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"A Balanced Diet" - Late War Winter StuG.III - 1/35 Dragon Ausf.G ***FINISHED***


Ray_W

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6 hours ago, Retired Bob said:

That's looking excellent Ray, quality over quantity.  Are you making a base as well as the figures?

Thanks Bob, 

 

It is getting the look I was after so I am pleased. 

 

I was not planning a base and hence all the figures are on the tank. If home in Australia I would definitely make a base, just hesitant as somehow I have to get all this home. However, a simple base would really set this off nicely so, if I have time, I'll give it a shot.

 

Figures and rear deck stowage still to come.

 

Ray

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Hi Ray. Wow!! That really does look very impressive. Well done on getting such a fantastic result with the whitewash! :worthy:

Kind regards,

Stix

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@PlaStix

 

Hi Stix,

 

Thanks for your supportive words. Always a shame to bury nice finishes under a white wash so it is good when they turn out OK.

 

Now I am into painting the figures. First time use of Vallejo Model Color and I am enjoying myself.  You never know what face you're going to get and I had to laugh at my own work. My Gunner is looking very worried at the Loader's rabbit. 🤣

 

StuG III Construction 65

 

Face on, maybe a hint of a smile or is it "I  think I'll stick with the Fleischkonserve"

 

StuG III Construction 66

 

Post Script: They all have faces now. I had a laugh though, my smart phone said check someone may of blinked. 

 

StuG III Construction 67

 

Ray

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On 02/05/2021 at 13:20, Ray_W said:

Post Script: They all have faces now. I had a laugh though, my smart phone said check someone may of blinked. 

That did make me laugh, bit worrying if you looked at the photos and they were blinking. 🤣

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1 hour ago, Retired Bob said:

bit worrying if you looked at the photos and they were blinking.

 

Certainly would be.

 

Fact was, I was not happy with them. So I took the opportunity to scrub off their faces with a little ethanol and a soft tooth brush, fixed a couple of irritations and sprayed them in white. Ready to give it a go again. First time use of Vallejo acrylics and I learnt a lot. I'll give it another go.

 

StuG III Construction 68

 

Ray

 

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Hi Ray. Can I offer a tip........and please feel free to ignore it......and this was a tip from a fantastic figure modeller on Britmodeller - "unless you feel really confident and able to do them, do not try painting the eyes in 1/35" He reckoned that, at the normal viewing distance for our models, you wouldn't really pick out a persons eyes at that distance in real life. If you check out the figures on all my builds - the eyes are not painted. He recommended using a wash and suggested Citadel's matt REIKLAND FLESHSHADE. It takes a bit of pratice but, to me, it creates good flesh tones and settles in and around the eyes/facial features/fingers really well. Please feel free to check out the figures in my StuG III build. They were all done this way. I use Vallejo's basic skin tone for the basic skin before using the wash. I found if you put less of the Fleshade on the faces can be in Europe - slightly more and they are suitable for the desert. The wash creates the illusion of the eyes being there. I also think a lot of modellers paint the eyes on what is intented to be the lower lids of the eyes. I have looked quite closely at a lot of figures and I think the sculptor often itends the eyes to be 'looking' so, sort of, squinting - rather than wide open and staring - which often seems to be the effect that gets painted.

Hope that is of some use.

Kind regards,

Stix

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17 hours ago, PlaStix said:

Hope that is of some use.

 

Wonderful advice Stix. Thank you. This build I am challenging myself, so eyes it is, rather than the usual coloured socket. I think on the next attempt it will be close to what I want rather than my successful supermarionation attempt. The eyes do add that little bit of life, in this case too much. Two were passable (the small eyes).

 

Also, I was not happy with the Commander's head and swapped it for another. No Hornet Heads here, just Dragon and MiniArt plastic. Re-configured him into a more natural position and was able to set the cupola in the usual position.

 

StuG III Construction 69

 

First time use of Vallejo acrylics and my does it take some getting out of the habit of blending. This was the main reason I removed the paint. The job was OK but, I think I can do better now having done a trial run.  Next time with thin transitional layers and stippling Jaume Ortiz style. Thou shall not blend. Let's see how they turn out.

 

All the firearms chosen for the scene have come up nice - not bad for injected plastic. I must add a couple of slings. 

 

StuG III Construction 70

 

Ray

 

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Thought I'd take some time out of my endless 1/24 build and see what was happening in the GB world (which I hope to rejoin one day).

 

Excellent work on the StuG.III Ray. And nice to pick up some 1/35 modelling tips. Those magic tracks are certainly great, far better than DS, but have you ever tried Meng tracks? Seriously mind boggling.

 

Cheers,

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This weekend saw some more progress on the figures. I am now at a stage where I am waiting on some Vallejo colours - two for the reversible Parka splinter camouflage and brown sand as the intermediate skin colour. I shall have these Tuesday, so all going well, the crew should be complete this week.

 

StuG III Construction 72

 

StuG III Construction 71

 

The remaining crew are a little dull. The application of the splinter camo should jazz them up a little.

