WIP USAAF Pilot Bust Conversion

[Canoehead]

Work on the headset and garrison cap. Changed the colour of the foam headphone pads to brown as per my references, then painted the metal fittings, the two straps and the wiring (the lead with the headphone jack still needs attaching later due to its fragility). The garrison cap got its black and gold piping and the Lieutenant's bar:

 

[Canoehead]

Moved on to some of the torso details. The collar insignia painted, along with the first shadows and highlights on the Mae West:

 

[MalcC]

looking superb.

Malc

 

[Nap]

Hi Brian

Love the headphones and the cap , nice painting in all the update pics

Really enjoying what your doing

What colours are you using on the Mae West ?

Looking forward to seeing more

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[macuk]

Such great skills and also a fantastic post to follow

 

[Canoehead]

Such great skills and also a fantastic post to follow

Thanks, Mark - kind of you to say. Thanks again for providing the great 3D printed head!

Cheers,
Brian

 

[Canoehead]

Hi Brian

What colours are you using on the Mae West ?
Nap

Thanks Kev - kind of you as always.

The Mae West was undercoated in an orangey-yellow acrylic mixed from Yellow and Burnt Sienna.

For shadows, I used the same colours of W&N oils (Gold Ochre and Burnt Sienna) with a bit more Burnt Sienna. Highlights were mixed from Gold Ochre plus Naples Yellow. Once they were blended, I added some Burnt Umber to the shadow mix to deepen some of the shadows. I have yet to add my second round of highlights but will do that with straight Naples Yellow.

Cheers,
Brian

 

[Steve Ski]

The finer details are starting to pop nicely, Brian, and you're taking your time, it shows. Well, I'm taking notes, Brother; this is coming along too good to miss a step. The facial work is top of the line superb, btw.

 

[Canoehead]

The finer details are starting to pop nicely, Brian, and you're taking your time, it shows. Well, I'm taking notes, Brother; this is coming along too good to miss a step. The facial work is top of the line superb, btw.

Thanks for looking in, Ski - very kind of you as always.

 

[NigelR]

Very impressive indeed, it's great to see your techniques in detail.

 

[Larsen E. Whipsnade]

Great detail. Really well done.
Rick

 

[Canoehead]

A bit more progress over the last day or two; the B-8 parachute pack is mostly painted up but for a bit of detail on the elastic straps and some of the chest harness fittings have their first highlights and shading done:





Getting down to the short strokes now.

Cheers,
Brian

 

[Nap]

Hi Brian

Great update pics the parachute looks really good

It's good to follow this the modelling and painting is really bringing it alive

Looking forward to seeing more

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Steve Ski]

Details are coming alive, excellent work!

 

[Canoehead]

Working on the webbing harness for the parachute. First step was undercoating the straps with a warm light grey mixed from black, white and a bit of yellow acrylic. Used the same mixes in oils to apply initial highlights and shadows:



Next, I mixed a lighter version of the highlight and started trying to simulate the webbing texture by applying rows (kinda!) of dots on top of the highlights and shadows. It looks pretty crude up close but hopefully a second round of dotting with an almost-white will even things out a bit more:



Stay tuned...

 

[Nap]

Hi Brian

Blimey you've gone dotty ...straps look good so far , liking the harness colour you've achieved

Thanks for the updates look forward to seeing more

Happy dotting

Nap

 

[oldtrousers]

Wow, beautiful work!

Scott

 

[Steve Ski]

You are glutten for punishment!

 

[Canoehead]

You are glutten for punishment!

And I call this my "hobby", my way to "relax"!

 

[Steve Ski]

And I call this my "hobby", my way to "relax"!

That's exactly right! You can see a lot of depth all over this bust, Ruck On!