Completed IBG Polish Infantry 1939 (35048)

[Kimmo]

Cheers Simon, Nap and Nigel!


Not off to a glorious start as far as the figures are concerned. My first base coat session didn't quite go as hoped or planned as the colour was way off, and the paint was decidedly shiny to boot. I ended up glazing several times and adding a couple of applications of Vallejo wash with a touch of ink to boost intensity to get to something akin to what I was looking for in terms of colour and tone. Two days of family obligations and the messing around with the initial work has left me far behind where I wanted to be at this stage.


































I've often told myself I need to be painting more, something like a figure per week to properly keep my hand in. Painting the bases felt good and so on, but then switching to a really good brush and trying to do finesse work was something completely different. Sort of like driving around the neighbourhood in a small city car and then jumping behind the wheel of a really powerful sports car on a closed circuit and trying to go fast.


Onward and upward...


Kimmo

 

[Briggsy]

Practice is really important, I try to have something to paint on the go while I'm sculpting otherwise it takes a while to get back up to standard. Even if it's just an old stock figure I find it helps.

That said they look pretty damn good already. For sheen on acrylics I'd recommend AK Ultra Matt, I actually use it as a thinner and it's awesome.

Cheers Simon

 

[Nap]

Hi Kimmo

Good start on the figures as always .....I try and swirl a brush each day !

The bases look great and will complement the figures

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[NigelR]

Well, at least the paint is going on even if it's not quite going t he way you want. I'm sure you will get there, remember these will be in vignettes so they don't have to be as "perfect" as a single figure. They need to work well in the scene.

AK Ultramatte is the varnish of choice these days if you want to matt down Vallejo paints. I've taken to using it as a thinning medium (I think it was Simon who suggested that).

I've often told myself I need to be painting more, something like a figure per week to properly keep my hand in.

Me too, my problem is I like making aircraft and other stuff as well, and I tend to prefer dioramas/vignettes to single figures. Which means I don't paint figures often enough but I have decided to live with that....

 

[Kimmo]

Cheers Simon, Nap and Nigel!

Simon, I normally don't have a shine problem, I think the wrong shade I used is a bit off and that's where it came from. I've heard good things about the AK so if the budget allows I'll pick some up eventually. Everybody knows how you get to Broadway., trying to find the space to do more than one project is the major hurdle.

Nigel, yes a good point that there will be many a distraction which will help hide mistakes. These guys will get there eventually.


Slowly moving along, I've now gotten to where I'd say the uniforms are about 95% done, the skin tones are about half way and the rest of the details are coming along. I tried to get stuff done on Monday but the Universe was having none of that. Absolutely nothing went right, on or off the bench. Fortunately I got a good day in on Tuesday, the paints have flattened and dried, and the camera and work light were mostly behaving...Click on photos for full size.




























I realised that the uniforms really lacked contrast. I couldn't go much lighter so I went darker and that really improved things. Khaki browns are tricky to paint, they are supposed to be very nondescript so you have to be careful with shading, particularly highlights. Too much contrast looks plain wrong, not enough looks like a big blob of yesterday's lunch. My problem was that the base colour was far too light and the wrong shade to begin with. When I get to our last chap, I'll have a better sense of where to begin. The sharp eyed might notice I've added some texture to the backpacks and blanket, along with tiny wrinkles on the upper sleeves. Still a bit of work needed sorting out the equipment greens.

Let's see what the next session brings.


Kimmo

 

[Nap]

Hi Kimmo

Now we are painting , it’s really bringing them together well now , nice touch on the backpacks/blanket

Thanks for the updates

Looking forward to seeing more

Have fun @ the bench

Nap

 

[Briggsy]

Really nice I think the khaki looks rather good, I agree it's not the easiest colour to get right but then again I don't know what the easiest colour is. The texturing is a nice touch.

Cheers Simon

 

[NigelR]

As a khaki specialist (as most of what I do is WWI....) I would say they look pretty good. There still appears to be a bit of shine on them though, or is that the light playing tricks?

 

[Kimmo]

Cheers Nap, Simon and Nigel!


Simon, not sure what the "right" colour is. It seems to go from a darker green to a reddish brown, I made a bit of a compromise.

Nigel, there was a bit of shine, but the light really exaggerated things.



