Finally got this finished today. It was a pleasure to paint and the additional add on pieces (spade & rifle) were the best part. This was my first go at simulating wood grain with oil. I am really pleased with how it turned out. Oil over acrylics is what I used. I am still looking for a proper base for him so he is just on a work stand. Please post any feedback that you may have and thanks for looking.

Thanks Carl. I appreciate it.

Hey Mike, your take is quite something!

Can we somehow reduce the glossiness in the pictures?

Tse; I'm glad you said that. I forgot to shoot him with Dull coat. I need to get that done.

Hi Mike,

it seems beautiful, but the pictures wont help us

the top two pictures are new, I am afraid these are the best I can do. Some one needs to do a step by step on how to take pictures of figures. The painting of the figure is the easy part

Thanks for the comments.

I think you have done a very nice job. I like particularly the look of the helmet and the wooden parts, but also the total look is very nice . Bravo !

Costas

Very nice

Great bel

lending and overall tone is superb. The wood as stated before is brilliant and I like his pale, tired looking face. really well done.
Is the uniform done in oils?

Hi Mike

You are fast.. thia kit just released a month+ ago.
Nice finishing
You photoes are over exposed, try to control the lighting.

Allan

Mike, excellent work that radiates the right atmosphere.
I particularly like how you achieved the dirtyness of the uniform, with the yellowish tone in it.

Interesting to see different painting styles on the same bust; first Carl's acrylics version, now yours in oils.

Cheers,
Adrian

He has the trenchlook....a young man who is suffering and laying into the mud when the shells and mortars are exploding above, before, beside and after him.
Killing his friends, knowing that a whole generation of young man are dying.
Just because the generals are failing.
Excellent paintwork.

Marc

Fantastic painting Mike. Its gratifying to see a relative newcomer to the hobby use the forums........and take the advice given both on the forums and emails......and steadily improve with each figure / bust. The best thing I ever did was to give you that bust of the knight. For someone who didn't like busts........you've come a long way my friend.

If you play golf......like you paint figures.......look out Tiger!

Mike congratulations on completeing this one and you have done an exellent job all round with it, looks like busts may be your thing

Steve

Thanks guys for the kind words. Guy, it is sure funny how that worked out. Not in a million years would I think I would like painting busts. In fact I was laughing about it at lunch today as I counted the busts I have painted in comparison to figures. I'm working on the Yury Viking right now and am really excited how he is looking.

Thanks again guys I sure appreciate all the help.

Mike

I am making slow progress on the same bust since the photos I sent you. The detail the Viking has is awesome.

Very nice!

Mark

What a character the face Mike !! one of your best i think !! very well done dude

cheers

stefano

Thank you friends for the nice words. Stefano I wish I could have heard you say "dude" in Italian. When I was in Longiano I had Domenico Neri saying dude because it was the only english word he could say without messing up. Domenico was 80 at the time, and I asked him what this tiny drink was in front of me and he said "grappa dude". I never want to see grappa again.

Thanks again for the nice words. My next project is to work on the picture taking.

Mike, I looked at this post, intended to reply and just went on my merry way! I don't know what I was thinking! At any rate, very well done. Really like the improvements to the helmet and the flesh tones. Perfectly appropriate look of dispair to him and over all by far your best effort to date. Not much I can pick on with this one, well done.

Jay H.