The uniforms seemed to work out well in the end - bizarre that I got this by reversing the main colours suggested by PSC! (The jacket is now painted in the webbing colour and the webbing is the colour intended for the jacket!)
Showing posts with label X-Ref: PSC/USinf/0514. Show all posts
Showing posts with label X-Ref: PSC/USinf/0514. Show all posts
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
The Yanks are coming - Test finals
I completed the test figures. I am quite happy with the outlining technique but I really have to practise painting faces. I don't have a good technique for doing faces yet unfortunately.
The uniforms seemed to work out well in the end - bizarre that I got this by reversing the main colours suggested by PSC! (The jacket is now painted in the webbing colour and the webbing is the colour intended for the jacket!)
The uniforms seemed to work out well in the end - bizarre that I got this by reversing the main colours suggested by PSC! (The jacket is now painted in the webbing colour and the webbing is the colour intended for the jacket!)
Sunday, 11 May 2014
The Yanks are coming - revised colours
Unhappy with PSC's suggested colours scheme for their Late War American infantry I decided to take the advice of one of my readers and reverse the colours! Originally PSC had advised that Vallejo's Stone Grey (884) be used for the American's jacket and that Buff (976) should be used for teh webbing and spats - I swapped these around...
Another thing I am continuing to experiment is the black outlining that I tried out with my original test figures. This feels very strange to someone with a classical art training - I remember vividly an early art class where I was admonished by a teacher for using heavy outlines!
However, the consensus of opinion was that the test figure that I used this technique on was the better of the two. Who am I to ignore the democratic process? :)
Once the 'comic book' outlining was done I started to blend in paint in order to make this aggressive shading less harsh...
The new revised colours are now closer to what I think were - historically - the right ones (referring to my Osprey reference book).
I still have to finish the shading off but I'm happier with the scheme now and will roll it out across the rest of my squads. Incidentally, the problem I had with the trousers colour - US Field Drab (873) - seems to have been in some small part to do with the white primer I used on my first two test figures. This time, with a grey primer, it went on as intended.
Next: Well, not much for a while - I want to finish my first set of Germans first!
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| The new colour scheme for my Yanks - behind them you can see my two original test figures in PSC's recommended uniform scheme. |
However, the consensus of opinion was that the test figure that I used this technique on was the better of the two. Who am I to ignore the democratic process? :)
Once the 'comic book' outlining was done I started to blend in paint in order to make this aggressive shading less harsh...
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| On the left my original attempt at painting and outlining, on the right my latest go. A bit tidier this time. Practise makes perfect (eventually) I guess! |
I still have to finish the shading off but I'm happier with the scheme now and will roll it out across the rest of my squads. Incidentally, the problem I had with the trousers colour - US Field Drab (873) - seems to have been in some small part to do with the white primer I used on my first two test figures. This time, with a grey primer, it went on as intended.
Next: Well, not much for a while - I want to finish my first set of Germans first!
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
The Yanks are coming - shading tests
Although I wasn't happy with the colour scheme that PSC recommended for their WW2 Americans I persevered with the Vallejo paints I bought and decided to mix up what I think are better circa 1943/4 uniform colours. I did buy one additional colour - Vallejo's English Uniform, which had been recommended...
As you can see I tried out two different approaches to outlining gear - a high-contrast black lining method and a more subtle and 'natural' complementary method.
I haven't decided which of these two approaches I like yet - I keep changing my mind. But in any case one thing that I was thankful for was the lack of webbing kit (after doing the Germans), but some might argue that this isn't really authentic.
As to the issue of primer coat, I have to say I wasn't impressed with using white. I much preferred using grey (I didn't like black at all), and surprisingly a white base didn't seem to help that much with the vibrancy of colours - that was down to how I blended and shaded he top coats.
Talking of blending, I was a bit more adventurous with how I blended colours and how I highlighted. I would say that some of my blending was aggressive and exaggerated but it seems to work when I look at it from a distance. And I suppose that is the whole point (something a beginner like myself tends to forget when you work so closely with such a small model).
Next: Some touching up and final detailing, but flocking the base is the last big job before varnishing.
As you can see I tried out two different approaches to outlining gear - a high-contrast black lining method and a more subtle and 'natural' complementary method.
I haven't decided which of these two approaches I like yet - I keep changing my mind. But in any case one thing that I was thankful for was the lack of webbing kit (after doing the Germans), but some might argue that this isn't really authentic.
As to the issue of primer coat, I have to say I wasn't impressed with using white. I much preferred using grey (I didn't like black at all), and surprisingly a white base didn't seem to help that much with the vibrancy of colours - that was down to how I blended and shaded he top coats.
Talking of blending, I was a bit more adventurous with how I blended colours and how I highlighted. I would say that some of my blending was aggressive and exaggerated but it seems to work when I look at it from a distance. And I suppose that is the whole point (something a beginner like myself tends to forget when you work so closely with such a small model).
Next: Some touching up and final detailing, but flocking the base is the last big job before varnishing.