Progress has been slow, but steady. I took a bit of a break from the figures to get some work done on a base. The main thing done was to add static grass and a bit more foam scatter, then it was a round of inks for depth and picking out details. Click on photos for full size.





With the base more or less out of the way, I continued with the figures. More details were picked out and some flat coat was needed to kill the shine in some spots. The bench light is creating some false glossiness, although I will need to hit a few areas again.

































Our lone figure gets a test fit














Not much left to do in the grand scheme of things, but it is all fiddly stuff. I need to get a good couple of sessions in this weekend to avoid dragging this out any further than it has already. Just can't seem to get long enough sessions in. Two or three hours a day doesn't make enough of a dent in the never ending litany of things that need doing.


Kimmo

 

[Briggsy]

He looks good on the base mate, you have really brought this figure up to a whole new standard. As for the question of colour, there is always a lot of variety for a whole variety of reasons. I reckon the right colour has to be the one that looks right and that you're happy with.

Cheers Simon

 

[Nap]

Hi Kimmo

Nice updates , really coming together , the lone Figure works on the base groundwork

Enjoy the fiddly stuff

Looking forward to seeing the results

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[NigelR]

Looking better all round IMO, you need to get all those figures on their bases because the single figure looks great in situ

 

[Kimmo]

Cheers Simon, Nap and Nigel!


Progress is almost maddeningly slow. Everything that needs to be done on one figure, needs to be done on the other three so 15-20 minutes turns into an hour very quickly. I spent most of my time yesterday on the skin tones and getting more work done on the rest of the details. I'm using the new Game Color skin tones and I really like them. They have somewhat bizarre fantasy names like Barbarian, Succubus and so on, but the tones work well in this scale. If you add a thin application of Skin ink, you get a nice Caucasian fairly easily. I don't use the new Sunny Skin Tone equivalent much as it adds an orangey tint and go with the light pink shade instead. Click on photos for full size.



























The only thing giving me some grief are the kit bags. Just not liking any of the mixes I'm coming up with for what I have in mind, everything comes out looking a bit too grey or too yellow. I'll have one more go and see what I get. More refinement needed on the skin tones, a few more small details, inks and on and on and on...


Kimmo

 

[Briggsy]

The constant back and forth adding tone, tints or texture can be maddeningly slow but the end of the process usually comes as a bit of a surprise. They are looking good mate so push through the stop motion phase.

Cheers Simon

 

[Nap]

Hi Kimmo

Slow progress perhaps for you ...for me it’s fast ! .....like many when nearly completed the progress seems to take for ever for me !

Figures are looking good , thanks for sharing ref the flesh

Looking forward to seeing more

Have fun @ the bench , these are some really well modelled figures

Nap

 

[NigelR]

Skin tones look great. And kit bags/bread bags are something I always struggle with as well, you are not alone!

 

[Kimmo]

Cheers Simon, Nap and Nigel!


More good progress, the kit bags and webbing have been mostly dealt with. The colour is still not quite what I had in mind but close enough to work with. It's been really warm and getting hotter so it's not the most ideal painting weather as the paint dries a lot quicker on the palette and brush. I basically have to wait until evening to get anything done and hope I'm not worn out from the heat and/or lack of sleep. I think I know why my camera isn't playing nice; there's a lot of ambient light to contend with this time of year so I don't really get a dark room to shoot in even with the blinds closed. If you've never experienced a far north summer (read Alaska+ latitude), you can't really grasp what it's like. And don't get me started on the winters...Click on photos for full size.



























Other details were worked on as well, just basically getting things tidied up and adding definition to the straps and gear. The plan for tonight is to get the skin, helmets and weapons wrapped up so I can do the final touches to the uniforms.


Kimmo

 

[Briggsy]

Wow it's bad enough staying light till about 2200ish, still days are getting shorter now! Their kit looks really good to me but I know what you mean when it doesn't quite meet the mental image you have. But the heights you've taken these plastic figures to is above and beyond.

Cheers Simon

 

[NigelR]

They're all looking good to me. I like what you've done with the helmets so far, and the equipment is also looking good.

 

[Nap]

Hi Kimmo

The figures look good to me , as Mr B said you take these figures above and beyond .....to another level

Looking forward to seeing more

Happy benchtime

Nap