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DOWNLOADABLE ARTICLES

Paint modern
military figures

FSPDF031

1 3
The tools to get the job done: good-quality red-
sable brushes, acrylic paints, and a magnifier.
A wet palette is optional, but handy for storing
mixed colors for a later paint session.
50  FineScale Modeler OctoberPublishing
© 2009 Kalmbach 2004 Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
Painting German
Get realistic results with a few simple
P
ainting World War II German cam-
ouflage uniforms on 1/35 scale figures
can be rewarding – and frustrating.
Intricate patterns, like the SS dot scheme
or the Wehrmacht “marsch” pattern,
are difficult to paint on small figures.
However, a few tricks make the process
not only palatable but even enjoyable. I’ll
demonstrate them on a Warriors figure
representing a late-war Wehrmacht infan-
try Oberleutnant in East Prussia.
Tools of the trade
You don’t need a lot of fancy tools to paint
camouflage patterns, just a few good ones,
1. A binocular magnifier device is a neces-
sity. For general work, I use an Optivisor
with 7x magnification, but I also have a
10x unit for working on extra-fine details.
You also need a set of high-quality
red-sable brushes. Believe me, cheap craft-
store brushes don’t work! You need a brush
that holds a point for maximum control.
Brett used basic techniques (and Vallejo acryl-
ics) to paint the camouflage pattern and realistic
wear on this 1/35 scale Wehrmacht Oberleutnant
from Warriors.
Brett applied the base colors to his figure: leather
brown (boots), WWII German camouflage beige
(pants), and off-white (coat).
I prefer Winsor & Newton Series 7
brushes; they’re expensive, but if properly
cared for, they’ll outlast cheap brushes
many times over.
While not absolutely necessary, a wet
palette is also useful for working with
water-based paints, 2. It consists of a
paper palette soaked in water and placed
on a wet sponge. You can mix paint on the
paper, and the palette will keep it wet and
usable for weeks – very handy if you have
to retouch something. Just remember to
put the lid on after each painting session.
A small one like mine can be purchased at
any art-supply store for $5 to $10.
Before beginning your project, make
sure you have good references with color
photos of the pattern you want to rep-
licate. Photos of models wearing the
uniforms and close-up shots of fabric
swatches help, too. You don’t have to be
a fanatic about it, but studying the refer-
ences will save time and effort when you
start painting.
Primed and ready
The best paint job in the world won’t
make a poorly molded piece look good, so
4
Working from the bottom up, Brett gave the
boots highlights and shadows.

