Advance to Arnhem 1/16 scale

[1969]

Fantastic progress Ski, smock is beautifully done.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Dolf]

Outstanding piece of work, Steve!!!


Cheers!

 

[Steve Ski]

Gentlemen, thank you so much, all of you! Dolf, Stevo, Steve, Helm, Henk, and Kempie, thanks guys!

 

[Warren SMITH]

Excellent work... will be magnificent when finished..

 

[Steve Ski]

Thanks, Warren!

 

[Steve Ski]

The Base

To break things up a bit and keep the motivation going between figures I jumped ahead and worked the base. Once again, I was so involved in the process, I forgot to take progress pics.

There isn’t anything special about how I worked the resin base. Using a few pieces of styrene tubing I added the sewer pipe and water line seen in the original photo. Steve said it was certainly a consideration to add those, but the casting process would have been a bugger, so they were installed before I got too far along. I used the Dremel tool to prep the locations for each pipe, installed them, then covered the areas with glue and cat litter for a more natural appearance.

I gave the entire base a primer coat of Krylon Gray and dried it completely with a hair dryer. Using slightly diluted Elmer’s wood glue I carefully placed crushed cat litter in areas that needed a dustier loose dirt affect. At first, I couldn’t find my jar of cat litter and was in a bit of a panic. We don’t have cats anymore, haven’t for years, and I wasn’t in the mood to make a trip just for cat litter. Then that jar caught my eye as I scavenged the material shelf. Shewwww, wiping the sweat from me brow, I carried on, HA!

After an initial coat of flat black, I used Vallejo’s Flat Earth and AK’s Tan and Light Sand to achieve the desired dirt tones. Then the process of weathering was pretty straight forward using oils washes for definition and dry brush with acrylics for some of the highlights. Mig’s Europe Dust P028 was used in all the appropriate areas. Once everything was dried overnight, I added the roots as seen in the original photo.

Now, I know someone is going to say, “Those roots near the pipes are a bit too large and there’s too many.” Oh contraire, observe the stump in the foreground of that original photo, there’s plenty of roots to be had everywhere. If you’ve ever dug up a sewer or water line, especially an older line near any old growth trees, you will normally find roots looking to tap into that water source somewhere along that line. I did temper my approach, not wanting to make the roots the main focus but a compliment to the scene.

Now it’s back to work on those trousers of the last figure and see if I can finish this scene. Thanks for watching.


Cheers, Ski.

 

[Helm]

The Base

To break things up a bit and keep the motivation going between figures I jumped ahead and worked the base.Once again, I was so involved in the process, I forgot to take progress pics.

There isn’t anything special about how I worked the resin base. Using a few pieces of styrene tubing I added the sewer pipe and water line seen in the original photo. Steve said it was certainly a consideration to add those, but the casting process would have been a bugger, so they were installed before I got too far along. I used the Dremel tool to prep the locations for each pipe, installed them, then covered the areas with glue and cat litter for a more natural appearance.

I gave the entire base a primer coat of Krylon Gray and dried it completely with a hair dryer. Using slightly diluted Elmer’s wood glue I carefully placed crushed cat litter in areas that needed a dustier loose dirt affect. At first, I couldn’t find my jar of cat litter and was in a bit of a panic. We don’t have cats anymore, haven’t for years, and I wasn’t in the mood to make a trip just for cat litter. Then that jar caught my eye as I scavenged the material shelf. Shewwww, wiping the sweat from me brow, I carried on, HA!

After an initial coat of flat black, I used Vallejo’s Flat Earth and AK’s Tan and Light Sand to achieve the desired dirt tones. Then the process of weathering was pretty straight forward using oils washes for definition and dry brush with acrylics for some of the highlights. Mig’s Europe Dust P028 was used in all the appropriate areas. Once everything was dried overnight, I added the roots as seen in the original photo.

Now, I know someone is going to say, “Those roots near the pipes are a bit too large and there’s too many.” Oh contraire, observe the stump in the foreground of that original photo, there’s plenty of roots to be had everywhere. If you’ve ever dug up a sewer or water line, especially an older line near any old growth trees, you will normally find roots looking to tap into that water source somewhere along that line. I did temper my approach, not wanting to make the roots the main focus but a compliment to the scene.

