wait, you painted the sickles rotated wrong? They look exactly the same as the ones on the gameboard underneath them to me. Am I missing something?
I suppose they are 72 degrees off (rotate the roundel one star point). the sickle and hammer handles are supposed to both be angled downward. I’m actually almost finished fixing it, and I think they look better than before anyway.
UPDATE:
Soviet Union Infantry
Soviet Union Infantry - Flat Drab
Soviet Union Infantry - Winter Drab
Soviet Union Infantry - “Amoeba” Scout Camo
Soviet Union Infantry - Full Force
Didn’t notice that, but then again, all my units are mixed together now. You can definitely tell the difference by color, quality of plastic, and the amount of mold markings left on the piece.
Really it doesn’t surprise me - Guadalcanal had lots of issues of their molds. Some of the Japanese navy was cast in American molds. Really I’ve got a whole pile of minis that are cast in the wrong colors.
By the way: Russians tomorrow I think.
More work for you to match with the global game? How are the Russians coming along? Finish the roundels?
Lots of family visits and camping this past week. More family this weekend. Going a bit off schedule. Everything is finished except the yellow of the roundels…
Should pump them out early next week.
I don’t know about you, Allwork… the first thing I’m going to paint on the Europe '40 game is the French pieces. I’m not a fan of the sky-blue color.
I have a fair idea of all the other French pieces, but I really don’t know how to do the infantry justice. Any ideas from what you’ve seen?
…Also here is a good forum showing individual pieces of the uniform:
http://www.wwiireenacting.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=48333
This topic’s gone global.
Wow, topic started Feb 11th. It’s now August 7th. Been at this for half a year now… Dedication!!! I’ve started to paint mine (Spring 1942 edition), if it takes me half a year to complete it I’ll go mad. 2 weeks in and I’ve already finished Japan and started Germany though haha. Probably 1% of the quality yours are!
Keep it up man! They look awesome.
I have to say that I probably would have quit ages ago if not for the support and interest shown by everyone here at A&A.org. You guys make it possible.
I don’t know how you do it mate. It would drive me bloody mad. Do you think you could perhaps make some kind of stencil for the roundels? Maybe out of thin sticky plastic or something (like laminate)… Just stick it on and paint over it. Too tricky, I expect.
Stencils at this scale are next to impossible. Finding a way to accurately cut it out would be just as maddening. Also the paint would either flow out past the edges or stick to the stencil when you’re trying to remove it.
@Dylan:
Well if you want to use the one in the game, I could say you could practice just painting it on a piece of paper, I know it’s much different then with some guy tea-bagging your brush, but it could help.
The hardest part of all the roundels is painting at both an angle and working around the legs and feet of the figure. Even the UK’s roundel of circles becomes difficult when there are objects disrupting the shapes. USA’s stars were difficult to keep aligned with the forward facing direction of the soldier. ANZAC had the finely detailed crown image.
Russia has all these problems. :|
The Russian roundels are, well… a real pain in the ass.
I personally like… “Oh, I’m drinking wine and eating cheese… catching some rays, you know…”
Why don’t you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don’t you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don’t you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
also where do you get 0,1/0,2/0,5/0,10/0,20/0 size brushes preferb high qulity
Online model stores are a good source.
Did you scrape with a hobby knife and/or use sandpaper to remove the middle mold lines on some of the pieces? I haven’t seen a middle line on any of your pieces. They look great, by the way, and are an inspiration to a lot of us!
I spend a whole lot of time grinding down the seams. I use exacto knives, files, and sometimes a dremel. Sandpaper I’ve found doesn’t work too well as it flakes the surface of the plastic, but then again I haven’t experimented around too much with it.
Again, thanks!
How about using a very thin coating of superglue to strengthen the rifles, and stop them from cracking? Then prime and paint. I expect the Japanese Infantry would be the most susceptible to this.
Superglue might cause issues, depending on whether it is oil or water based. As a rule of thumb, never put oil-based under a coat of water-based (IE acrylic paint). The oil fluctuates with the humidity and when it expands, even a slight amount, it will cause the paint to be even more brittle.