camouflage uniforms
techniques By Brett W. Avants
make sure the figure you choose is free of
flaws and has crisp detail. Clean up mold
lines, air bubbles, and other imperfections,
then apply a primer. I usually use Painter’s
Choice (available at home-improvement
stores), but any primer will do as long as
its grain is fine enough to use on small
scale miniatures.
When the primer was thoroughly dry
on my Oberleutnant, I applied the base
colors, 3, for the uniform, equipment,
and boots. There are a lot of good acrylic
paints on the market; I used Vallejo
paints exclusively on this project. They
come in a wide variety of colors, cover
well, and keep forever in their well-sealed
dropper bottles.
Getting the boot
The boots were basecoated with Vallejo
871 leather brown. I began highlighting
by applying flat earth around the toes,
sides, and backs of the boots, followed by
a bit of black between the sole and the
upper, and under all of the seams, 4. I out-
lined the shoe laces and other details with
black, then applied 981 orange brown
around the toes and edges of the upper
5 6
The camouflage colors on the trousers were
built up by applying successive layers of heavily
thinned paint.
surfaces. A bit of 860 medium flesh (tan
yellow also works) on the toes and edges
of the soles simulates wear.
After giving the felt portions of the
boot a base coat of khaki, I applied shad-
ows of burnt umber mixed with khaki.
Deep shadows and outlining were done
with burnt umber alone, and highlights
were 976 buff mixed with khaki. Finally, I
added outlines of straight 976 buff.
Camo pants
I gave the trousers a basecoat of 821
WWII German camouflage beige before
tackling the tricky “marsch” or water camo
pattern, 5. The first layer of the camo
colors – 825 camouflage pale violet brown
and 892 yellow olive – was reduced to a
1:5 ratio of paint to thinner. Always use
distilled water to thin paint. Tap water
has minerals that can affect how the paint
mixes and flows (but it’s OK to use tap
water for cleaning brushes).
I repeated the layering procedure sev-
eral times, building up paint toward the
center of each blotch, replicating the pat-
tern’s unique fuzzy edges. Finally, I added
the splinters, 6, using heavily thinned 980
Next came the fine splinters, applied with a No.
000 brush.
1/35 Scale | Figure | How-to
black green carefully applied with a No.
000 brush.
Highlight and shadow
With the camouflage pattern done, it was
time to add highlights and shadows, 7.
On small patterns, simply painting the
whole area with darker and lighter shades
of the base color would suffice. But to get
a realistic result with the large pattern on
the trousers, I had to paint separate shad-
ows and highlights on each blotch in the
pattern. This wasn’t as hard as it sounds.
To get the highlight colors, I mixed
tan yellow with the brown and beige, and
mixed 833 SS camo bright green with the
yellow olive. To obtain shadow colors, I
added 822 SS camo black brown to the
beige and brown, and black to the olive.
I painted the upper portions of the
folds with the highlight colors and the
undersides with the shadow colors.
Although it seems counter-intuitive, the
trick is to avoid the temptation to paint
the insides of the folds with the shadow
color and the outsides with the highlight
color. This is not realistic and gives the
figure an awkward appearance. I finished
7
Separate highlight and shadow shades were
added to each color in the camouflage pattern.
October 2004  www.finescale.com  51
 8 9
The off-white coat was shaded with layers of
pale gray-blue and black gray.
the trousers by outlining the details with
822 SS camo black brown.
Coat
I gave the coat a base coat of 820 off-
white, followed by an initial shading color
of 907 pale gray-blue mixed with a little
off-white. Several layers of straight 907,
and 907 mixed with a bit of 862 black
gray were added to bring out the shadows,
8. Final deep shadows and outlining were
done with straight 862 black gray, and
highlights were a mixture of off-white and
951 white, followed by straight white, 9.
To give the coat a worn appearance,
I applied heavily thinned medium flesh
to the bottom of the coat, the cuffs, and
the elbows. I also added a bit of flat earth
to vary the colors just enough to give the
coat a rough appearance.
Accessorize
The belt, the map case, and the holster
were painted the same way as the boots,
10. I darkened the belt with a black wash
and gave it a slight sheen with thinned
gloss varnish to simulate semi-polished
leather.
The cap received a base coat of 830
German field gray, 11. I applied shadows
of black gray and highlights of 886 green
gray. The fur was painted 918 ivory, fol-
lowed by a mix of ivory and dark brown
to give it texture, then highlighted with
white. I wanted to give the illusion of fur,
but not to paint each individual hair!
The great part about using acrylics for
