|
|
 Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
|
Hello all,
Now that we have this fantastic new sub-forum here on ModelSpace (thanks Tom!), I wanted to get cracking with some figure build diaries!!
This is my build diary for a ‘Mitches Military Models’ 1:9 resin bust of top WWII Soviet Fighter Ace – Ivan N Kozhedub who scored an impressive 62 kills!! His most famous aircraft was a Lavochkin La-7 fighter (White 27). You can discover more about this great Soviet Ace here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Kozhedub
As this is only a two piece kit, there will be very little assembly other than a little clean-up after removal of the casting blocks and as such this will be more of a progress report on the painting process than anything else. You can see the quality of the resin castings in the photos below.
These are seriously nice busts and you can find this and other busts and figures at Mitches’ website here:
http://www.mitchesmilita...s.co.uk/home/4550845838
I am seriously looking forward to getting started on this, but as the kit comes in a plain black box with NO painting guide at all, I am going to have to do some research first!! I can however start on the clean-up and priming (which should make all that lovely detail stand out even more!), so next update will be just about that?
I was thinking of maybe expanding on this build when the bust is finished and looking at the idea of buying a 1:48 kit of his aircraft, then adding both to a small base as a tribute to this top Soviet Ace? I know Academy did such a kit with his markings on the decal sheet but unfortunately they re-released the kit a few years ago with different markings and the older ones are getting harder to find? If I can find one of those kits I may well do a tribute build. What do you think?
Feel free to comment or criticise if you wish and thanks for looking.
Kev  ModelMania attached the following image(s):
|
|
|
|
|
Looks a great kit Kev, have't tried working with figurines before but I will be having a go with 2 x 120mm RAF pilots so will be following your techniques with lots of interest.....  .. Good luck with it.. Regards Alan
|
|
|
|
|
There is some superb detail on that bust, looking forward to your painting skills, and expanding the display sounds a top idea to me.
|
|
|
 Rank: Elite        Groups: registriert, Registered Joined: 20/03/2011 Posts: 2,356 Points: 7,122 Location: UK
|
That's a nice piece of resin you have yourself there Kev  look forward to seeing your work on this one. Spencer
|
|
|
Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
|
Thanks for the comments guys, much appreciated!! 
@ Alan - Glad you like it and I'd love to see those two RAF figures that you have so why not post them up now that we have this new forum?
@ Daran - Looking forward to starting the painting process and yes, I like that idea too, just gotta find one of those older Academy kits!
@ Spencer - It's a beautiful piece of sculpting mate as you will know from your Guy Gibson figure which is done by the same guy? They really are nice aren't they and I'll definitely be buying more!
Kev
|
|
|
|
|
Looks a nice bust there are several of these on flea-bay right now and will look forward to your diary Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
|
|
|
 Rank: Super-Elite   Groups: Registered
Joined: 30/01/2013 Posts: 4,604 Points: 13,607 Location: Monmouthshire UK
|
Some nice detail there Looking forward to it Steve
|
|
|
Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
|
Thanks for your comments Andy and Steve, I appreciate you looking in.
Kev 
|
|
|
Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
|
Hello all,
I haven’t had much modelling time this last week or so, as I’ve been very busy with other things, but finally managed to make a start on preparing this bust for the painting process. First job was to remove the casting blocks from each part and then I spent several hours cleaning up any errant flash and imperfections from the moulding process and I also deepened a few recesses behind things like the parachute harness straps and the pockets and shoulder-boards using the fine tip of a #10A scalpel blade just to give these areas a little more definition. When I was happy with the detail clean up, I reshaped the lower part of the rear of the main torso and drilled a hole in the underside of each part.
Photos 1-3 show the two kit parts before removal of the casting blocks (quite a prominent seam down the back of both parts!), then after clean-up and having had a hole drilled on the underside to facilitate the fitting of a handle.
It is easier to paint things like figures and busts if you don’t have to handle the parts with your fingers so I made two ‘control sticks’ out of the ends of some of my old artist's ‘hog’ paintbrush handles. These sit in the palm of your hand nicely and are long enough to be able to rest the ball of your hand on the bench whilst painting finer details and will ultimately help prevent any shaking? I won’t be gluing the two parts of the bust together until painting is completed as it makes things much easier when trying to get down inside the collar and when painting the various skin tones around the neck? You can see my two ‘control sticks’ in photos 4-8 below, and a quick shot of how the bust looks when the head is united with the torso can be seen in photo 9.
It was at this point that I noticed there was no ‘chin strap’ for the right (left as you look at it) side of his flying helmet, which seemed odd as there is a buckle on the opposite side? I checked the photos of this bust on Mitches’ website and it clearly shows a strap! After phoning Mitch (real name Ross Mitchell) he said that this should indeed be a three piece kit with separate strap included. I am now waiting for the missing strap to arrive!! You can clearly see the missing strap in the black and white photo #10 below.
Next job was to give the parts a final check over before a quick wash in soapy water and then left to dry naturally in a warm place. They were then given several thin coats of Tamiya ‘Light Grey’ Fine Surface Primer. A lot of figure painters suggest that white primer is best, as it gives a nice bright background to the paint but I prefer a light grey as it is a ‘mid-tone’ and also accentuates the high and low points of the detail including any shadows which helps in the painting process when you are laying down the shadows and highlights of the base colours? The last 3 photos below show the parts after priming. Note the accentuated detail that comes from using a grey primer instead of white? Much better definition.