 

StuG III Construction 73

 

Looking forward to dirtying those nice white uniforms.

 

Ray

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11 minutes ago, Johnson said:

Those magic tracks are certainly great, far better than DS, but have you ever tried Meng tracks?

 

Hi Charlie,

 

Thanks for the kind remarks. I have not tried the Meng tracks but I certainly prefer single link tracks. I think @Retired Bob 's Magic Link method is what I will do next time: 

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235091136-sturmgeschutz-ausfg-75cm-without-zimmerit/&do=findComment&comment=4075945

 

By the way, 109 STGB coming up - do you have the Airfix 1/24 Emil?  Or is the Spit your magnum opus?

 

Ray 

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Hi Ray,

 

Looking forward to the 109 STGB, I have a few kits lined up. By which time I should have completed the 1/24 Spit. Had I known how long it would take... :mental:

 

Cheers!

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40 minutes ago, Ned said:

But as I find eyes impossible to get not looking cross-eyed, I'll give Stix's suggestion a try next time...

Same here, though not so much cross eyed as pin pointed, looking as though they are on wacky baccy. 🤣

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14 hours ago, PlaStix said:

Fantastic work on the figures

 

Thanks Stix, It is certainly a learning experience. I am keen to do some more figures to get the blending transition a little smoother. I might have to think about another figure project. The Vallejo paints are fun to use. 

 

10 hours ago, Ned said:

I liked them as they were

 

Hi Ned,

 

Yeh, I thought they also looked OK, that is with normal vision but, close-up photography is punishing.  I am feeling confident about the second attempt already underway. Good light, good magnification and size 1 Kolinsky sable with an excellent point. Plenty of strength in the point and nicely loaded with paint.

 

I am finishing the eyes first, then cutting in the eye lids with red-brown before the flesh tones.  Now I just have to make sure I don't obliterate those eyes when I paint the skin. My main guy has the bigger eye socket and I think this will do. 

 

StuG III Construction 74

 

The others in the group have a lesser eye socket. You can certainly see the benefit in getting some well detailed heads like Hornet. 

 

Ray

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It is certainly the most difficult part of figure painting, getting the skin tones and eyes correct, I have that to look forward to later this week, I bought this book and this set of paints that the book recommends to try and get some "life" into my figures, trying to avoid the zombie on drugs look. :doh:

IMG_1491

 

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7 minutes ago, Retired Bob said:

It is certainly the most difficult part of figure painting

 

Hi Bob, It is certainly an art form that is out of my comfort zone. Ray

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27 minutes ago, Ray_W said:

Hi Bob, It is certainly an art form that is out of my comfort zone. Ray

Same here, that's why it's always left to end of a build, then there's always having your figure looking through binoculars. :whistle:

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12 hours ago, Ray_W said:

 

 

Thanks Stix, It is certainly a learning experience. I am keen to do some more figures to get the blending transition a little smoother. I might have to think about another figure project. The Vallejo paints are fun to use. 

 

 

Hi Ned,

 

Yeh, I thought they also looked OK, that is with normal vision but, close-up photography is punishing.  I am feeling confident about the second attempt already underway. Good light, good magnification and size 1 Kolinsky sable with an excellent point. Plenty of strength in the point and nicely loaded with paint.

 

I am finishing the eyes first, then cutting in the eye lids with red-brown before the flesh tones.  Now I just have to make sure I don't obliterate those eyes when I paint the skin. My main guy has the bigger eye socket and I think this will do. 

 

StuG III Construction 74

 

The others in the group have a lesser eye socket. You can certainly see the benefit in getting some well detailed heads like Hornet. 

 

Ray

Dang if that doesn't look Psychotic ! :yikes:

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Another evening's progress.

 

Here you go Dennis @Corsairfoxfouruncle, not quite as scary now. Although, maybe, he still is for rabbits.

 

StuG III Construction 75

 

Commander just about ready. I plan to put headphones around his neck.

 

StuG III Construction 76

 

I notice some of the Vallejo colours came out semi-gloss. A finish flat coat will be needed. I have some Flat Mig Lucky Varnish and expect this will do the job nicely. I shook, shook and shook these bottles, maybe I need to shake them even more. 

 

Very tempted to put a smart phone in the hand of the guy on the right. 🤔

 

StuG III Construction 77

 

Another evening, this time the splinter camo on the beige bits, tidy up and a few details and I have my Bad Batch. I believe we have a StuG crew.

 

Ray

 

 

 

 

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31 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

They look great ! I wish I could do figures, every time I attempt it they look like stick figures on steroids. 

 

Hi Dennis, 

 

I should do more figures. I am having a lot of fun. I am really enjoying the brush painting with the Vallejo acrylics. Water thinning the paint to the correct consistency seems key based on my very limited experience. I know that this is old news for many. Even tonight, the splinter camo was really not a chore. Tomorrow I will do the shading/highlights and rain drop pattern. All learning, but really meeting the main goal of the hobby - fun.

 

StuG III Construction 78

 

 Ray

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