complex camouflage is that they dry fast.
You can move from one step to the next
52  FineScale Modeler  October 2004
10
Brett created deeper shadows in the folds with The belt, holster, map case, and drawstrings
more black gray, and highlights with varying for the hood were finished with highlights and
shades of white. shadows.
11
Clever shading and highlighting also gave the fur
on the cap a realistic appearance.
quickly, without long waits. So there’s no
excuse now for not tackling that camo-
uniformed figure that’s been sitting on
your shelf. Let’s paint! FSM
Brett Avants began build-
ing models at age 7, when
his dad got him a 1/48 scale
Monogram Stuka tankbuster.
Brett quickly got into the
Monogram armor series when
he saw the dioramas built by Shep Paine, and
has been building armor ever since. However,
he also loves to paint military figures, usually
in 1/35 scale or 54mm.
Brett graduated from the United States
Military Academy in 1988, won a bronze
star in Desert Storm, and served in the intel-
ligence community after leaving the service.
He worked in business for several years, before
entering the ministry. He is now the Senior Looking as worn and tired as his uniform, Brett’s
Pastor at New Life Community Church in wary Oberleutnant is on the lookout for signs of
Chesterfield, Mo., near St. Louis. movement from the Russian lines. The flesh was
also painted with acrylics, but that’s a subject for
another article!
 FINESCALE MODELER SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION • FINESCALE MODELER SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION
Mixing acrylic paints for
WWII military-figure uniforms
Which Andrea and
Vallejo colors to use
Story and photos by Brett W. Avants
A
crylic paint has become more popular
with miniature figure painters in
recent years. Vallejo and Andrea are
two popular brands that miniaturists now
use. Both can be thinned and cleaned up
with water, and they cover well with a
brush.
Because of the extensive color ranges
of these paints – Vallejo has over 250 col-
ors and keeps adding more – choosing the
right colors or color mixes can be daunt-
ing for the beginner and the experienced
painter alike. Choosing the right base,
highlight, and shadow colors is important
to get the look that is both realistic and
pleasing to the eye. Color combinations
that “pop” differentiate an outstanding
painted figure from a good one.
I’ve painted figures with these colors
for years, and kept track of the color
mixes that looked best. The list compris-
es colors for several World War II figure
uniforms. Some of the colors are right out
of the bottle, while others are mixes. I’ve
indicated the highlight and shadow colors
where possible. These colors are meant as
guides, and not as the definitive answer to
all uniform colors of WWII. Experimen-
tation and research are the keys to
figure-painting projects. Try different
colors. Look at the real thing or combat
photos if possible to see how combat
clothing fades, wears, and tears.
Paint Colors and Mixes
(8xx and 9xx refer to Vallejo numbers; no
numbers for Andrea or Liquitex colors)
German field gray
Base: 830 German field gray
Shadow: 830 German field gray + 862
© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
black gray or 979 dark green
Deep shadow: 862 black gray or 950 black
Highlight: 886 green gray or Andrea #1
field gray
Alternates
Base: Andrea #1 field gray
Shadow: 862 black gray
Highlight: 971 green gray
or
Base: 868 dark sea green + 830 German
field gray (approximately 50/50)
Base: 868 dark sea green + Andrea
German field gray (50/50)
German Wehrmacht splinter camouflage
Base: 821 German camo beige
969 park green flat
825 camo pale violet brown
Splinters: 980 black green
German Wehrmacht splinter marsh
pattern
Base: 821 WWII beige camo
825 camo pale violet brown
892 yellow olive
Splinters: 980 black green
Paint a very thin version of the green and
brown to represent the soft edge, then paint a
solid green and brown in the middle, leaving
a small border of the lighter color.
German SS plane tree camouflage A painted figure of a figure painting! This
Base: 825 camo pale violet brown American GI in combat fatigues shows the
Dark spots: 822 SS camo black brown different shades of “khaki” accomplished
Dark green: 833 SS camo bright green with shadows and highlights.
Light green spots: 857 golden olive
Shadow: 822 SS camo black brown Shadow: 887 brown violet + 862 black
Highlight: 929 light brown gray
Deep shadow: 862 black gray
German Gebirgsjäger anorak Highlight: 992 neutral gray 67% + 887
Base: 887 brown violet 67% + 992 neutral brown violet 33%
gray 33% High highlight: 992 neutral gray
July 2002 www.finescale.com 43
 FINESCALE MODELER SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION • FINESCALE MODELER SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

