Thanks for all the kind words you guys! Yes, it's Japanese armor king for the figure. I ordered quite a few of his WWI figures this past year and he was a good guy to deal with. He does resin 35th scale figures as already mentioned. I used clear shoe polish on the helmets and it sems to give a nice scale shine to them.

The building is weathered by kind of staining it with the ceramic paints and getting a kind of patina collecting in the texture. I like painting the old buildings because it's easy to just wash on colors until it looks right to me. The signage is created by printing the text backwards from the computer, placing it face down on the wall and washing it with alcohol to transfer it to the wall. This works best with black and then any colors can be hand painted. Sometimes the image is kind of "ghosted" onto the wall and sometimes, you have to come back with additional washes or even sand it with very fine sandpaper to get it to look aged. It takes some experimenting.
I did a little article awhile ago on another website that shows another example but I don't know the ettiquette regarding mentioning other sites.

The cel paint is water based acrylic and I can get it in art stores here in the Los Angeles area. I have also ordered it directly from the manufacturer and I like it because they are very opaque and easily paint light colors over dark, so I can go back and forth when blending and shading.
Mike

Thanks for all the kind words you guys! Yes, it's Japanese armor king for the figure. I ordered quite a few of his WWI figures this past year and he was a good guy to deal with. He does resin 35th scale figures as already mentioned. I used clear shoe polish on the helmets and it sems to give a nice scale shine to them.

The building is weathered by kind of staining it with the ceramic paints and getting a kind of patina collecting in the texture. I like painting the old buildings because it's easy to just wash on colors until it looks right to me. The signage is created by printing the text backwards from the computer, placing it face down on the wall and washing it with alcohol to transfer it to the wall. This works best with black and then any colors can be hand painted. Sometimes the image is kind of "ghosted" onto the wall and sometimes, you have to come back with additional washes or even sand it with very fine sandpaper to get it to look aged. It takes some experimenting.
I did a little article awhile ago on another website that shows another example but I don't know the ettiquette regarding mentioning other sites.

The cel paint is water based acrylic and I can get it in art stores here in the Los Angeles area. I have also ordered it directly from the manufacturer and I like it because they are very opaque and easily paint light colors over dark, so I can go back and forth when blending and shading.
Mike

It makes me go:
"Vor der kaserne, vor dem grossen tor. Stannt eine laterne, und steht....."

Like the athmosphere................

Begs forgivness for me lousy german.

It makes me go:
"Vor der kaserne, vor dem grossen tor. Stannt eine laterne, und steht....."

Like the athmosphere................

Begs forgivness for me lousy german.

Thanks Mike,
Feel free to post a link to the other article as we are open minded in sharing with other sites as well. We would love to see your article on weathering and especially the making of the sign.

Guy

Thanks Mike,
Feel free to post a link to the other article as we are open minded in sharing with other sites as well. We would love to see your article on weathering and especially the making of the sign.

Guy

Thanks Guy. The article was at Digital Dioramas in issue 4. "The Appointed Hour".
Here's the link directly to it...I hope.
http://www.digitaldioramas.com/2002/issue4/dd_hour.htm

I did the sign a little differently for that one but it also gives you a little more information about the paints and the weathering process.

Mike

Thanks Guy. The article was at Digital Dioramas in issue 4. "The Appointed Hour".
Here's the link directly to it...I hope.
http://www.digitaldioramas.com/2002/issue4/dd_hour.htm

I did the sign a little differently for that one but it also gives you a little more information about the paints and the weathering process.

Mike

Jack, I agree with you in regards to someone manufacturing and selling a figure that is not their property, it's stealing but does have to be proven. Have you contacted either manufacturer in regards to this?~Gary

Hello Jack,

Thankyou for the kind praise of my work. WWI isn't my main area of interest but I am starting to take a stronger interest in it as I do my research for my architectural subjects.

I'm not sure how to respond to your comments about Ted Dyer and possible pirating of another companies work. I went to the Model cellar link and it does look like the same figure (I beefed up my figures boots with another pair from a resin kit). I wasn't aware that this could be a situation as you've described but I'm not sure I would have made the connection between the two figures had I known about Model Cellar prior to my purchase. I'm just not that immersed in the subject matter. As an "artist" I have a strong opinion and sentiment about individuals who copy work and call it their own but I am also a bit of a "realist" as well. As soon as anything is created and put out there, it's vulnerable to imitaition and counterfeit. That possibility never deters an artist from creating and then moving onto the next project. As a new, small manufacturer as well, I realize my original work is vulnerable to being copied/modified and I suppose it's the sad price of putting myself "out there" to pursue my goals.

I'm not sure what I can do about the situation you describe that I'm in. I don't think that my niave purchase of a product that may have been pirated, can be construed as "condoning" such a practice. I can't give the figure back, I won't destroy it and I have seven or eight others I purcahsed at the same time, that I do want to finish someday. Ultimately, I think it's a matter between Ted and Model Cellar and for each of us consumers decide for themselves how they feel.

I don't know Ted Dyer or anyone at Model Cellar and I get nervous about statements made in online forums about what has been heard "through the grapevine". Maybe Ted could shed some light on the subject via a direct e-mail to him. He answered me when I made an inquiry.

Maybe I'm misreading it but your message seems to imply that I should atone for using Ted's figure. Of course I agree that we need to supposrt manufacturers' of original items and I'd like to reassure everyone that the building and well are originals, created by myself and I too, could use your support.

I'd be interested in any other news that could shed light on this subject in the interest of everyone getting what they deserve.

Mike

Mike,
Without naming names - except Ted - I know first-hand of one situation where he blatantly pirated someone else's figure and tried selling it at an IPMS show as his own. He simply replaced the head on the "Iwo Jima Marine (John Wayne in "Sands of Iwo Jima")" that a friend of mine sculpted and said it was an "original." Perhaps an original, but not his. His claim was that if one changes merely 10% of a figure then it's an original, thus allowing him to put it into production. He also went on to claim that he "knew" this was legal since he worked for a certain big toy company. Regardless, the current manufacturer of the original threatened legal action and the pirating ended.
Regardless, this is still theft and always will be. There was absolutely no way you could've known the figure you purchased was a pirated copy, unless you were familiar with the figure in the first place. I don't think anybody heare would berate anyone who purchased such a figure whom did not know the circumstances behind its production. But now that we all know about this thief, then it's our choice to support him or not in his questionable practices via our wallets.
By the way, will we get to see this piece on display at either the SCAHMS or San Diego show?

Take care,