Hi guys,

More base coating on webbing, ammo pouches and water bottles.

Ground work base colour (Orange Brown) washed over base and on primary ground contact points on figure- knees, elbows, stomach and toes.

In this way, the weathering process begins with the base coat and before the final weathering touches, such as pastels, are added later.

Its a good way to simulate clothes that have been soaked in mud and worn for several days in combat.

First coat (Medium Flesh) on woodwork on SLR rifle.

Cheers

G'Day Tony.
He's looking good old mate,the boys weren't smiling too much when they had to go back into the rubber plantation the day after the battle.The officers of D Coy have finally had their decorations upgraded ( last week )to what they were originally recommended however the OR's of the Coy have yet to have theirs upgraded a great pity it took 40 years .
I'll stick to undercoating by hand for a while yet believe it or not it's all about relaxing ( yeah i know people reckon i'm a bit crazy.
If you want some 7.62 link try get hold of Realistic Miniatures brass rounds and link.I used it on the Naked Army late Vietnam figure Jason took some photo's and we put them on this site a few months ago.
Keep up the good work
Cheers Mate.
Al

G'day Al,

Thanks mate. I chose the smiling face because I thought he'd have a smile on his dial after surviving the battle. Apart from anything, it makes a nice change to do a "smiley face".

Could you post the web address for Realistic Miniatures please? I've Googled them and couldn't find their website.

I'm thinking of replacing the SLR.

Know where I can get an M60, and a couple of hundred rounds of link in 1/6th scale???

Once again thanks mate.

Cheers

Looking great so far Tony.

you would be able answer my question I'm sure, with the buckles etc on his belt & webbing, i guess they would of been natural steel that would of been painted black from new?

i took my guy to the Illawarra show on the weekend (unfinished) and boy did he draw a crowd when i sat him on the comp tables next to all the so call large scale 90/120mm figures.....it had to be the 2nd biggest item on that table (after someones 1/35th Dora gun).....i'll post a picture on a new thread when i get home tonight

Hi Ian,

As with the Australian forces deployed to South Vietnam in the early stages of the War, the figure here is wearing a combination of British and US equiptment on his webbing.

The British equipment (Bren Gun pouches on the sides and webbing harness) had brass metal work; the US equipment (ammo pouches, bum pack, water bottles, small pouch etc) would have parkerised steel buckles, meaning they were blackened during production.

The parkerised metal pieces eventually rub and scuff to the point where the raw steel would show through, particularly on edges.

I intend to dry brush some Oily Steel onto the edges of the buckles on the US bits of kit, and dry brush Brass on the metal parts of the British pieces of kit.

Good to see you're showing off your work at the trade shows Ian. These Naked Army figures certainly do draw a crowd.

Looking forward to seeing more pics soon.

Cheers

Long Tan..Naked Army.

Morning Brother....
I've been watching the progress of the wee fellow,...now its only my thoughts, the red mud good stuff, but a very fine air brush dusting, over the complete clothing and webbing, will take away that patch look and hard edges....giving an over all softer green red tinge, this look could still be worked to look damp look from the wet conditions,..Couple of my old mates, have talked of their red suites,never washed out, too ingrained in the fabric and webbing...
I see the boys talking about his happy face,..perhaps if you painted in such a way, happy smile, but eyes with that long away look in them..SH.T,...a brick look....may change the concept of the wee fellow,

just a couple of thoughts cobber ..Phil

Naked Army RRP?

G'day Tony,
I worked for The Military Workshop (please dont hold it against me) for 3 years and the Recomened Retail Price for the cold cast was $179AUD and $129AUD for the kits. I'm just wondering where you have been getting yours if $179 was good value? Postage to WA was $15 and $10 on the East Coast.

Cheers Jason

Mud & Eyes

G'day Phil & Jason,

Thank you both for your comments.

Phil, I was planning to use the airbrush again at the end to give the whole figure another blast of orange red and add more pastel mud too. Eventually the entire figure will be pasteled and airbrushed until he's one massive blob of red mud holding a rifle.

As for the eyes, well mate, you're just going to have to wait and see!!!! The look I was hoping to capture is called the "1000 yard stare", a look that many combat veterans in Vietnam seem to have, and is described as if someone was looking directly at you and yet through you, as if you weren't there. Hard to explain and even harder to capture in paint.

I can only assume its a look that comes from combat exhaustion, fear, fraid nerves and not enough sleep, and I'm sure you can see the same look in the eyes of some of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan today.

