DAK machine gunner: 02/06 Update

[Herr Dr. Professor]

It takes me months to do one figure. I just painted up a bunch of the Asiatam DAK figures. While they are not great for detail, they are fun to add to DAK tanks (still working at it). DAK can especially be fun because the uniforms were--well, not always uniform--with various shades of fading (even bleaching).
Here, however, is a SOL model DAK machine gunner in rather new gear with good detail.

DAK MG 2.jpg (95.13 KiB) Viewed 3662 times

[silversurfer1947]

Very nice figure. I've not seen that one before. Mine tend to be from Aliexpress. Please don't take this as a criticism, but have you had a look at the YouTube videos by Dave Youngquist, also found under Last Cavalry TV or Michigan Toy Soldier Company? He is a master of figure painting and repeated watching has improved my technique no end.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Thanks for the tip to the video. I have a few books on painting figures: most almost discourage me as so many folks' skills are so far beyond mine. But I just plod along. The photos I posted don't show much of the weathering on this DAK figure because and I just used a flash, being too lazy to set up the studio lighting.

Oh-oh: I just remembered that I attached his mess kit upside down! I used E-6000, great stuff, but there's no goin' back.

[silversurfer1947]

It is not easy getting good photos. I have found the same problem with flash. It seems to remove any gradual shading, leaving only the heavy shading. I learnt nothing from reading books on painting. I can not get remotely close to what the experts can do, but I try to get a little bit closer with each figure I paint. Sadly, and I am only too well aware, there is a limit imposed by a lack of artistic talent.

[HERMAN BIX]

That’s a fine job Mr Professor, any of my attempts to paint figures has them looking like drug & alcohol affected clowns on the way to a Mardi-gras !

[EAO]

Herr Dr.,

Very fine I do say, from one Wisconsinite to another!

I've never tried painting figures before. I can only imagine the humorous mess I'd make of it. It would probably look like some "streetwalker" with way too much make up on over the "fish belly white skin"! Something you couldn't unsee!

Just yesterday I was looking at two static airplane kits I built as a late teenager (amazing they've survived several cross country moves), and realized that I never, ever attempted painting the pilots. Most of the planes were hung from the ceiling all sans pilots! I was just thinking how odd that looked. I guess as a kid you just really didn't care?!

At any rate, fine craft!

Cheers,
Eric.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Back in late November, I wrote that "just painted up a bunch of the Asiatam DAK figures. While they are not great for detail, they are fun to add to DAK tanks."
So here they are. I did not put the time and work into these figures as I did the SOL Model machine gunner (see above), so they are even less sophisticated. Rather, I painted these to reflect the apparent hodge-podge of uniforms and non-uniforms DAK soldiers scrounged up among whatever was available and more comfortable than the uniforms they were issued. The paints are mostly Vallejo acrylics over gray Rust-O-Leum spray bomb primer, with a smidge of Tamiya here and there. For weathering, I just use a wash of burnt sienna, raw sienna, and/or burnt umber oil.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

And for an all-time low, here's a Commandant figure, one of a few I got free. I find it only slighly better than what I call Panzermann, included with most Taigen and HengLong RC Panzers. Nonetheless, some years ago, I repainted him for fun and practice and gave the others to other modelers who have a few RC tanks. He's good enough for a ride around the basement floor in whatever WWII Panzer is available at the moment.

[EAO]

Herr Dr.,

He's a huge improvement over the original look. When I unboxed my Taigen Tiger 1 I was like; huh, pretty nice tank, well constructed, seems pretty spot on. I then saw the commander figure and said !

Cheers,
Eric.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Now that I see what I call Commandant Crude in a photo, it is obvious that a wash of oil might improve such things as his one-piece gloves. Maybe tonight when it is -20 or lower C I will sit at the modeling table with the duct blowing on me and both the space heater and pup at my feet.
I am a bit rough on this commander, but I am nonetheless grateful to have received him free (with a paid-for tank or two) from a German seller, Licmas if I recall correctly. He can always find a place among my tanks, for he is a good Commandant with some anti-Nazi leanings. Besides, the poor guy will never get those headphones off his ears. Wait! They are his ears!