What is on your bench right now ? Share a picture :)

[KevinM]

calling this one done she came out half-way decent and you are hard pressed to tell which door is the fabricated one.She is in the rack thought the legs had harden enough but not quite yet..

[CANicoll]

On 7/14/2024 at 9:26 AM, HubertB said:

Some figures, in an attempt to improve my figure-painting skills (but I am starting from very low  ).

I love to display my finished models on a simple base, and to add a figure to reinforce to scale impression of the kits. My Nieuport Sesquiplan, showed on the site’s gallery, has thus a figure of Sadi Lecointe. Its pilot of the world speed record of 1923, in an attempt to reproduce a period picture in the Hirsch book on racers. I have always been moderatly happy with the « Sadi Lecointe » figure, kitbashed from a Preiser figure.

 

So it was time, whilst I wait for the boudary-layer vanes of the Cutlass to settle, to try a repaint of the figure. It was stripped with lacquer thinner, and I tried something new : after spraying the figure (plus 5 more) a dark gray overall, I sprayed them with white, but from an angle, to try to emulate the sun lighting coming from an angle above and sideways. My theory is that this should give me a starting base to reproduce the highlights and shadows achieved by the Master figure painters …

 

Sorry for the not-great pics taken with my phone, which seems on top to have a focusing issue. The white and shadows are a result of the painting, not the (poor) lighting of the pics.

Anyway, here is a WiP of the figures, taken with my iPad, of Sadi Lecointe, of a US pilot to go with my Fisher Ryan ST-M, and then 4 mechanics that will go with my pair of Gee Bee racers. I found a period photo where the SARA mechanics wore white overalls, so reproducing an « interesting » white is going to be a challenge.

I still have to complete the detail paintings and touch-ups (funny how the macro-photography highlights details I thought looked better when viewed with my Optivisor 🥴), but it gives you an idea of what I am aiming for …

TBC

Hubert

Hubert,  Those figures are awesome and I love how you painted the angle of the light.  That is really resourceful!

[CANicoll]

1 hour ago, KevinM said:

calling this one done she came out half-way decent and you are hard pressed to tell which door is the fabricated one.She is in the rack thought the legs had harden enough but not quite yet..

Nice work!!

[FullArmor]

size comparison of few my recent builds 😄

[Peterpools]

12 hours ago, KevinM said:

calling this one done she came out half-way decent and you are hard pressed to tell which door is the fabricated one.She is in the rack thought the legs had harden enough but not quite yet..

Kev

Looking mighty good, a stellar build. What a terrific finish as the cammo and markings looks fantastic.

 

[GusMac]

15 hours ago, FullArmor said:

size comparison of few my recent builds 😄

Just like those big RVs that tow a little Smart car or something around as a little run-around.  😆

[BlrwestSiR]

Hey look, an RLM 66 squirrel!

 

[HubertB]

More figures, with some interesting comparisons.

I am trying to add a US pilot to my Fisher Ryan STM display. I have found some US Navy pilots, or re-found as I had forgotten I had a Reedoak US Navy pilot. The US Navy uniform may be a bit different from the US Army Air Corps one, but it has been difficult to find a period US AAC pilot figure.

From left to right, a headless - for the time being - pilot which I think comes from the "Aces" ICM set, and is more likely 1/35, the Reedoak US Navy pilot, and a Red Dog US Navy pilot.

Of first note is the difference in size. A male figure in 1/32 should be 54 mm high, that is roughly 1.70 meter tall, about average. The painted one is more likely 52 with its head, so that is 1.66 meter tall, the Reedoak is 55 mm with the head gear, so that is 1.76 meter tall, and the Red Dog one is 59 mm high, which puts in the higher end of the male population at 1.89 meter. Very possible variations in real life - I am myself as tall as the Red Dog pilot, but it is suprising to find 54mm/1:32 figures with such diffedrences.

The difference in the level of detail is also very noticeable. Reedoak uses a unique technology of scanning real people in a real gear, and then Hi-res 3D-printing them. The finesse and realism of details is largely superior to the other two. The Red Dog pilot, as the ICM "Ace", have probably been 3D-designed, but ICM cut steel to produce an injection-molded kit, and Red Dog molded resin to produce their pilot. In this case, Reedoak wins hands down (provided I can do justice to the quality of the figure).

 

 

The Reedoak pilot has been prepped by painting in black than spraying white in the direction of "sunlight" to  enhance the relief. Altough a bit idiosyncratic in that it has a radio gear (when the STM had no radio) and is US Navy rather than US Army Air Corps, this is the one I will display next to my STM.

Hubert

[BlrwestSiR]

Hubert, the Reedoak figures really are on a different level. I have a pair of them from my Tamiya F-14 and they're truly stunning. Not only is the detail exemplary, but the figures fit the ejection seat and controls perfectly. No need to tweak anything to get their hands in place. 

[KevinM]

Not exactly the desk but close by the Scharnhorst in her case still need to frame out the case probably start that tomorrow if the weather goes south for the reassembly of the 8.8" Ford rear end.

[Peterpools]

Kev

Spectacular both the model and the display case base. A true craftsman.

 

[BlrwestSiR]

It seems my RLM66 squirrel has grown wings. 

 

[HubertB]

Ok. I'm calling Ensign Doe done. I am still miles (read miles ...like in light-years) away from being a proficient figure painter, but this effort looks better than my previous "Sadi Lecointe", thanks, in a very very very - 99% - large part to the quality of the Reedoak base figure.

Meet Ensign Doe :

 

 

 

... And in situ, after a successfull solo flight on his Ryan STM, patting his mount for bringing him back to Earth in one piece  :

 

 

 

 

Labouring on on the Fisher Cutlass in the meantime.

 

Hubert

[Martinnfb]

Amazing ! 

[belugawhaleman]

6 minutes ago, HubertB said:

Ok. I'm calling Ensign Doe done. I am still miles (read miles ...like in light-years) away from being a proficient figure painter, but this effort looks better than my previous "Sadi Lecointe", thanks, in a very very very - 99% - large part to the quality of the Reedoak base figure.

Meet Ensign Doe :

 

 

 

... And in situ, after a successfull solo flight on his Ryan STM :

 

 

 

 

Labouring on on the Fisher Cutlass in the meantime.

 

Hubert

Nicely done Hubert!

[BlrwestSiR]

He looks great Hubert. 

[BlrwestSiR]

Not a Cutlass, but a twin engine Navy jet all the same. 

[Martinnfb]

[KevinM]

4 hours ago, HubertB said:

. And in situ, after a successfull solo flight on his Ryan STM :

Looks great Hubert looks part of the picture not added.

[BlrwestSiR]

5 minutes ago, Martinnfb said:

That's a fat squirrel!!

As fat as my attention span is short. 

[Martinnfb]

Big, fat squirrels are the best.

 

[BlrwestSiR]

Vc conversion?

[Martinnfb]

VB from the new Airfix Mk.IX

[mark31]

Just a fun build done.

Mark

[Peterpools]

Mark

Bravo ... awesome and a great change of pace.🏆