The smile on his face, when combined with the zombie eyes, could be a modelling distaster or it could work, I'll have to wait and see. What I'm aiming for is to show that he is both happy to have survived the battle and that he's been under intense pressure and stress and is on the edge of exhaustion. He's still got his sense of humour, after everything he's been through, but it's hanging by a thread.

Jason, I've seen Naked Army kits on sale in a few places around Australia for considerably more than the prices you quoted, however I have long since stopped buying these figures at retail prices and I deal directly with Naked Army via their website and email. Unless I'm dealing directly with the manufacturer, I tend to buy most of my figures through Ian Harries (busso boy) from Empire Hobbies.

Cheers

Long Tan..Naked Army.

Evening Cobber.....
know that 1000 yd stare, used it several times in the eyes of figures, one of those old mates of nine, 64 years old now. its sad but you can still see it at times......go the extra yard on this wee fellow bro....

good stuff.. Phil...

Great progress Tony, this will be another show topper!

Hi Phil and Marcel,

Thanks for your comments guys.

Phil, I will go the extra yard mate. Every figure is an opportunity to improve and to try something new. In addition to changing the head on this figure, I will add a length of scrim netting around his neck and I'm hoping to add a length of 7.62mm link around his chest.

Cheers

Base Coating finished

Hi Guys,

I've finished base coating the figure and have started to lay in some of the highlights and shadows on the webbing and clothing.

The head and thebush hat are still unattached but I hope to have them attached over the coming weekend.

I hope you like the attached progress pics.

Cheers

It's going well.Tony.
That first photo really shows what a great sculpt that head is!

Thanks Mark.

What continues to amaze me about these great Naked Army figures is the level of detail on the polyresin surface; it looks brilliant right up close and from a distance, and at 315mm in height,you can see EVERYTHING.

I didn't even prime the surface before I sprayed on the base coat. The skin surface on the face has very fine lines and wrinkles that my camera simply can't reveal, but I'm hoping my paint brush can

This face is one of the best in the Naked Army range, and the hands are beautiful works of sculpture in themselves. All I've done is combine a great face from one figure with the hands from another figure.

What really caught my eye when I selected this figure to paint was the way his left hand hangs over the top of his ammo pouch.

It just looks so natural and relaxed. The only thing missing is the ciggy and the nicotine stains between his fingers.

While I'm painting these huge Naked Army figures, I spend a lot of time gazing into their eyes trying to picture in my own mind what they would've been through; how long since he shaved, ate rations, slept in a bed, and whether he's happy, relaxed, war weary, scared, ...you get the idea.

Eventually I build up a whole "life story" about the figure's personal character that I try to reveal with my paint brush, and in doing so, pay honour to his memory and his deeds.

I find it really helps me find an extra level of detail in my painting, that I know the sculptor has put into his figure.

Then I go and slather on the mud and all that careful detail is lost forever under a sea of pastels and orange mud.

The important thing is I know its there, and that's what I love about painting such beautiful figures.

Sorry to ramble on with my thoughts, but I realised that few Planeteers will ever see, let alone paint, one of these Naked Army figures and I wanted to share my enthusiasm for them with you all.

Cheers

Tony,
He looks as dirty as it can. Good work, not overdone.

Marc

I´m just so impressed with the face on that head. It´s going to look great.

Your right about the hang of the left hand too Tony. Real, with or without that ciggy. Typical "why waste an ounce of energy that I might need later" look to it.

Spike.

Hi Marc and Spike,

Thanks guys, I appreciate your feedback.

Spike, I've started the eyeballs tonight.

Still lots to do but I've made the critical decision to paint his eyes blue and his hair light sandy brown.

That now gives me the key to matching the skin tones on the face and hands later.

I nicked his nose with my dremel tool while removing his helmet, and I've decided to use it to repesent a graze wound from a projectile;bullet, shrapnel, debris etc.

C'mon Marc, you should know me well enough by now to know that I haven't even begun to muddy him up yet.

This is still the base coat stage and the mud goes on last.

This layer of weathering represents the ground in mud; the surface mud splatters come last, when I open my box of pastels and go mad.

Here's one pic to show you where I stopped tonight.

Cheers

Well Tony,
Then you can basecoat so good that it looks like dirt. It seems so real dirt, that i thought it was.....sorry for that.
But it is a good layer for dirt.

Marc

love it, it gives me inspiration for my guy.......which i'll post more pics on soon

Hi guys,

Here are a few close ups on the face.

I've started on the eyeballs and the pupils, which are painted in Oxford Blue.

As you can see, I still haven't attached the head to the neck, or the hat to the head.

Thanks for your comments Ian, I'm looking forward to seeing more pics of your guy.

Cheers