Brett’s figure has the Vallejo field gray

trousers with a marsh splinter pattern
winter coat. A fine quality Winsor &
Newton Series 7 brush was used to paint
the black green splinters on the coat.
Note the wear and tear on the uniforms.

This Time Machine WWI pilot has a beautifully-sculpted long leather coat. The base The 75mm Wolf figure of a wounded SS
color is 871 leather brown (no surprise here!), shadowed by adding black to the soldier was painted in acrylics. A bigger
leather brown, and highlighted with 981 orange brown mixed with leather brown. Light figure allows more room to paint the
highlights are added with straight orange brown. The light sheen was obtained by camouflage patterns. This soldier has
lightly – very lightly – buffing with a soft cotton shoe-shine cloth. Everything here is obviously been through a lot, and the war
painted with acrylics, including the skin tones and the dog! is probably over for him.

SS oak-leaf A summer pattern
Base: 825 camo pale violet brown
862 black gray
850 Vallejo olive
SS palm camo pattern
Base: 929 light brown + 805 German
orange
822 SS camo black brown
833 SS camo bright green
SS dot pattern camouflage, fall
Base: Liquitex deep portrait pink
Color 1: 988 khaki
Color 2: 825 camo pale violet brown
Color 3: 822 SS camo black brown
Color 4: 833 SS camo bright green
Modern Soviet summer khaki
Base: 819 Iraqi sand + a few drops of 873
U.S. field drab
Russian WWII sheepskin winter coat
Base: 819 Iraqi sand + a few drops of 918
ivory
Shadow: any burnt umber
Deep shadow: any burnt umber + black
Highlight: 918 Ivory
Light highlight: 820 off-white
U.S. khaki (M1941/43 field jacket)
988 khaki + 837 pale sand

44 FineScale Modeler July 2002

 FINESCALE MODELER SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION • FINESCALE MODELER SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION
These running Grossdeutschland soldiers
are painted with variations of Vallejo and
Andrea German field gray. Andrea’s
gray is lighter than the Vallejo color, and
both are effective. The lower pants and
boots are noticeably worn and dirty.
This German mountain trooper is wearing
a field gray anorak and pants. Variation
in the field gray among the items of cloth-
ing is important to give the figure some
color and prevent a monotone look.
976 buff + 988 khaki + 837 pale sand
976 buff + 988 khaki
976 buff + 914 green ochre
U.S. Navy square rig for ratings (dark
blue outfit)
Base: Andrea black
Shadows: 950 black
Highlights: Liquitex Navy blue (very
thin, in layers)
Brett used a Warriors WWII German soldier body with a Hornet head, scratchbuilt
arms, hands from the scrap box, and numerous Ft. Duquesne WWI German equipment
parts for this WWI vignette. The coat is 830 German field gray. The pants are a mix-
ture of 991 dark sea gray and 830 field gray. This guy is entirely supported by and
fixed to the base with a small hidden pin running from his sleeve to the base! This is
only possible with a resin figure – a metal figure would be too heavy.
Light highlights: 903 intermediate blue WWII Model 1929 Italian camouflage
(very thin and subtle) Base: 893 U.S. dark green
Insignia: 951 white 984 flat brown
T-shirt: 951 white 988 khaki
U.S. Marines WWII fatigue green White uniforms
Base: 886 green gray Base: 820 off-white
Shadows: 830 German field gray 907 pale gray-blue as an initial shade
Highlights: 971 green gray 907 + a very small amount of black for
darker shading
July 2002 www.finescale.com 45
 FINESCALE MODELER SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION • FINESCALE MODELER SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

This SS soldier has a leather jerkin and

dot-pattern camouflage winter trousers.
The helmet cover is the spring oak-leaf
SS pattern. Vallejo’s leather brown is a
good color to start with for leather, and
variations can be attained with other
shades of brown, orange, and tan. Fine
camouflage details can be successfully
painted only with quality brushes, such as
Winsor & Newton Series 7s, and with a
powerful magnifier!

A Warriors Russian tanker examines his war prize. His coveralls are a mixture of 992 Two types of camo patterns were painted
neutral gray and a bit of Andrea No. 1 field gray. The shadows are black gray and the on this SS machine gunner. The trousers
highlights are made by adding a bit of flat white to the gray mixture. The skin tone was are the Italian camouflage pattern while
painted with oils, unlike the other figures which were painted with acrylics. the smock is the oak-leaf spring pattern.

862 black gray for final dark shade Dirt/wear on toes and sides of boots: 981 SOURCES
Andrea acrylics VLS Mail Order,
Highlights: 951 white orange brown + 860 medium flesh 1011 Industrial Court, Moscow
Light highlight/wear on toes: 860 medi- Mills, MO 63362, 636-356-4888,
Brown leather um flesh or other tan color www.modelmecca.com
Base: 871 leather brown Liquitex acrylics available in art-sup-
Shadow: 950 black Red clothing ply stores
Highlight: 929 light brown or 981 Base: 909 vermillion Vallejo acrylics R&K Productions,
orange brown Shadow: 909 vermillion + 950 black 31316 Via Colinas, Unit 105,
Light highlight: 981 orange brown + 951 Highlight: 909 vermillion + 981 orange Westlake Village, CA 91362, 818-
white brown FSM 991-9044

