Alpine Miniatures - Razvedchik, Operation Bagration, 1944

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Concluding the box art assignment on the Razvedchik pair for Alpine Miniatures, here is the first installment on the low down of the painting process.

A base coat of Gunze Sanyo Flat Black was airbrushed on followed by a light over-spray of Jo Sonja Prussian Blue to cut the harsh appearance of the black.

Next, a solution of water and paint retarder was applied.

A mixture of Jo Sonja Carbon Black, Red Violet and Cadmium Orange for the brown sections of the camouflage was applied over the wet ground. The extended drying of the paint retarder solution reduces brush strokes as it allows the paint to evenly level out.

The color for the olive-green sections of the amoeba camouflage were mixed from Titanium White, Hookers Green, Cadmium Orange and Red Violet. They were painted in whilst the brown sections were wet. This not only allowed corrections to be made within a single layer, reducing an unnecessary build-up of paint, but also helped simulate both dirt and shadows in that same step. Other colors such as Prussian Blue and Cadmium Orange were also dabbed on straight from the tube and mingled in (alla prima) to create more subtle variation of tones and hues.

"Any way you want it to be, that's just right. "
Bob Ross

 

Notice the smooth transitional build-up of paint despite having amendments made to the camouflage pattern.

Further progress on the painting of the camouflage overalls after repeated applications. Notice the hints of blue, brown and green randomly applied throughout, adding subtle tonal variety and hue contrast to an otherwise flat appearance of a drab color scheme. I've chosen to paint the MP-40 magazine pouch in Luftwaffe Blue as a nice contrast to the olive green. Storm Blue from Jo Sonya was the perfect color for this. The Gymnasterka was painted with a mixture of Yellow Ochre, Flat Brown and Medium Grey whereas the leather belt was painted with a mix of Red Violet and Cadmium Orange.

This is all for now. Until the next installment.

Cheers,

Calvin