WIP Critique Bravo6 Tunnel Rat - no camo to hide behind

[kempie]

It’s nearly finished but still WIP. Works busy so with one weekend off in three I thought I’d have a go at starting and finishing a simple fig.

Didn’t quite get there as it still needs weathering but I thought I’d seek some extra eyes and maybe some suggestions for improvement.

So far as weathering goes I intend to stain trousers and boots to indicate mud and dust. The shirt however screams for the addition of sweat stains. Any suggestions?

Also, without any camo to hide behind how is my shading/ highlighting looking. I’m not averse to greater contrast but don’t have a feel yet for how far to go.

Anyways, thanks in advance for any suggestions or critique.

Cheers, kempie

 

[Sgt. Red]

Love the paintjob!

 

[Nap]

Hi Kempie

Interesting figure , nice pose on it , agree about the sweat stains , possibly consider a variation between the trousers and top

I would look again at the highs once you've weathered him

Will you add a base with a tunnel entrance ?

Thanks for sharing

Enjoy the well deserved time off

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Chris Oldfield]

Lovely paintwork (I've seen this also on Fb), I'm intrigued by the circular khaki pouch on the rear of his belt - any suggestions as to what it could be?

 

[kempie]

Thanks Red and Nap for your kind comments. Much appreciated.

Hopefully the changes I have made are visible. Not only the fairly stark sweat stain but also a slightly olive glaze over the trousers and tweaking the highlights along with some mud/dirt stains.

Crazy the rabbit holes we lose ourselves down. Do you think I could find a picture in any of my references if the shape of a sweat stain!? Google is not always your friend unless you’re looking for cleaning tips …

Anyways, on with the pix

Thanks for looking

 

[kempie]

Lovely paintwork (I've seen this also on Fb), I'm intrigued by the circular khaki pouch on the rear of his belt - any suggestions as to what it could be?

Chris, I believe it is a cable spool for the hand set on his belt. Khaki for contrast and interest only. I intend to add a short length of lead wire connecting it to the hand set.

Cheers, Chris

 

[Steve Ski]

Beauty, love how you worked this one. Bravo figs cover the Nam era quite well, imho.

 

[kempie]

Thanks Ski, I’m still finding my way with acrylics but happy with where I’m heading. I have a real interest in the Nam era so Bravo6 is a real treat after being used to the plastic Dragon figures I started on.

Cheers, kempie

 

[Ned Ricks]

Hi, Kempie -
I admire your job on this guy.
May I suggest sweat stain under the arms?
In my personal experience, the spool on the back of his belt is for two-strand telephone wire for that hand set. Someplace, he ought to have a flashlight attached to his belt as his hands are busy with the M1911A1 pistol.
The guy probably would have strips over his shirt pockets -- left pocket had "US ARMY" in black block letters on an olive drab background, and the right pocket had another OD strip with black capital letters spelling the soldier's last name. If unit supply is doing its job, the soldier would also have a subdued unit (division/ separate brigade) patch on the left shoulder.

As experience with tunnels progressed, a telephone headset with a boom mic was considered more practical than a bulky push-to-talk handset. The R&D folks also came up with a purpose made pistol. This was a revolver with a special purpose round that cut down on the noise and flash for for use in the confined spaces encountered.
I look forward to seeing your work.
NR

 

[Nap]

Hi kempie

Looking good to me so far

Interesting details from Ned as well

Look forward to seeing more

Happy Benchtime

Nap

 

[kempie]

Hi, Kempie -
I admire your job on this guy.
May I suggest sweat stain under the arms?
In my personal experience, the spool on the back of his belt is for two-strand telephone wire for that hand set. Someplace, he ought to have a flashlight attached to his belt as his hands are busy with the M1911A1 pistol.
The guy probably would have strips over his shirt pockets -- left pocket had "US ARMY" in black block letters on an olive drab background, and the right pocket had another OD strip with black capital letters spelling the soldier's last name. If unit supply is doing its job, the soldier would also have a subdued unit (division/ separate brigade) patch on the left shoulder.

As experience with tunnels progressed, a telephone headset with a boom mic was considered more practical than a bulky push-to-talk handset. The R&D folks also came up with a purpose made pistol. This was a revolver with a special purpose round that cut down on the noise and flash for for use in the confined spaces encountered.
I look forward to seeing your work.
NR

Wow Ned, that is a whole bunch of great info there!! Hugely grateful for that and I will try to work some of that into a coming diorama. To that end, I also bought a copy of “The Tunnels of Cu Chi” which I read years ago. I’d obviously appreciate any observations you may have as it develops.

