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Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: Auspainter on 08 July 2015, 02:08:47 AM

Title: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Auspainter on 08 July 2015, 02:08:47 AM: Here's my first figure for a bunch of Artizan Designs figures I'm doing. Any comments on improvements or tips are most welcome!

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nl5xu_dEm_s/VZxwCXffDoI/AAAAAAAAAV8/RMCV8nf2CUM/s320/P1010665.JPG)

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YWh6BOlAAPA/VZxwDTTjNcI/AAAAAAAAAWE/Ob8Lk4KFuQQ/s320/P1010666.JPG)

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B3b5Cr20CJ8/VZxwDcqsDnI/AAAAAAAAAWA/UO3keLqEYKU/s320/P1010668.JPG)
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Orctrader on 08 July 2015, 08:16:33 PM: First tip is...post larger photos!

What I can see looks good, but the photos are so small it's as if the figure is a long way away. ::)
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: tin shed gamer on 08 July 2015, 09:40:29 PM: I'm afraid I'd have to agree
As it's difficult to see all your detail work,from the pictures you've posted it does look like you've fallen For the most common 'oops' it looks like your use to painting muskets,The furniture a '303 covers the barrel.so no metallics/greys on the top just the same colour as the rest of the stock .
If you haven't then see Orctrader's comment lol
I'd make the colours in th smock contrast a little more sharply as they are lovely tones but look a little lost . I've no doubt they look great close up but I think your hard work will be lost to the naked eye on a table top. They run the risk of just looking an odd shade of brown at that distance ( guilty of it myself .Big fan of natural colours ,a subdued pallet runs the risk of being killed by distance, that said if you make the contrasts between the smock colours a little sharper,at table top distances they'll look like muted tones)
Hope that doesn't sound like preaching .
I hope to see more soon.
Mark.
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Auspainter on 09 July 2015, 01:50:59 AM: Thanks for the tips. And yes I'd been doing quite a few muskets haha. I had originally done the straight colours as a glaze but found that they were too sharp for my liking so I blended them in a little, maybe too much. Once I get the hang of the glaze it should be a little less subtle but not too sharp. Hopefully
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Cubs on 12 July 2015, 10:20:27 PM: Yeah, can't really make out the detail at that size. Funny enough, I personally go the other way with the Denison patches - I try to make it look faded and battle worn, but then I'm not really painting for tabletop gaming.

The rifle barrel thing is a classic and I suspect most of us have done something similar at one time (I know I did). As Tin Shed said, it's wood all along, top and bottom until you get to the end.

Looks really nice though.
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Auspainter on 13 July 2015, 04:29:34 AM: Sorry for the crappy photo quality guys, I should've just put the link to my blog and you can enlarge the pictures there. I can't figure out how to enlarge them on here!

http://rogerspaintworks.blogspot.com.au/ (http://rogerspaintworks.blogspot.com.au/)
The pictures are definately better on there

I actually followed your guide Cubs haha but I couldn't get the glaze quite right and it came out too dark. How do you mix up your glazes/what do you use? I just paint for fun as well so I usually go for a more realistic effect (as best as I can do anyway)
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Cubs on 13 July 2015, 10:51:40 AM: Quote from: Auspainter on 13 July 2015, 04:29:34 AM

I actually followed your guide Cubs haha but I couldn't get the glaze quite right and it came out too dark.

I just thin it out with glaze medium and water until it seems right. There's no definitive recipe as such, I just do it till it seems right and usually somewhere in the right area.
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: tin shed gamer on 13 July 2015, 11:19:52 AM: I wouldn't worry. DPM's are one of those things gamers and painters miss the point of.(partly because of what gaming is and partly because they don't come accross them in there intended use).
The early smocks,were hand painted so no one can truely tell you your wrong.
A painter like Cubs will spend a lot of time and effort painting all the angles and rain drops in splinter pattern.Which is what 'we' expect good brush smiths to do.The real splinter pattern at this distance (so you look an inch high)blurs out which is what its ment to do,infact it looks very similar to Denison.
British infantry and recce units were fond of wearing it.
A sniper is a prime example of the contradiction of what we do,as we need to see a scrimed figure thats hiding in plain view.
As mentioned is a good feel you've got to your miniatures so keep doing what your doing.
Mark.
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: flags_of_war on 13 July 2015, 12:11:57 PM: He looks great mate
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Auspainter on 13 July 2015, 01:59:46 PM: Thanks fellas I'll keep at it :)
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Cubs on 13 July 2015, 02:40:51 PM: Quote from: tin shed gamer on 13 July 2015, 11:19:52 AM
The early smocks,were hand painted so no one can truely tell you your wrong.