Now it’s back to work on those trousers of the last figure and see if I can finish this scene. Thanks for watching.


Cheers, Ski.

I reckon you nailed that a treat mate, roots look just right to me. excellent work
Steve

 

[1969]

You have just brought the base to life with the painting and other additions, fantastic job Ski.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Cannonball]

Great work on the base Steve. This is going to be a cracking piece once finished.

Neal

 

[Henk]

As someone who's actually dug into that ground, I can tell you that you have got the roots of the trees in that ground spot on Steve. The area is on the border of the heavy clay soil of the lower areas of land, around the rivers, and the sandy soil of the higher Veluwe. The roots of trees tend to be a mesh of fine, almost sinuey (sp) roots, that the sandy soil readily falls off of, but which is hard to cut and move. Beautifully work. I am certainly keeping these images of your work to hand whilst working on mine.

 

[Nap]

Dear Mr Ski

Apologies catching up a bit ...you are the "Camo King" .....all looks just great as does the webbing , trousers etc .......good to see some figs in situ in one pic , shows how good the sculpting and painting is

As for the base work ....spot on IMO

Just as spot on is your text you add with the pictures

You just carry "rucking on"

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Steve Ski]

Thanks Helm, Stevo, Neal, and Henk! Thanks, Kevin, we Ruck On!

 

[Viking Bob]

That trench has come to life, fantastic work.

 

[Steve Ski]

Thanks Bob, I appreciate the encouragement.

 

[Steve Ski]

Figure #3 on Final Approach; Gear Down, Flaps Down, Cleared to Land!

So, as we crank a bit of Outlaws, “Green Grass and High Tides”, and maybe a little bit a Tom Petty, “Here comes My girl”, or maybe some Joe Cocker, “Feeling Alright”, we Ruck On! And when was the last time any of you have listened to Jeff Beck “Live” with Jan Hammer, “Earth in Search of a Sun”? Sometimes it pays to relax when you’re “sniffin paint and gluin them fingers together.” Just a bit of nostalgia for my paint sniffin Amigos! So, let’s get this pig on the roll, right quick!

Been more than long enough, but there has been some decent progress. I must admit, there is a bit more work to be done on the hands, not there yet, but we are now ready to paint the trousers, mue pronto. So, just a pre-shading is set in preparation for closing out this last figure.

With the arm and head in place, it’s coming together nicely. Still, there’s plenty on the punch list to deal with later, but it’s coming together as expected when one deals with incredibly well sculpted figures. Kudos to Stevo, once again!

The sweet part about finishing this last figure is the punch list, then the placement within the base. I might add, we do have an incredibly beautiful chunk of Black Walnut left over from the fireplace mantel, so I will do my best to expose the sap ribbon, or as some say, “that beautiful blond strip before the meat of the trunk”. Either way, I’ll get a nice lookin piece after I mill this 4” thick chunky block of beautiful black walnut.

Thanks for watchin. Cheers, Ski.

 

[Henk]

Looking good Steve. Interesting idea for the base. I'm torn between asking my regular base supplier (Richard at Oakwood Studios)to make something special, like you are planning, with some exposed and contrasting grain, but on the other hand, I don't want to risk the base taking away any attention from the fantastic piece that Steve has sculpted. I used a lovely base from Richard for the Harbinger of Death, but quite a few people have commented that the base perhaps draws some of the attention away from the piece. Itself.

I'm also jealous now...Not only a gifted painter, but now you have the tools to work with wood too and make your own bases....

 

[Nap]

Hi Ski

Loving you liking Tom Petty ...brilliant .....just like your painting here ....really ruckin' on now ......and getting ready to land

Really enjoying this

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Steve Ski]

Thanks Henk. I am concerned with the overall thickness of the base, not wanting to draw too much attention, only accent the work. And yes, all those years of smashing thumbs and wrenching my back have finally paid off. My kitchen remod was done at material cost, saved a bundle.

Thanks Kevin, getting down to the wire.

 

[Helm]

Coming along nicely, and that will all tie together superbly by the sound of it Steve
Steve

 

[1969]

Lovely work again Ski.
Steve