I’m not sure that it would help much anyway at small amount. If anything, just brush on a few extra coats of varnish, allowing the proper dry time between. Above all, just handle them with care.
Certain thin, flexible spots of plastic are more susceptible to paint wear. Try not to handle these areas as much. Also remember to use several coats of a varnish to seal the paint jobs. Brushing or spraying works equally well at this scale, just don’t let the varnish gather too much into corners and deep spots.
Although I suppose it might hurt my chances at doing this for a living, I’ll indulge some info to everyone that wants to know how to paint your own set:
It takes a lot of practice and patience; trial and error are of course part of this but the success isn’t accidental. Though I don’t necessarily like the term (it carries too much baggage), I’m a professional artist. I’ve done this since I could walk, earned an undergraduate in it, and have worked at a very small scale for many years.
I have basically figured out my whole methodology for painting the minis through a combination of a bit of research and a whole lot of ‘just sit down and do it.’ Like all things difficult yet worthwhile in life, you can’t focus on the grand scheme. It will just be too overwhelming and seem implausible. I recommend breaking it down into steps.
#1 - Supplies
- Brushes: There are lots of different brushes out there, and usually when you get to this scale, the brand and type of bristle doesn’t matter too incredibly much. Mostly only model companies sell the size you’ll want, so you can pretty much bet they’ll function fine for their purpose. Reaper makes some good choices. Remember that once you get below the 0 size for artist brushes, you just keep adding additional zeros for the smaller size (IE 0 > 10/0 > 20/0). I recommend getting one of each of these sized brushes: 0 for large areas, 10/0 for details and spotting, and 20/0 for fine decals and whatnot.
Paint: There are just as many paints as there are brushes. Paints sold in craft stores seem to fine for their price, however they can sometimes be inconsistent and lack in color options. Acrylic model paints are the best choice. I personally use Vallejo Model Color paints. You should also buy some thinner in the brand of the model paint you use. It’s useful for making certain colors flow out (white particularly) and to add a little more working time to your drying palette. Inks are also important. They flow into the cracks of your paints and pop out the depth of the mini. I mostly use black, but experiment around.
Water/Palette/Drying Rack: You’ll need somewhere to put your paint and to dry your pieces. I use old lids to plastic containers for my palette and drying racks. I usually paint half of the miniatures, then rest them elevated on the lip of the lid to dry. Later I come back and finish them off, making sure to overlap over the opposite side to avoid visible lines. Any short container works well for water to clean your brushes. Do it often - the paint dries quickly and can clog/ruin your brush faster than you think. Brush Restorer is a good investment for the long run.
Airbrush: Optional, but saves time. Use small heads, 1-3 gauge. Clean them IMMEDIATELY when finished.
#2 - Research
How to paint: Use google. It’s your best friend. ‘How to paint miniatures’ is a good starting search.
Colors: People have asked me for particular colors in my schemes, and I’m reluctant to give them for one simple reason: I don’t want to deny them their personal discovery of earning the right look. Someone else will probably find more accurate colors than me for their own sets, but they might never pursue it if they use a ‘paint by numbers’ approach. Buy a few colors you think are close, then make a master color reference sheet (paint a decent sized dab of each of your colors on one surface and label them). Don’t trust pictures or your computer screen when looking at paint colors - pixels and scale distort them.
Schemes: I feel like I’ve done an alright job in showing some of the common WWII camo schemes, and it took many, many hours of research and printed images. I’m sure I’ve used up four ink cartridges in the process. Again google helps (IE Search: British uniform WWII). Reproduction uniforms and scale modeler pages are excellent sources. Also graphic eBooks such as the Osprey series (great reading too).
#3 - Sit Down and Do It
I’m going to start getting a jump on Europe now - starting with Russia… Can’t wait for winter camo!
A&AP:1940 Initial Setup
UPDATE:
UK Royal Navy
UK Subs
UK Transports
UK Destroyers
UK Cruisers
UK Carriers
UK Battleships
UK Royal Navy - Early War Flat Camo
UK Royal Navy - Mid-War Disruptive Camo
UK Royal Navy
UK Complete Forces