46 FineScale Modeler July 2002

PAINTING A simple FI I NISH

N
FSM

G
technique

CAMOUFLAGE

SC
H
O OL
for realistic
results

UNIFORMS A Story and photos by

t least once a week someone asks me
how to paint a camouflage uniform.
Which paints are the best? Which
colors should be used? What’s the best
technique?
As far as paints go, my answer is
Lynn Kessler “there is no best answer.” You can use
Humbrol or Testor enamels, Tamiya,
Andrea, Vallejo, Jo Sonja, or just about
any acrylic – almost any modeling paint,
for that matter – and still achieve excel-
lent results. The colors will vary
according to the subject and the color
scheme.
I don’t limit my paint selection
for a particular scheme to a certain
brand. Camouflage clothing can vary
greatly due to dye lots, the type of cloth
used, exposure to the elements, and age. I
mostly use acrylics, and I always mix my
colors as I go. What I don’t change is my
technique. Follow along as I paint the
Eichenlaub (oak leaf ) scheme in spring
colors on this World War II German
machine gunner.
Color sequence. For any camou-
flage scheme, you will have to choose
between two progressive methods of
applying the color patterns. One is to
start with the lightest color, then go to
the next darkest, and so forth. The other
method is to start with the color that
covers the largest area, then move to the
color that is needed on the second-largest
area, and so on. Use the first method
when the camouflage colors have a defi-
nite light-to-dark overlap, and where the
definitions are distinct, such as the U.S.
Marines WWII “duck hunter” scheme.
The sequence I used on the Eichenlaub
scheme is the area method, because both
lighter and darker colors overlap.
Apply the base coat. I started
this uniform by applying an even coat
of the overall color in the camouflage
scheme, a light brown-tan, and made

This J&T 120mm figure of a Panzer

Grenadier during the Ardennes offensive
shows the results you can achieve by
applying this simple painting technique.

© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
 1 2 3

Light brown-tan is the base coat, covering The second color application is irregular The third color is light green, applied in
the largest area in the Eichenlaub camou- patches of middle green. Lynn thinned the overlapping patches on the middle green.
flage scheme. paint to achieve translucence.

sure the finish was clean and even, 1. 4 5

Then came the color of the next-largest
area, which was middle green, in a pattern
of large and small, irregular, hard-edged
splotches, 2. The Eichenlaub scheme
splotches were actually soft-edged, and I
intentionally applied coats of paint that
were just a touch on the thin side, shooting
for a translucent effect. Later, I’ll tell you
how I fixed the hard edges.
Photo 3 shows the application of the
third color, this time light green. I applied
this directly on top of the middle green in
a series of overlapping dots.
In the spring Eichenlaub pattern,
there are large and small patches of dark
green (the fourth color) connecting the
middle green areas and some on top of
the light green spots, 4.
The final color is the light green again.
I used this to create embellishments, the
light spots of color that overlap all the Continuing with the fourth color, Lynn Embellishments of light green break up the
camouflage colors, 5. Touch up of all the applied dark green, which connects mid- darker colors of the Eichenlaub scheme.
colors is usually needed, and I do it at this dle green patches and overlaps the light Lynn follows this step with a touch-up of
point. green in spots. all colors.
Blending wash. Now the multicol-
ored scheme is clear and distinct, too and that’s what you’re looking for, 6. All Shading and highlighting. An-
much so for a life-like scale appearance. It uniform camouflage schemes have a cer- other easy aspect of painting camouflage
must be blended and toned down with a tain degree of softness to the color schemes is shading and highlighting –
wash of dark gray. This mixture should be edges; you’ll want to stop applying wash you don’t have to figure out the light and
thin. In fact, mine was so thin that I could when you reach that point. You may dark shades of the base color, because
barely see it. I applied it with a wide brush have to go back and reapply some of the there is no base color! To highlight, I dry-
and let the first coat dry before applying appropriate colors if you’ve gone a bit brushed khaki (sometimes I use flesh)
the second. too far with the wash, but don’t worry. very lightly on the tops of the folds, then
After several coats, the hard edges of The best thing about camouflage is that thinned the khaki and feathered more
the camouflage scheme began to blur, it’s easy to repair. color on the highest points, 7.
October 2002 www.finescale.com 51
6 7 8

A blending wash of dark gray softens the Dry-brushing khaki lightly over the high Outlining visually separates raised detail
pattern edges, making the camouflage points and adding more blending wash to from the uniform camouflage.
look more realistic. the folds help add depth to the figure.

