Dragon Panther A with Zimmerit

[harv]

1 hour ago, Peterpools said:

Gar

Holy smokes - the head sets and 'wiring for sound' details look fantastic. Looking fantastic

Keep 'em comin

Peter

I agree ! Really great....harv  

[GazzaS]

8 hours ago, Bomber_County said:

Gas, you’re on fire. Amazing skill set to have, my figures just look like lumps of not I’m sure of……..

Thank you, Phil.  You give me too much credit.  Except for the guy with new arms and the wiring, I haven't altered anything.

[GazzaS]

5 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gar

Holy smokes - the head sets and 'wiring for sound' details look fantastic. Looking fantastic

Keep 'em comin

Peter

Thank you, Peter.  One useful thing is to use CA friendly materials.  Brass and copper adhere a lot better to CA than aluminum.  So if you use a soda can, you're making it twice as difficult.  I bought a roll of brass foil and it's proving very useful right now.

[GazzaS]

3 hours ago, harv said:

I agree ! Really great....harv  

Thank you, my friend!

[GazzaS]

Hello friends!

    I'm here to say that painting scale figure faces is the pits of anything modelling related.  Now, follow me if you will...  As some giant trying to impart detail to a face half the size of my smallest fingernail...  I often feel like I am trying to touch up the Mona Lisa with a 12-inch paint roller.  Sometimes it works out.  But often enough, you end up ruining one area just as you consider the other area perfect.

So, to avoid going round and around fixing mistake after mistake, I've decided to stop at this point and call the faces "done".  Here they are.

Please pardon the shitty photography.  It seems that in one shot, I blotted out the light, and in another the phone/camera wasn't sure which object should be the center of it's focus.

In the forthcoming days, I'll start on the uniforms.  There are some interesting things happening with the Waffenfarbe of the Hermann Göring Panzer Division.  Hopefully I can lay them all out here.  Interestingly, too the HG division also wore SS camo and uniforms made with printed Italian patterns.

 

Happy modelling!

[Kaireckstadt]

I know about the problems you describe regarding the faces. I have the same!

But to me your faces are looking quite realistic. 
Can‘t wait to see your uniforms with your explanation regarding the Waffenfarbe !

[belugawhaleman]

Looking terrific Gary! Very impressive work on the tank and figures. Well done indeed!

[AlanG]

1 hour ago, GazzaS said:

Interestingly, too the HG division also wore SS camo and uniforms made with printed Italian patterns.

When Italy surrendered in September 1943, Obersturmbannfurer Max Wunsche (Commander of HJ) went to Italy to to visit the Italian depots (Beverloo in particular) now in German hands. There he took the Italian camo clothing but he also took submariner's dark brown leather uniforms for his panzer crews.

Only III/Battation of the 26th Panzergrenadiers wore the new Erbsenmuster Pattern 44 uniforms

[GazzaS]

1 hour ago, Kaireckstadt said:

I know about the problems you describe regarding the faces. I have the same!

But to me your faces are looking quite realistic. 
Can‘t wait to see your uniforms with your explanation regarding the Waffenfarbe !

Thank you!

[GazzaS]

1 hour ago, belugawhaleman said:

Looking terrific Gary! Very impressive work on the tank and figures. Well done indeed!

Thank you!

[GazzaS]

1 hour ago, AlanG said:

When Italy surrendered in September 1943, Obersturmbannfurer Max Wunsche (Commander of HJ) went to Italy to to visit the Italian depots (Beverloo in particular) now in German hands. There he took the Italian camo clothing but he also took submariner's dark brown leather uniforms for his panzer crews.

Only III/Battation of the 26th Panzergrenadiers wore the new Erbsenmuster Pattern 44 uniforms

Thank you.  I have found HG tankers in pea-dot camo, and the coveralls in the Italian camo.  I like a mix-n-match.

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Thank you for the tip about working with friendly CA materials - something I haven't given much thought to but makes so much sense. Completely agree that when reaching a point, painting faces that you are happy with, call it done and move on. Trying to keep improving and adding normally does correct one thing and causes issues with others. For my money, your work is so very well done and if I was capable of doing figures/faces half as good as yours, I would be ecstatic.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

[GazzaS]

6 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

Thank you for the tip about working with friendly CA materials - something I haven't given much thought to but makes so much sense. Completely agree that when reaching a point, painting faces that you are happy with, call it done and move on. Trying to keep improving and adding normally does correct one thing and causes issues with others. For my money, your work is so very well done and if I was capable of doing figures/faces half as good as yours, I would be ecstatic.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

Thank you Peter!

[GazzaS]

Not a lot of progress this weekend.  I got the third jab on Wednesday and felt like shit all through Saturday and Sunday.   Not sure if that was the cause...anyway...  Then there was the flood situation and the ongoing puppy situation.  I haven't been properly motivated to get a lot of modeling done.  Even as I type, the rain is thundering down.  I drained over 24 inches from my pool in the last 4 days.   Anyway....   enough bitching!

Here is my small work for this weekend.  A while ago I painted the blues a bit too dark so that I could lighten up areas without having to darken others.  Sadly, the new paint I used for the blue-gray didn't hold the oil paint through my handling.  So I'll have to work something out.  There is more to do to weather them to the base which hasn't been created, yet.

Happy modelling!

 

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Fingers crossed you're going to be feeling a lot better in a day or so and it seems the weather all over the planet is nuts these past few years. draining out 24 inches of water from the pool - yikes now that's heavy duty rain.

Figure look so good and sad to hear of the new issues. It seems there is always something.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[Kaireckstadt]

I hope that the rain is over now Gary! Sounds like it was half end of the world!