Absolutely. Some of the early mark Denisons do look like 'Friday afternoon' jobs don't they, with barely a patch of colour on them. If Aus is following one of my old methods I do point this out for the MkI (and possibly MkII, I'm not sure), but I think he's on about the strength of the shade and consistency of the paint in the patches as opposed to the pattern itself.
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: tin shed gamer on 13 July 2015, 06:14:04 PM: lol I wouldn't dream of commenting on a method that someone's following and its author is advising on.
No my point was there are some may variables to how a DPM reacts and looks in real life,
So if it feels right then great .
If it's for me rather than a commission then it's bums on seats,that matter ,and a less is more approach is what I use,on my own stuff.if you paint to competition standard every figure then it's going to be an awfully long time before have enough for a game.
The figure looks good ,I'd love to see some more.As for the whys and the where for's of the technique then that's down to you.
Mark.
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Cubs on 13 July 2015, 09:08:35 PM: Quote from: tin shed gamer on 13 July 2015, 06:14:04 PM
No my point was there are some may variables to how a DPM reacts and looks in real life,
So if it feels right then great .

Bang on. You look at any group of squaddies on exercise now and see the variety of shades they have on show, even with supposedly the same kit. Exposure to the elements, how dirty it is, how wet it is, how new it is, all these will change the look of the garment, not to mention that the Denison went through several different marks during WW2, all manufactured in a slightly different way. I always think if we truly painted these things accurately, half the time we should just splatter them with mud and dust from head to foot.
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Truscott Trotter on 13 July 2015, 10:18:50 PM: This is the site I am trying to follow for mine,
http://camopedia.org/index.php?title=Denison_smock
and the particular Mk that took my fancy
(http://camopedia.org/images/thumb/9/95/Denison1c.jpg/250px-Denison1c.jpg)
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Harry Faversham on 14 July 2015, 12:51:48 AM: In his book 'Men at Arnhem' Major Tom angus told his soldiers to remove their rank badges from their smocks as he thought they made them a mark for enemy snipers... you'd have been on a right fizzer for Parachute Wings as loud as that matey!

:o
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: tin shed gamer on 14 July 2015, 02:06:19 AM: It was a pretty common practice after D Day to ditch insignia,map cases ,binoculars were kept inside your smock,and for all ranks to wear the same webbing and uniform.this was common for again recce and pathfinder and for infantry units at the sharp end,openly carrying a map case or binoculars were a death sentence .But as gamers we don't openly target nco's,and we like a pretty officer figure to lead from the front,and insignia bright and shinny ,It's an instinct carried over from playing with units with swords and shields lol ( another one of those strange double standards we gamers have)

I hope you'll throw a bit more paint at few more figures,before you decide otherwise you'll end up like every brush smith out there with these odd figures in your 'personal 'collection you can't for the life of you remember how on earth you achieved them.(also because you seem to have hit upon that Cubs and I could happily waffle on about lol)and I really would like to see more !
Mark.
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Auspainter on 14 July 2015, 03:09:26 AM: Yup Cubs I was on about the glaze consistency as I like that semi transparent effect you get (and i will be trying it out on my moderns similar to that article you recently did for WI!)

I've got another 18 figures to do up as soon as I finish moving house :D
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Auspainter on 13 August 2015, 10:09:04 AM: Next six figs are done. Sniper and most of the camo helmeted figures. Better/bigger pics over at my blog:

http://rogerspaintworks.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/next-6-british-paras-completed.html (http://rogerspaintworks.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/next-6-british-paras-completed.html)

Here's a teaser

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rLoRDpJbeQM/VcxQKZPIBHI/AAAAAAAAAX8/kcCxMq0UzlE/s320/P1010682.JPG)

Comments and helpful hints welcome!
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Harry Faversham on 14 August 2015, 07:59:00 AM: Helpful hint coming up, the helmet straps should be either black leather or unblancoed webbing.