9 Dry-brushing is a simple process, but

it takes practice. Dip a short-bristled
brush in the paint of your choice, then
rub the brush onto a clean cloth until
nearly all of the paint is removed. The
brush should appear dry, but pigment
should remain on the bristles. Gently
stroke the brush across the high points of
the subject and repeat. Eventually, the
pigment lightens the high points, adding
visual depth to the model.
To add shadows, I flowed a tiny bit of
the blending wash into the creases and
folds. Be careful with both of these tech-
niques – you can easily overdo them and
hide the scheme.
Outlining. This is an important, and
often neglected, aspect of figure painting.
Areas of color edged by seams, or areas
that butt up against pockets or other
equipment such as web gear tend to
become indistinct unless the lines defin-
ing these areas are exaggerated. Outlining
tricks the eye into perceiving depth. I
know this is not what happens in real life,
but illusions need a little help.
To outline, apply thin coats of choco-
late brown to all seams, pocket outlines,
flaps, and areas where equipment meets
the uniform colors, 8.
The final touches are painting and
dry-brushing the high points of the
equipment, 9.
That’s it. Simple, even with just a little
practice. Remember, the most important
part of your technique isn’t the paint – it’s
The last step is painting and highlighting the equipment. the technique itself. FSM

52 FineScale Modeler October 2002

Figure | How-to

Painting
Captain Miller
Building the Yanks
Ranger captain
By Brett W. Avants Photos by the author

Y
anks Miniatures’ 200mm Ranger captain bust is a real gem.
While it’s labeled as a generic Ranger captain on D-Day, the
unit and likeness bear a remarkable resemblance to “Captain
Miller,” Tom Hanks’ character in the 1998 movie Saving Private
Ryan. The bust is wearing the typical U.S. steel pot with helmet
liner, with the straps fastened as usual on the back of the helmet.
Our Ranger is from the 2nd Ranger battalion, indicated by the
patch on his left shoulder. He wears the D-Day assault vest over
the M1941 field jacket and standard-issue brown shirt. On his right
shoulder he wears the chemical-agent-detection armband.
The detail is crisp and accurate, and the whole bust is well-
molded with few imperfections or mold lines visible. The detail
on the helmet, especially the texture, is remarkable. The 2nd
Ranger patch on the left shoulder is molded with great detail,
and the outline of the patch and the word “Rangers” are raised to
facilitate painting.