I really like how your figures turned out Gary. The camouflaged uniforms and the busy poses add lots of realism to them.

They will for sure enhance the scene with the Jagdtiger a lot! 

[GazzaS]

12 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

Fingers crossed you're going to be feeling a lot better in a day or so and it seems the weather all over the planet is nuts these past few years. draining out 24 inches of water from the pool - yikes now that's heavy duty rain.

Figure look so good and sad to hear of the new issues. It seems there is always something.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

12 hours ago, Kaireckstadt said:

I hope that the rain is over now Gary! Sounds like it was half end of the world!

I really like how your figures turned out Gary. The camouflaged uniforms and the busy poses add lots of realism to them.

They will for sure enhance the scene with the Jagdtiger a lot! 

Thank you, fellas!

[GazzaS]

HI everyone,

     This monster build continues.  Why is it a monster build?  Because I've committed to nine figures for one vehicle.  I've named each character in case somebody wants to say something about a specific figure.  All of these men are Luftwaffe ground soldiers.  I need to find two cuff bands for the Panzer Commander and the loader.  They are the only ones whose HG Division cuffs should be seen on.

Our Panzer kommandant is sporting the yellow waffenfarbe on his NCO cap denoting his prior service as aircrew.

If you look real close, you can almost see the medium green rank badges on the collar of his Blue Tunic under the Luftwaffe field jacket.  Medium Green was the Luftwaffe Waffenfarbe color for infantry...   which is different from the Heer and SS who used white piping for infantry.

The Tank's gunner is wearing a pair of coveralls made from Italian printed fabric.  This pattern was called M29 and stayed in Italian service until 1990.  Making it the longest-used camo pattern of any military in the world.

Our Machine Gunner still has the old-style marching boot.  Veterans liked to hold on to older, superior gear.  I didn't have any copper paint for the bullets.

Our driver is clothed in an SS pea-dot patterned jacket.  This is probably the most annoying thing I have ever painted, and I won't even claim the I have done it correctly.  My effort decreased the farther down I went on the jacket since it will be hidden inside the panzer.  If you are going to paint this pattern, print out a photo first...   I didn't and wasted a lot of time looking back and forth to the computer.

The Green collar patches are more prominent here.  I haven't been overly successful in painting the chicken wire on his helmet.  I may try dry-brushing it later.  One note on the rifle.  Most Mauser rifles at gun shows seem to be stained darkly.  But a lot of black and white period pics make them look much lighter.  I don't know everything.  But I do know that many stained woods darken over time.  So, I have chosen to make them light.  I used the AK colored pencils for the wood grain.  But was washed away by the filter I applied.

\

The radio operator appears to be the oldest man on the crew.  His white collar boards and piping were unique to the HG Division's Panzer units prior to January 1, 1944.  After that date, HG Panzer crews would either wear the pink-piped badges used by the Heer, or would attach the Totenkopf directly to the lapel with no patch.

The junior man in the infantry squad missed out on the camouflaged Luftwaffe field jacket and has to make do with his blue-gray great coat.  I think all of my blue-grays are too blue and not gray enough.  Interestingly, once I had painted everyone's gaiters, I learned that there were blue gaiters made for the Luftwaffe.  Maybe next time.

The last guy, and most junior of the Panzer crew is the loader.  To make him more interesting I found an M42 cap for him.  I think his left arm is way too big.  Hopefully it is less noticeable once he is mounted on the Panzer.

 

Thanks for looking!

[DocRob]

I hope you are feeling better now with your jab issues and that the flooding situation has become better too. 
I like your fashion show above with all the attention you put into the clothing. I really like to see, how everything comes together in the end.

Cheers Rob

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Brilliant work a nine man crew each named and looking their part.  Detail work and painting is just so good.

How they all aren't coming over for dinner at one time.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

[Kaireckstadt]

Great work on the figures Gary.

This will be an impressive diorama in the end! 

[GazzaS]

On 3/4/2022 at 7:22 PM, DocRob said:

I hope you are feeling better now with your jab issues and that the flooding situation has become better too. 
I like your fashion show above with all the attention you put into the clothing. I really like to see, how everything comes together in the end.

Cheers Rob

Thank you, Rob. 

20 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

Brilliant work a nine man crew each named and looking their part.  Detail work and painting is just so good.

How they all aren't coming over for dinner at one time.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

Thank you, Peter.

8 hours ago, Kaireckstadt said:

Great work on the figures Gary.

This will be an impressive diorama in the end! 

Thank you, Kai.

[GazzaS]

Places!  Places everyone!  It's dress rehearsal time!  Never mind the sheen....   Everything will get a matte coat eventually.

The base is a 20cm by 20cm mistake I made last year, but since it was the same width as the length of the Panther (minus gun barrel) I thought I'd see what my idea might look like.

I think I need a little bigger base.  At least longer.  It seems a little cramped, but I cannot imagine the roads in Italy at the time were much wider.

 

[Kaireckstadt]

For me the placing of the figures looks quite realistic Gary. The soldiers walked as close as possible to the tank because of shelter and small roads.

[DocRob]

Like Kai, I like the setting of the figures close to the tank. I probably wouldn't let them march in the near exact row, they form on your base. The size of the base isn't too small, I may would make it even more crammed with an old boulder wall on the side, to have a condensed atmosphere. Large bases with unused space, often look uninteresting to my eye. Dio setting is not only about being overly realistic, it's also a snapshot, like a photographers view and a photographer wouldn't want a boring picture.

Cheers Rob