Tamiya 1/35 German Infantry Set (MID-WWII) - 35371

The completed figure is presented on a scenic groundwork made up of elements found in my scrap box. Some final additions included auxiliary Y-straps and a helmet elastic band, both fashioned from epoxy putty. After reconsidering the timeline, I decided to repaint the trousers in field grey to better fit a late-1942 setting. This was definitely a fun project, and I look forward to painting the next few figures from this set in the near future.

Cheers,

Calvin

Tamiya 1/35 German Infantry Set (MID-WWII) - 35371

I was only midway through painting when I realized I’d forgotten to separate the fingers, but it wasn't a big problem.

As you can see, one of the limitations of the injection molding process is that fine details—like fingers—tend to appear fused together.

The spaces between the fingers are separated with a fine modelling saw from ManWah.

The sides of the fingers are bevelled with a scalpel blade

A modicum of Tamiya extra-thin cement as applied to soften the effects.

This is allowed to fully set before undercoating with AK Interactive Flat Varnish RC801.

The fingers are repainted with colours from AK17526 Painting Skin Tone set by yours truely. 

Cheers,

Calvin

Tamiya 1/35 German Infantry Set (MID-WWII) - 35371

Here is a quick rundown on the painting of the equipment. 

The breadbag was painted in Field Drab (AK11435). For the canteen, the cup was painted Black (AK11029) while the felt cover was base-coated in Mud Brown (AK11120); Light Earth (AK11115) was then thinned with Ultra Matt Varnish and stippled over the base to simulate the fabric's natural texture. Finally, both the gas mask canister and mess tin were base-coated in Black Green (AK11160) and highlighted with a 3:1 mix of Black Green and Light Green (AK11411).

Next, the mess tin and gas mask canister were shaded with Quick Gen Field Grey (AK17072). Surface wear and chafing were simulated by dabbing on Basalt Grey (AK11021) and White Grey (AK11003), both thinned with Ultra Matt Varnish. Finally, the wooden handle of the entrenching tool was undercoated with Light Earth (AK11115).

Cheers,

Calvin

Compatibility Test between AK Interactive and Tamiya Acrylics - A "Highball" Experiment

In early May, I ran an experiment to test the compatibility of Tamiya acrylics with AK Interactive’s 3Gen and Quick Gen paints. It led to some interesting discoveries, which I'd like to share with you.

Tamiya acrylics have been a market staple since the 1980s, yet they’ve always been notoriously difficult to brush paint—mainly because a second coat usually strips the first. Using AK Interactive 3rd Gen Thinner (AK11500) completely solves this. It thins the paint beautifully while subduing its corrosive properties, enabling seamless layering over previous coats.

Pair that with using AK’s Ultra Matt Varnish as a medium to boost translucency and eliminate watermarks, and the workflow transforms entirely. This discovery has allowed me to yield better results in a fraction of the time.

The test subject is a 1/35 scale figure from Tamiya's German Infantry Set (Mid-WWII, item 35371). The figure was primed using AK Interactive’s Real Colors lacquer-based Flat Varnish (RC801) to create a porous tooth without adding unnecessary paint thickness.

• Tunic: Undercoated with Tamiya XF-65 Field Grey. Shading was done with Quick Gen Field Grey (AK17072) thinned with 3rd Gen Thinner. Highlights were applied using a mix of XF-65 Field Grey and Lilac (AK11071), thinned with Ultra Matt Varnish (AK11252). Additional highlights are made by adding Luminous Flesh (AK11051) to the initial highlight mixture.

• Trousers: Undercoated with Tamiya XF-63 German Grey. Shaded with Quick Gen (AK17071), and highlighted with a mixture of XF-63 and Lilac (AK11071) thinned with Ultra Matt Varnish (AK11252). 

• Helmet: Undercoated with a 3:2 mix of XF-63 German Grey and XF-65 Field Grey.

• Collar: Undercoated with XF-61 Dark Green and shaded with Quick Gen Space Dark Green (AK17019).

• Webbing & Ammo Pouches: Undercoated with Tenebrous Grey (AK11026) and shaded using Quick Gen Black (AK17047).

I will elaborate on the painting of the web equipment on the next update, so stay tuned.

Cheers,

Calvin

Alpine Miniatures - Panzerschütze, LSSAH, Kursk 1943 - 2

 Coming soon from Alpine Miniatures. 

Cheers,

Calvin

4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade, Italy 1944

It's been a while since I've had a major figure conversion. Luckily Fabio Sacchi gave an opportunity to sculpt on his conversion, using Alpine Miniatures figures with Hornet heads fitted. The assembly is progressing exceptionally well, and I expect to get a coat of paint on them this coming weekend.

Cheers,

Calvin

Dynamo Models - SS-s Pz.Abt., 101 Normandy, 1944

After some unforeseen delay, I finally managed to complete the final figure from this set. 

The set provides six additional heads to choose from, making it an excellent value for any modeller wishing to recreate this iconic subject. These are painted using AK 17526 Painting Skin Tones - Made Easy by Calvin Tan. 

Cheers,

Calvin