Let’s start. Busts are usually very simple to assemble, with few
(or no) separate parts. I painted the head and torso separately and
glued them together as the last step.
I drilled a 1⁄8" hole in the bottom of the neck, and mounted the
head on a piece of brass tube. This makes it easier for me to hold
and paint the head. I mounted the torso on a round piece of wood
for easier handling. After washing both parts, I primed them with
Floquil Light Gray (in the spray can). I let the primer dry for sev-
eral days, checked for imperfections (there was minimal sanding
and clean-up), then proceeded with the base coat.
The U.S.-issue brown shirt was painted Humbrol No. 98 Matt
Chocolate. The jacket was base-coated with Floquil U.S. Khaki,
and the assault vest was painted AeroMaster Olive Drab 41
Faded. The head was basecoated with Humbrol No. 250 Matt
Desert Sand, while the helmet was painted Humbrol No. 66 Matt
Olive Drab. After applying these base coats, I let them dry for
another couple of days.
Heads up. I painted the head first, 1. I use artist’s oil paints
exclusively for this part, and put the paint on an index card palette
© 2009
64 FineScale Modeler Kalmbach
October Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
2000
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
Tom Hanks would be proud – this U.S. Army Ranger captain looks
ready to take his men over the top.
(later wrapped in a plastic baggie so it won’t dry out). If the paint
needs to be thinned, I use mineral spirits sparingly. When the
base of Humbrol Desert Sand was completely dry, I applied a coat
of Winsor & Newton burnt sienna over the skin areas. Yes, this
looks bad. I then used an old T-shirt to wipe off the majority of
this paint, leaving some in the crevices and tinting the Desert
Sand color a bit, 2. Use a gentle wiping action to get most of the
paint off, but as you start getting most of it off, you may need to
gently scrub the face to get the effect you want.
Then I drybrushed lightly with a 50/50 mixture of Winsor &
Newton flesh tone and yellow ochre. The flesh tone is a bit pink,
so adding the yellow ochre makes a better Caucasian flesh tone. I
use a No. 4 or 5 sable brush for this procedure, and blend as I go.
Next, I mixed a highlight of this flesh mixture with white, and
drybrushed the highlights. Blend to remove the drybrush effect
and to smooth the color gradations.
 200 mm
Next, I lightly drybrushed with titanium white. I used the flesh 1
tone straight for the cheeks, lower lip, and forehead to add a little
pink coloring. I added a small amount of red to the flesh tone and
accented the cheeks and lower lip again, 3.
Five o’clock shadow. I added some black to the flesh mix-
ture and painted on a “5 o’clock shadow,” blending carefully and
feathering the edges, 4. You will have to practice, and keep
repeating some of the steps to get the right skin effect. Paint a lit-
tle; step back and examine the figure, and then paint a little more. For easier
Do this until you are satisfied. handling, mount
Occasionally, you may have to accent the shadows. I use the the head on a
burnt sienna or, for even darker shadows, I use the burnt umber. brass rod before
Be sure to blend if and when necessary. applying primer
The eyes are painted last. Here, I used a mixture of the flesh and a base coat.
tone with a lot of white. You want the effect to be a light skin
tone, not straight white. I then added the iris in a dark blue. 2 3
Sometimes I add a light touch of white to the center to represent
the reflection of light (“catchlight”) on the pupil, 5. This is a sub-
tle effect – don’t overdo it.
Shadowing your subject. As the head was drying, I start-
ed on the uniform. The shadows on the jacket are a thin mixture
of ivory black and burnt umber – not quite a wash, but much
thinner than normal. I used a sable brush to paint the shadows
where they needed to go, based on a study of the figure under a
bright light. I prefer to use several layers of a thin mixture rather
than one layer of a thicker mixture. Outlining the seams and but- Next, apply burnt sienna, then It’s time to add flesh tone,
tonholes with this mixture gives added effect. Highlights can be wipe it off with a T-shirt. This highlights, and some blending.
done with a light dry-brush of unbleached titanium white, and technique really accents the Now the head begins to look
afterwards blended to obtain a smooth finish. shadows. alive.
The shadows on the assault vest were done with Winsor &
Newton olive green initially; later, I darkened this mixture with 4 5
ivory black for deeper shadows, and used it to outline the straps,
belts, seams, and stitching. For the highlighting, I made a light
gray mixture (from black and white) and added a bit of
unbleached titanium white later. Again the dry-brush was light-
handed, and blended to achieve a smooth effect. The brass
grommets on the assault vest are Floquil Brass, shadowed with
burnt umber.
On to the details. I painted the cleanly-molded Ranger
patch with mixtures of blue and yellow oils, 6. The helmet straps
were painted with mixtures of oils, using burnt sienna and olive The five o’clock shadow can be Finally, paint the eyes. Mixing
green as bases. The metal fasteners and buckles were highlighted tricky to apply, but it’s a great some flesh tone with the white
with a sharp silver pencil (found at most art supply stores). The finishing touch. Take your time. gives a more realistic look.
captain’s bars on the front of the helmet and the officer’s designa-
tor stripe on the back were painted freehand with titanium white. 6 7
The peach diamond and black “2” were also done freehand, 7.
After the details were dry, I dry-brushed the helmet with
unbleached titanium white to accent the rough texture.
This bust was a joy to paint. This is only the second 200mm
bust that I have painted, but now I’m addicted. My next painting
projects include the massive 200mm tanker sitting on the
Sherman turret from Warriors, and the next 200mm tanker bust
from Yanks. Keep those GIs coming! FSM

REFERENCE
Spearheading D-Day: American Special Units in
Normandy
Jonathan Gawne, Histoire and Collections, Paris, 1999
Saving Private Ryan: The Men, the Mission, the Movie Front three-quarter view of the Brett hand-painted the officer’s
Linda Sunshine, Newmarket Press, New York, 1998 Ranger. The patch’s molded white stripe and the 2nd
detail makes it easier to paint. Rangers diamond.

October 2000 FineScale Modeler 65

© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
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