:)
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Auspainter on 18 August 2015, 11:53:28 AM: Thanks for that!
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Cubs on 19 August 2015, 10:42:49 AM: The webbing on the helmet can be blancoed too, Harry, just like any other piece of webbing. What makes you think it wasn't?
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Auspainter on 19 August 2015, 11:53:18 AM: To be honest I probably will just leave them as is because I like the way they look and I am definately too lazy to go back and change them now :)
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Harry Faversham on 19 August 2015, 02:25:04 PM: Quote from: Cubs on 19 August 2015, 10:42:49 AM
The webbing on the helmet can be blancoed too, Harry, just like any other piece of webbing. What makes you think it wasn't?

I've bought and sold a shed load of the webbing type chinstraps over the years and only seen a couple that were blancoed. Freshly blancoed webbing tends to rub off... imagine the RSM's blood pressure if all his underlings were on parade with green melons!

:o
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Cubs on 19 August 2015, 05:15:43 PM: Quote from: Harry Faversham on 19 August 2015, 02:25:04 PM
I've bought and sold a shed load of the webbing type chinstraps over the years and only seen a couple that were blancoed. Freshly blancoed webbing tends to rub off... imagine the RSM's blood pressure if all his underlings were on parade with green melons!

Hmm, interesting. One to mull over, ta.
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: tin shed gamer on 19 August 2015, 07:08:20 PM: ::) All shades of khaki right through to green,regardless of the original webbing colour they all fade and wear back to the sand brown of the canvas weave.as already quoted it is possible to blanco chin straps and Harry States he's actually come across them all be it infrequently again this crap wears off at an alarming rate.But by mid '44 webbing is being regularly issued in jungle green and pattern'44 fades just the same as earlier issues,with there being multiple issues and manufacturers there's no one colour fix there pretty much all right,wether you opt for early issue leather or later issue canvas and rubber.
Auspainter I agree 'if looks right,and feels right'then job done lol
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Harry Faversham on 20 August 2015, 02:28:16 AM: Having done both I can say with total conviction... it's a damn sight easier painting '37 pattern webbing on a toy soldier than it is blancoing the bastard for real!

:'(
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Auspainter on 20 August 2015, 10:30:12 AM: Now for the vickers/flamethrower and 2 inch mortar colours. It's a bit like 50 shades of khaki here :D
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: tin shed gamer on 20 August 2015, 10:42:03 AM: Got the T shirt (58 though)
Ironing the dimples out of boots was s particularly favourite encouragement of the RSM ( who was also my old man so after spending a lot of time in th gym have people explaining to just how unfavourably they viewed my fathers actions,'P' company seemed like a breeze lol )
Auspainter looking forward to seeing them.
Mark.
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Auspainter on 10 September 2015, 05:57:36 AM: I've finished up all the figures now. I've posted the photos over at my blog
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C3gTC_-XsHM/VfEGOdpeB_I/AAAAAAAAAiw/D5XGyv5YcG4/s320/P1010790.JPG)

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JzzH55EAvTo/VfEHY1ELcHI/AAAAAAAAAkA/2XL3bAWv1W0/s320/P1010802.JPG)

http://rogerspaintworks.blogspot.com.au/ (http://rogerspaintworks.blogspot.com.au/)

Let me know what you think :)
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Gunner Dunbar on 10 September 2015, 01:40:56 PM: Pretty good I think.
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Truscott Trotter on 11 September 2015, 12:44:07 AM: Yup I like em
I too have gone for a lighter base colour but have been prevaricating over the camo colours and format for ages
Problem is at that scale the colours recommended do not look right on my test figures - I like the VJ flat brown and the reflective green as they pop better on the middlestone base.
I also found doing the Denison handpainted stripes made it look messy and blurred from any further away then 6" - especially with my mediocre brush skills,
So inspired by your work (the amount of washing and glazing is a bit beyond me too but I do use AP dips/washes) I am going to simplify the camo and use Flat Brown etc.
Cheers and thanks for sharing ands the tutorials
Title: Re: My British Paras test figure
Post by: Auspainter on 11 September 2015, 03:40:08 AM: Thanks for the kind words. You could go bright on the smocks, put the camo over the top and then add a watered down/glaze coat of something like German Camo beige over the top which would help subdue the camo colours a bit and blend them in a little more. Plus its definately easier :D