Well there we are, not a massive update but at least now the parts are primed and ready to start putting on some base colours, which will happen in the next update. Thanks for looking.
All comments and criticisms welcomed.
Kev ModelMania attached the following image(s):
|
|
|
|
|
very nice looking bust looking forward to some colour J “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
|
|
|
|
|
Nice update Kev, the seam clean up has worked really well, and the primer coat has really bought the contours out. cant wait to see some colour!!
|
|
|
 Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 06/06/2010 Posts: 566 Points: 1,657 Location: UK
|
Great looking bust Kev (there's a Les Dawson Joke there ) I admire people who can paint figures, I think it's one of the hardest parts of modelling to master, especially in larger scales. One of my goals this year is to get into figure painting, it scares the life out of me at present! Are you going to use acrylics or oils for the finish coats? Will follow with great interest. Wilfy
|
|
|
Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
|
Thanks for looking in and for the comments Jase and Daran, very much appreciated.
Colour will be appearing very shortly!!
Kev
|
|
|
Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
|
Wilfy the Sea Dog wrote:Great looking bust Kev (there's a Les Dawson Joke there ) I admire people who can paint figures, I think it's one of the hardest parts of modelling to master, especially in larger scales. One of my goals this year is to get into figure painting, it scares the life out of me at present! Are you going to use acrylics or oils for the finish coats? Will follow with great interest. Wilfy Hello Wilfy, thanks for looking in and the comments, very much appreciated.
It is a hard genre granted, especially when trying to make it look realistic, but with practice and patience there is nothing to be scared of really? The thing that most people are scared of painting is the eyes!? Well done you for getting in there and having a go Wilfy, I'll look forward to seeing some of your work.
I shall be using Windsor & Newton 'Alkyd' oils for the painting and will be mixing all of my own colours.
Kev
|
|
|
Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
|
Hello all,
We have colour!!!
I haven’t had much modelling time this last week or so, as I’ve been very busy with other things, but I've finally managed to make a start on laying down the base colours for this bust. The missing chin strap for the flying helmet arrived and was duly cleaned up and glued in place with 5 minute epoxy and allowed to dry for 24 hours. It can be seen added to the head in photo #1 below. All of the base colours have been done using Winsor & Newton ‘Alkyd’ oils and at the moment things are looking very shiny, but once I have finished all of the toning and blending, I will bring all of that glossiness back down with a coat of matt varnish. The parachute harness looks very white in the photos but I have actually painted it with a very pale grey tint though the camera can’t seem to pick this up. They were very white in reality, much paler than say the British or American equivalents, but I’ll be adding some subtle shading and detail washes to them as I go and hopefully the camera will pick it up more then. All of the metallic parts such as buttons, medals and buckles on this figure will be done at the final stage, as will the lenses of the goggles, as I need to paint in some suggestions of reflections which will then be clear coated to hopefully give the illusion of glass where there isn't any!! The face has just had a thin base coat of a very pale skin tone for now, which needs to be on first before I start adding darker tones at the next stage – I’ll explain why in more detail next time. All of the colours used so far have been custom mixed by myself. All of the base colours have been painted in and it's all a bit shiny at the moment as I said earlier, but that's just the nature of oil paints, I’ll sort that out later in the build with some matt or satin varnish.
I'm quite pleased with the way the leather flying helmet has turned out so far though not finished yet, but it does look like brown leather already and was achieved by brushing on a fairly thin coat of the brown paint and then just lightly dragging another brush which was slightly dampened with thinner across the surface to remove some of the paint from the high spots and leave the undercoat showing through to give a worn leather look? I've added a few shots below of the whole bust with the head just loosely balanced in place – it won’t be glued on permanently until all of the painting is completed.
I have now obtained the kit that I was after to go with this bust and which can be seen in the last photo below. It’s the Academy 1:48 Lavochkin La-7 and the kit comes with Ivan N Kozhedubs’ markings for his most famous aircraft ‘White 27’. I will be displaying the bust next to the aircraft on a small base, possibly with a Red Soviet flag as part of the display as well?
Well there we are, not a massive update but at least now the figure parts are painted in their base colours and ready to start moving on to some shadows and highlights, which will happen in the next update. Thanks for looking.
All comments and criticisms welcomed.
Kev ModelMania attached the following image(s):
|
|
|
Rank: Administration  Groups: Registered, Forum Support Team, Administrators, Global Forum Support Team, Moderator, Official Builds Joined: 09/11/2012 Posts: 7,971 Points: 23,102 Location: East midlands
|
Hi Kev, No criticism from me, only a question. Firstly, all looking great. Now the question. What is the process to paint the flying goggle lenses? When placed over the flying helmet do you paint the lenses clear or the same colour as the flying helmet. I have the "Last of the few" bust to do at some point and your advise would be appreciated. regards delboy271155 (Derek) COME BACK GUY FAWKES "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU"
|
|
|
|
|
Fantastic work my friend!! Its going to be a stunning display when done!!
|
|
|
Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
|
Nice work Kev, looking good
|
|
|
|
|
Looking good so far Kev Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
|
|
|
|
|
Great to see a bit of colour on this one Kev, looking great.... Regards Alan
|
|
|
|
Guest
|
US
