"On the watchout for Von Lettow-Vorbeck"

[Milorg]

Hello Marijn

Ditto to all the above.

Creative and original scene, and of course perfect craftmansip as always!

Your choise of modelling WW1 vignettes lately makes me happy

cheers

Per Olav

 

[Marijn Van Gils]

Thanks a lot for the nice words guys!

Thanks Dan! The fun I'm having doing this piece is better than any award it could ever win. Doing something I didn't do myself before, and working on an idea that I really like myself is really the most fun of all. But I guess that would be the same for anyone!

Marc: nonono!!! It is actually as easy as it looks in the pics. Gary is very correct: breaking the sculpting down in simple steps, can make the most complex items easy to do. So please don't be affraid of the putty and just give it a go!

John, these small items are often indeed overlooked, probably because they are rather time-consuming to do properly. Luckilly I enjoy doing them, and with these figures they are very managable as the uniforms couldn't be simpler, and they are carrying almost no equipment. It was an excellent exercise in posing, anatomy and foldwork for me, as these are almost the only things left on these figures...

Thanks Roy! As said before, I just love working on "special" ideas more, and it gives me the most satisfaction. Also for the painting, which is well underway by now. It also makes me push my boundaries, which I hope does improve my skills with every model. For me, the story, atmosphere and expression (thus the communicative elements in a model) are always the essentials for any project. If one really focusses on these, it believe it really doesn't take too much imagination or creativity to make something special.

Thanks John! Thanks for the comment on the setting, as doing these "properly" always takes more effort than most people notice. I enjoy a lot doing different kinds of groundwork every time, and putting as much attention into it as in the figures. In the end, not just the figures are important to me, but the total image. But I guess I don't have to tell you that... :lol:

Thanks Per Olav! How is your WW1 dio coming along by the way? Started painting already?

Thanks again and best wishes!

Marijn

 

[Marijn Van Gils]

I also took a little sbs of the painting of the face of the bottom figure. Please bear with the overly enlarged pics, and sorry for the dirty spots that somehow got into my lense...


Face and legs are basecoated with a mix of Humbroll 33, 62 and 60, with some 110 added to get rid of any orangy shine, and some 61 to break the colour a little. The fez has been highlighted in this pic:

Face and legs have been highligted by adding more 62 and 61 to the mix. The fez and the hairs have been finished meanwhile:

Face and feet have been shaded with very much diluted black 33, using both layering and varying the consistency to build up the shadows:

Face is finished: the eyes have been painted and lips, earlobes and cheeks have been "coloured" with very much thinned wine 73. A satin varnish has been applied to even out the shine and give a skinlike satin finish. The feet have also received this satin coat, and after hardening 110 and 61 have been applied and feathered out in a stippling motion to create the dust, creating matt dust on the satin skin:

This is how far the painting is at the moment. The bottom jacket is only basecoated and will of course also be nicely matt and dusty, which should blend in better with the dusty feet:

As always: comments and criticisms are very welcome!

Marijn

 

[Markus]

Hello Marjin,

this is a very interesting theme, pretty sculpted figures und a very nice setting !!!

I´m looking forward to your next steps.

I hope to see your works sometimes in real life. Perhaps in Antwerpen or in Ingolstadt, next year.

Best regards,
Markus

 

[Roy]

Marjin, this scene is an absolute knockout....
Fantastic..

All the best.....Roy.

 

[gordy]

Incredible!

 

[Marijn Van Gils]

Thanks guys!

Markus, I will already certainly go to Torrent, Euromilitaire and Saint Vincent next year, so I don't know if Ingolstadt will be possible. Great show, though!

I will certainly attend Antwerpen though, so I hope to meet you there!

Marijn

 

[mahross]

Marijn - Simply superb. I love this, its a great topic and well done too. Can't wait to see it finished.

Ross

 

[megroot]

Marijn,

Thanks for the encouriging words. Well, i have picked out a scene of WW I (the more i read about it, the more its getting horror) and with belgium soldiers. And i have the intention to make the sculping.
And with the painting this SBS is gonna be greater.
See you in Antwerp.

Marc

 

[garyjd]

Marijn, Exceptional composition all around. There really are few words and you're deserving of all of them. I love seeing your pieces develope.~Gary

 

[P.Abreu]

Hello
It is a pleasure to read your work, I hope to know you in Torrent 2006. a question that solvent uses to soften the mixture of hard.
Thank you greetings from Canary Island

 

[Marijn Van Gils]

Thanks a lot guys! I am also looking forward to seeing it finished! :lol:

Marc, it is a great pleasure to see that you are about to take the plunge! But beware, once you start making your own figures, there is no way back... :lol:
See you in Antwerp!

Pedro, I'm looking forward to meeting you in Torrent too!
The thinner I use is White Spirit (I believe they call it "mineral spirit" in England), as it is a very mild thinner. It is not very aggressive and doesn't affect a well hardened base-coat too quickly. It is also less poisonous than many other thinners and can be bought cheaply in 5 liter cans at hardware stores. There is an odour-less version available, which leaves you only with the sweet smell of the Humbrolls!

Best wishes,

Marijn

 

[Anders Heintz]

Hola Marijn!

Awesome stuff as always! I enjoy watching your stuff progress, its not too often us mortals get to see masters like your self take the time to do SBS's. Saved all your pictures on HD

All the best!

 

[Marijn Van Gils]

Thanks a lot Anders! But please don't put me on such a pedestal, as I am also another guy who just enjoys making little figgies.

I took another sbs, this time of the painting and weathering of the jacket.

Basecoated with two thin layers:

Highlighted. The dificult thing with dark colours like this is that you have to really restain yourself while doing this. If highlighted too much, the colour gets lost:

Dusty colours (110 and 61) applied and blended into the still slightly wet paint:

The red and yellow bands have been painted, highlighted and some weathering applied to them also. The belt and ammo-pouches have been highlighted and shaded:

The jacket (cloth) received a coat of flat varnish, while the belt and pouches (leather) a satin one. I think it is important to take the texture and shine of different materials into account when painting figures:

shadows are painted. Note how the buttons and buckle have been undercoated in black:

Last details and the wear on the leather items are painted. The buttons and buckle are painted in flat paints, using extreme contrast and a layer of satin varnish at the end to simulate metal:

Note how both the dust and the worn spots on the leather have been used to get more "3D-effect" out of the figure. The dark colours of the uniform make it difficult to get a lot of contrast, so the weathering is a great aid in making the figure more expressive.

Best wishes,

Marijn

 

[yeo_64]

GREAT JOB on the vignette so far,Marijn !!!! A real inspiration for "mere mortals" like myself. WELL DONE !
Kenneth.

 

[megroot]

Great work Marijn,

keep us informed because i think most of us are in 7th heaven when they seen your work. So unique, so wonderfull.

Marc.

 

[Guy]

Awesome work Marjin.........thanks for posting

 

[garyjd]

Marijn, Great work on the figures. Thanks for taking the time to put this sbs together, I know how time consuming they can sometimes be. The highlighting on the ammo pouches not mention the wear and tear reall help them to pop out. Though it's hard to show "how" to paint with photographs, the "why" you do things the way it's done is just as important.~Gary

 

[THANOS]

I THINK YOU' RE MAKING ANOTHER "BEST OF SHOW"

THANOS
MINATURE CLUB OF ATHENS

 

[Francis Gekiere]

Your simplisiti is had the height of your talent.
The big are always humble.

superb !!!!!!!!

respect !!!!


francis