Saturday, 3 May 2014
The Yanks are coming - primer coat & paints
I know I've recorded this process before - with my PSC Germans - but I'm keen to establish a 'format' for painting armies so I'm keeping a close check on how I'm doing stuff. This stage is the primer stage, I've finally decided that I will go with the white primer undercoat - I was undecided but let's see how this affects the vibrancy of the top coat colours.
It's just good old Halford's car primer white, nothing special but seems to work well. Covers and dries nice and smooth and hardly any loss of detail (it isn't too thick).
While this was drying I popped out and purchased the Vallejo paints that PSC recommended for doing the uniform, the main ones are:
• Helmet - Brown Violet 887
• Trousers - US Field Drab 873
• Jacket - Stone Grey 884
• Webbing - Buff 976
• Metal - Gunmetal Grey 863 (I've been using Tamiya acrylic gunmetal and it's horrible).
I've decided that I like Vallejo in comparison to the other acrylics I've tried - Tamiya, Revell and Humbrol. The are a consistency I like, the range is superb and the little bottles are really handy (and less messy).
As reference for how the colours might look I have turned once again to the Combat! TV series - this time the later episodes which were in COLOUR (1967)!*
* I was going to say that I don't remember this TV show being in colour - I seem to only remember it being in monochrome - but then I remembered that we only had a black & white telly until the late 1970s! I remember I threw a sicky from school the day the Radio Rentals guy brought our new colour TV (a 25" Bush). :)
It's just good old Halford's car primer white, nothing special but seems to work well. Covers and dries nice and smooth and hardly any loss of detail (it isn't too thick).
While this was drying I popped out and purchased the Vallejo paints that PSC recommended for doing the uniform, the main ones are:
• Helmet - Brown Violet 887
• Trousers - US Field Drab 873
• Jacket - Stone Grey 884
• Webbing - Buff 976
• Metal - Gunmetal Grey 863 (I've been using Tamiya acrylic gunmetal and it's horrible).
I've decided that I like Vallejo in comparison to the other acrylics I've tried - Tamiya, Revell and Humbrol. The are a consistency I like, the range is superb and the little bottles are really handy (and less messy).
As reference for how the colours might look I have turned once again to the Combat! TV series - this time the later episodes which were in COLOUR (1967)!*
* I was going to say that I don't remember this TV show being in colour - I seem to only remember it being in monochrome - but then I remembered that we only had a black & white telly until the late 1970s! I remember I threw a sicky from school the day the Radio Rentals guy brought our new colour TV (a 25" Bush). :)
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Opponents for my Germans - the Yanks are coming!
Naturally, my Bolt Action Germans will need someone to oppose. I chose PSC's Late War Americans - I can't really give a reason why...I did used to like the TV series 'Combat!' when I was a kid!
The set has 57 figures (for about £10) with all the usual WW2 US Army weapons, although I was a bit miffed that there was no M1 Carbine or 'Grease Gun' SMG. Though one positive this set has over my PSC German infantry set is that it does include a sniper figure. Here are a couple of example figures...
I won't do a full review here at the moment, but I will say that - as with the PSC Germans - despite being described by PSC as being 'Late War' infantry I'd say that PSC has hedged its bets a little here and chosen a uniform which *I believe* is a bit more 'mid war'. But the short ‘M1941’ Parsons field jacket - which ALL the PSC American figures wear - was worn during the Normandy campaign as well (Osprey 'The US Army in WW2 (3)', plate B1).
Never the less, by the time operations moved out of France (and certainly by the winter's 'Battle of the Bulge') these uniforms become less relevant. So 'late war' is a bit of a misnomer.
Generally, while crisply moulded, I don't think PSC's Yanks are as good as their Germans.
...So, it's off to my local store on Saturday to buy the suggested Vallejo paints. But it will be a while before I get around to doing anything but a test figure or two as I already have a full modelling schedule.
---------------------------------------------------
I got curious and did some searching on YouTube and was delighted to find ALL the original 'Combat!" TV shows!
Above all I remember the brilliant title graphics and theme tune (which I liked nearly as much as I like the theme-tune from 'Hogan's Heroes').
 |
| Sal Mineo (left) and Vic Morrow as Chip Saunders from the television program Combat! A 1960s TV favorite of mine. Photo: Wikipedia. |
I won't do a full review here at the moment, but I will say that - as with the PSC Germans - despite being described by PSC as being 'Late War' infantry I'd say that PSC has hedged its bets a little here and chosen a uniform which *I believe* is a bit more 'mid war'. But the short ‘M1941’ Parsons field jacket - which ALL the PSC American figures wear - was worn during the Normandy campaign as well (Osprey 'The US Army in WW2 (3)', plate B1).
Generally, while crisply moulded, I don't think PSC's Yanks are as good as their Germans.
...So, it's off to my local store on Saturday to buy the suggested Vallejo paints. But it will be a while before I get around to doing anything but a test figure or two as I already have a full modelling schedule.
---------------------------------------------------
I got curious and did some searching on YouTube and was delighted to find ALL the original 'Combat!" TV shows!
Above all I remember the brilliant title graphics and theme tune (which I liked nearly as much as I like the theme-tune from 'Hogan's Heroes').
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