• Modelers Alliance has updated the forum software on our website. We have migrated all post, content and user accounts but we could not migrate the passwords.
    This requires that you manually reset your password.
    Please click here, http://modelersalliance.org/forums/login to go to logon page and use the "Forgot your Password" option.

Old trick

Dear friends,
what I am about to show you now is an old trick. It is not mine. I read it over twenty years ago in an old Military Modelling issue. There was this guy, I forgot his name, who turned some old multipose Airfix figures into great ww1 US infantrymen. You probably saw this many times before, but I can show you some nice step by step pictures.

So what's this all about? Like I mentioned in my former topic, when in comes to sculpting your own figures, the "getting the pose right" stage is one of the most difficult things. So if you want to get into the sculpting and do your own figures, start with plastic figures as a basis. Some might call it cheating, I call it skipping a difficult stage.

For this project I took an old Tamiya figure. It is the officer from the artillery set, that comes with the old 88 flak. The figure is absolutely no longer up todays standards. The details are very lumpy. In fact it is an ugly looking guy. But it was designed in the late sixties and the guy that made the master, definitely knew what he was doing. The injection moulding limited the final result, but in fact the figure is correct and has a very fine pose. Take a closer look!


h1e18a84.JPG


hb1651b1.JPG


h40764bf.JPG


hb291a80.JPG
 
With a motor tool I scraped off the surface. Underneath the ugly details a perfect body with an interesting pose is hidden.
This is a simple job. It took me less then twenty minutes.


h30d6a23.JPG


hece82b9.JPG


hd3613b9.JPG
 
Now I need to chop off the head and replace it with a resin one from the Hornet range. I like Hornet. Every once in a while I switch to other brands, but Roger Saunders gives us the proper, constant quality, we actually need. The helmet is from Dragon (Gen2).
The original feet are from Frankenstein, so I replaced them also (plastic, Dragon).


h9eb2d34.JPG


h3f62bd5.JPG


he17ebfb.JPG


h5ee80e1.JPG
 
From here on, the sculpting is much easier. The plastic figure is a solid basis.
I use Magic sculp and start with one leg of the trousers.


ha0220b0.JPG


h8a8d028.JPG


hdeeb803.JPG
 
That's something i could try, have a lot of the old tamiya figure kits in the shelf....

I've done a resculpt of that officer myself :) he became the grim reaper with some green stuff wrapped around him :geek

P1070824.JPG


//Mats
 
Now the parts "below the belt"
This is a ss camouflage smock. The map case and the pistol holster are plastic items. The small straps are little strips of lead foil.
It is important to attach these parts while the putty is still soft. That will give a sort of natural set.


hdefda6f.JPG


h9e631db.JPG


h90a8b82.JPG


h093290d.JPG
 
Towards the head.
The details on the smock are added while the putty was nearly set. So, it was still a little soft. When he collar and the scarf was added, the smock was fully set.

h5246e5e.JPG


h5c0b4c3.JPG


h333949b.JPG


h9d690f3.JPG
 
Luc, I am so glad you have joined modelersalliance, I am watching intently to improve my skills I am ok at painting but not so good at sculpting

Qu,.... Do you let each part set before moving onto the next stage ?

Do you have a preferred putty ?
 
I removed the right hand. This was absolutely below level. I made my own, by carving it from a piece of resin. This is an advanced technique. I am going to leave this. Maybe that is subject for another topic. The left hand is OK.
The sleeves are done the same way. The left one first.


hef60b41.JPG


h76d992a.JPG


hdda28ad.JPG


h20ed045.JPG


h1b13875.JPG
 
I think we are done here. Let's prime and make a small base.
The base is a plaster casting, with some wall filler and bits from the spares box.


h7f0842c.JPG


h2c20cc8.JPG


ha818505.JPG
 
Back
Top