Falklands Para.

[Mark Dollery]

Hi Guys,
It's about time I posted something on this forum.
The figure is Maurice Corry Falklands Para & is work in progress. The British DPM is hard to keep in hand as a repetitive pattern but let me know what you guys think. All comments welcome.
Mark

 

[eissteban]

Hi Mark
you do a good work, the DPM and camo in general is not easy to do.
The scale is 120mm isn't it ?
I like it (the face is perhaps a little too red)

Seb.

 

[tonydawe]

Hi Mark

Well done on the para mate. It may be the photo, but it looks to me as if you still have a few gaps to fill between the arm and the torso??

The DPM camo will look great when its finished.

Cheers

 

[JasonB]

What do you make of the pose?

One of the reasons I didn't get this fig was the pose, its a little akward to me. I could never quite figure out what its supposed to be. Is he telling the guys behind to hold back? Is he balancing himself? Is he rounding a corner or pointing the way to the left? I just could never figure it out.
Cheers
Jason

 

[Mark Dollery]

Thanks for the comments guys,
Tony, the arms are only 'tacked' in place until I have got the rifle strap & webbing sorted then I can start the jacket camo.
Jason, Know what you mean about the pose & thats what attacted me in the first place to the figure. a bit different to the norm!
Seb, the face colour is not as bad as my photography, as I wanted a 'flushed & tired' look to his face, but did not come out well in the photo's.
Mark

 

[tonydawe]

Mark,

To me the figure looks to be signalling to the man behind him to "stay down and wait" while he looks ahead. Perhaps you could pose him as an NCO (patrol commander) standing next to a section of wall of a quaint Falkland Island thatched cottage with a Union Jack in the window??

I presume you are still to add the brown to the DPM pattern on the jacket. What colours are you using?

Cheers

 

[billyturnip]

"quaint Falkland Island thatched cottage"
Take it you've never been there then Tony? Corrugated tin shed more like with more in common with the Aussie outback, but a lot colder and windier

Roger

 

[vergilius]

nicely done !!

 

[tonydawe]

Roger

Never been to the Falklands, but sounds delightful.

Cheers

 

[gwensp]

Nice work Mark it really looks like DPM

Just a few comments.
The putties are way too green. Putties issued during that period were a dark brown khaki. I have seen ones with darker tape or slightly lighter tapes.

The colour on the 58 pattern webbing is too consistent. Normally webbing was issued to(more likely flung at) soldiers from various piles of bits in Company/Squadron QMs so you tended to get a right mish mash of shades of green varying from washed out faded to brand new dark green.

A comment about the actual figure. I find it a little strange that the L1A1 has the bayonet fitted and scabbarded. The only times that I have seen this is if the weapon has just been drawn from the armoury and the scabbard not yet fitted to the bayonet frog or on drill practice. For normal ops the bayonet scabbard would have been fitted to the frog LHS ammo pouch.

 

[Mark Dollery]

Thanks for the comments, Gwensp.
I was not sure on the putties as I was working from a half illustration so that has helped me put that one right.
The webbing I was getting the base colours down & that thought occur to me as well, so another good spot.
I do not know enought about the LA1A & the bayonet but I will bear in mind if I do not get any other info on it.
Tony, the colours are from Andrea acrylics reange & I will check the colours code when I get home from work.
Thanks for your comments guys, keep them coming!

 

[stev1eran]

I find it a little strange that the L1A1 has the bayonet fitted and scabbarded. The only times that I have seen this is if the weapon has just been drawn from the armoury and the scabbard not yet fitted to the bayonet frog or on drill practice. For normal ops the bayonet scabbard would have been fitted to the frog LHS ammo pouch.

Hi Guys,
I also have this figure from Maurice Corry, I think that the clarity of the photo does not show the scabbard fitted in its holder on the ammo pouch and that it is only the bayonet that is on the SLR. I agree with the other comments from gwensp especially the puttees.
Mark - this is coming along nicely keep posting mate.

Steve

 

[1969]

Nice work so far Mark,as i look at the figure something didnt seem right and now i has dawned on me.The band around the rim of the helmet should be matt black.The scrim net on the helmet was something made by individuals by stretching a scrim net over the helmet and securing with a big black band made from a car tyre inner-tube.Not all paras wore them it was an individual choice.Nice to see your work on this figure.

Steve

P.s the face can do with some cammo cream for realism,ckeck my avater for reference.

 

[Mark Dollery]

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the comments. The car inner tube, man , that's a small car to get the rim tape, ha! ha!. The camo cream for the face is a neat idea, but the wife won't let me use her make up set. I will have to buy my own for xmas!!!
The putties are in the new colours & I will post some pics on the next stage along side the Argentinian Marine. (Still no joy on the actual colours of the Argy uniform, any idea's guys would be welcome.)
Mark

 

[Roc]

Good work, I especially like the camouflage.
Thanks for sharing.

Cheers
Roc

 

[Mark Dollery]

finally guys (& Dolls)
Here's a update on the figures by Maurice Cory. Still WIP but getting close to finish. The reddish brown was based on a DPM jacket which was loaned to me off a fellow club member. (As it was new 'old' issue jacket, it was not washed out)
I had trouble finding info on the Argentinian Marine green colour of their uniform which amounted to olivegreen to dark green. So I went for Andrea colours of Napoleonic green & field green in 50% ratio. Using light flesh in small amounts for highlights & black/green for shadows.
Comments always welcome.
Mark

 

[Mark Dollery]

another photo of the 2 figures together.........

 

[tonydawe]

Hi Mark

The para looks superb. The DPM jacket and pants have come up very well.

Your Argentine soldier looks excellent. Well done.

Cheers

 

[gwensp]

Its looking good Mark. The puttees look pukka now. The 58 webbing is looking good too.

 

[Mark Dollery]

Thanks for the comments guys!
I took all the painting tips & hopefully got them somewhere near.
:gwensp, sorted those puttees as you said & I checked with a mate in my local club & he confirmed the colours of them & the webbing.
:Tony,as you asked the colours from the andrea range are as follows:
Jacket cammo was Jap Khaki /russian khaki 80/20% mix for the base. Napoleonic green & field green 50/50% mix for green areas. Brown was dark brown/medium brown 50/50% mix. Highlighted with light flesh in 3 steps & shadowing with black/green & black/brown mixtures.
Webbing was re-done in tan & English khaki mix until I was happy with the colour.
:Steve, sorted the rim tape as your suggestion, looks a whole lot better.
Mark