BOOM!

Hi Jerry - yep, tumblin along like a tumbleweed...lol...as for me...work and non-model building stuff (life) have been taking my time...not all bad or good, but eating time. That said, I've got a new project creeping up to the workbench which I'll probably begin posting in a week or so. In the meantime, it's fun to watch others building good stuff! Btw - I use lead foil a lot these days - largely thanks to you!

Ok - keep building good stuff!
Cheers
Nick

That bunched up area is caused by the elastic that runs through that area of the smocks. It is usually covered mostly by the belt,but if you bend forward it would be exposed.
J

Thanks again Nick and I look forward to see what is new with you.
J

Lookin bueno Jerry!