Cheers, Chris

 

[Sylvanus]

In 1984 I had left the Army in BFG and was renting a flat in a small apartment block in Wurzburgm Bavaria. Where I had a job!

I had a colleague in the smae building ex US Marine who joined from the Dutch Marines to go to Nam! Nice gue and a great frein. BUT he had PTSD! AS did most GIs in Germany many often high on drugs! The hardly ever lkeft there barracks unlike us Brits!

He was also a Tunnel rat. 2 tours in Nam then left! He was as tough as old boots wiry and about 5ft 8ins. Perfect scale and material for down below. He rarely spoke about it . I went back to UK for a few weeks and when I got back, he had a wife!? Ne had taken his leave in the Phillipines.Where he acquired her. I never saw her as he kept her locked in their flat when he was at work.
I had wife and family in UK here where I am now.

Irrelevant? Not really. This very good figure is too tall and chipper, Otherwise fine. Sweaty appearance ?,.,. think secondary we jungle/ plantations, very wet and hot, Face cam yes, if you met a gook coming the other way .. a white face was a death warrant, torches,head lamps. silence, hearing smell and inching along in the dark. Pauses to listen for another mover, key. Getting out as bad worse if charlie was following yo. Curtains. Knife handy..pistol. Try this when you go to you foxhole off to bed all lights out crawl all the way emerge to cimb out and into bed .. and find some waiting for you thinking you had lost your marbles . It could have been a burglar called Charlie.

I did enough wriggling through tunnels on the assault course in Wintry Catterick, designed by a sadist with part under water! We were then recruits for the Tank Regiments!

I ended up as an Officer in the RASC/RCT. But did spend a lot of time in slit trenches with 18inches of overhead cover. We all grave diggers. We slept in our own handi-work.getting out was not easy. In was supposed to be 6ft deep an camoflaged. Try and find your drivers when you needed them. When is snowed in near Denmark! Happy days on exercises! As to Ukraine .....
Good Night V.. ladim! Now to read the meter outside?

 

[Sylvanus]

Diorama, think what is he doing? Is he is waiting for someone unknowne emerging for newly identified tunnel entry/exit point? He would have had backup anyway, maybe he is waiting for his mate to emerge from the shaft, Pistol ready if it was not this friend!

Sorry Nap!

 

[Ned Ricks]

Maybe, as he is not covered in dust yet, he is charging a round into his pistol preparatory to going down the tunnel?

 

[kempie]

Guys, I appreciate all the input. Just to put your minds at rest, here are pictures of the three figures that will be involved. The way I see it one is in the tunnel, one is peering in after him and the final one is providing security. Using available figures I think this is a reasonable approximation… ?

 

[Sylvanus]

Looks good!

 

[sd0324]

Long story but here goes. About 40 years ago I'd gotten out of the service and went home to Leclaire Iowa and took a job as a bartender while looking for meaningful work.

Every night a guy named Bill came in after second shift at the steel mill and had two Jack Daniel's and cokes before heading home. A slow night and I was reading a book called "The Tunnels at Cu Chi".

He asked what I was reading so I showed him. He got quiet. Next night brought in two photo albums of the craziest pics I've ever seen. He was a Tunnel Rat. At Cu Chi.

Had some stories and we became friends.

Great painting.


Steve

Steve

 

[Nap]

Hi Steve

What a incredible and brave man he must be , fighting in the depths in such a confined space can only be imagined

Thanks for sharing

Looking forward to seeing more on this from Kempie

Nap

 

[Steve Ski]

Long story but here goes. About 40 years ago I'd gotten out of the service and went home to Leclaire Iowa and took a job as a bartender while looking for meaningful work.

Every night a guy named Bill came in after second shift at the steel mill and had two Jack Daniel's and cokes before heading home. A slow night and I was reading a book called "The Tunnels at Cu Chi".

He asked what I was reading so I showed him. He got quiet. Next night brought in two photo albums of the craziest pics I've ever seen. He was a Tunnel Rat. At Cu Chi.

Had some stories and we became friends.

Great painting.


Steve

Steve

I read that book too, incredible bravery. I'm lucky I'm 6'1", I'd never fit Bravo is really crankin em out.