Empress Vietnam conversions

                      Empress Miniatures 28mm vietnam conversions

 It's a while since I last posted, lack of time is a big contributer and not really having the motivation is another factor. Hopefully what I'm about to post helps make up for the lack of postings. I've always loved converting figures and probaly always will, I suppose you could call me a frustrated sculptor. Creating individual figures is a real buzz and using different parts from various manufacturers is a easy way of doing that. My wife picked up a box of Rubicon US marines for me a while back, bless her she does treat me well. My collection is mainly based around the Empress Miniatures range and I can be a tad OCD about things so I not wanting to waste the gift my wife got me I devised a way of incorporating them into my collection. The parts don't quite match perfectly but they are close enough for me. There are couple of figures which are just stock figures, although to be honest they may have slight bits of detail altered with greenstuff. I was lucky enough to get some figures from one of the lockdown deals and the figures got to be put to use. 

                                       The finished figures 

The lock down deal figures included some character models, Dale Dye and "Joker FMJ"

Dale Dye

I struggled with ideas to start with, the figure really need to look different from the original. Greenstuff and plastic parts to the rescue.

Joker FMJ

Joker another figure which stands out and needed a tad more attention, the head and body needed to part ways just to help change the figure as much as possible. I removed the camera and cut and reshaped the left leg to add a more dynamic pose. Hopefully I've done enough to change the figure enough.

The classic helmet in hand pose

This one again required abit more green stuff and plastic parts. The pose made it slightly challenging. 

Jokers head 

Jokers head needed a body and after altering the leg on Jokers actual body it only seemed fair to give his new body a more dynamic pose. Green stuff ammo bandolier added just to make it look a bit more different from the stock figure. 

Walkie Talkie officer 

Another challenging conversion, the walkie Talkie and head is removed from another Empress figure and with a bit of green stuff and manipulation it fits. 

There is something very satisfying about converting figures, it not only adds unique figures but helps use bits and pieces from the spares box. I'm no sculptor but I reckon once painted they blend in nicely, hopefully they add a bit of interest to my collection. Fingers crossed it wont be quite as long before I post again. 

So thanks for looking, feel free to comment 

All the very best Cheers Russ 

Back in country

                                           Vietnam New additions 

  Despite becoming side tracked with other bits and pieces I've finally managed to get some more figures finished for my Vietnam collection. I've a real soft spot for Empress Miniatures so what other figures could I possibly add to my collection. 

  I've added a few more civilians and of course one or two who are willing to pick up guns and fight for their way of life. Empress make both armed and unarmed versions of the same figures, so picking up arms and fighting is easy to do with these guys. 

                   The first pack of civilians 

I've only painted the two kneeling figures from the pack and the two matching figures from the armed pack 

The painted versions below

The bases are done so the figures are paired but I decided to make the civilian one more interesting.  The bits and pieces are from various  manufacturers, some I can name others I could hazard a guess. 

The next figures are just the civilian pack the armed versions will be a later addition. 

I love the expression on the kneeling figure, it's not so easy to see but once painted he sprang to life.

Once again I wanted one of the figures to look more at home in the Village, I'm not so sure of the chickens fate! 

Last but not least a small conversion, the figure on the right is the original figure. 

Not the most complex of conversions but I'm pretty happy with it. 

So my village now has a few more inhabitants, the buildings are awaiting a couple more to finish and a third still to be constructed. I've still got more to do but in what order I'm really not sure about so anything could follow next.

Well that's another post done, thanks for looking and all the very best.

   Cheers for now Russ 

 

   

     

German winter camouflage

OAK LEAF WINTER CAMOUFLAGE (my version)

OK so I posted my version Waffen SS of the New Fallschirmjagers miniatures in winter uniform and got asked if I could share my recipe for the camouflage. It's been a while since I did a "how to" on how I paint figures. I'm no expert and I'm more then willing to admit it, it's close enough and it's fun! is good enough for me. This focuses on the uniform element only. 

So on to the "how to" hopefully it helps someone in some small way. 

The figure ( a kit bash Waffen SS made with help of the bits box)
 

 Basic figure built and ready for undercoating 

White undercoat (no particular preference)

Gorthor Brown basecoat for uniform 

Watered down Agrax earthshade 50/50

Dry brush Gorthor brown 

Mix in a small amount of Pallid Wych flesh to the Gorthor Brown and dry brush to build up the detail. It's easy to over do it which is one of the reasons why I use an off white rather then just white. 

Using miniature paints Umber start to add the darker blotches of the camouflage. I use basically use a cloud shape, using a series of dots that overlap and make larger patches of solid colour. 

Now using Miniature paints Rust to start layer up the brighter colour on the camouflage areas. Once again using a series of dots that overlap, try not to cover all the Umber colour. This creates the first layer of the brighter colour. 

Add a small amount of Pallid Wych flesh to the rust to add highlight to the rust blotches. Once again it's a series of dots, some will be stand alone dots that don't merge into the larger block of the Rust colour.

The trousers

The trousers are a slightly lighter version or faded if you wish version of the camouflage. The base colours are the same but the camo blotches are a lighter colour. 

Using Dryad bark start adding the darker blotches of the camouflage. This is lighter then the Umber so you can if you wish add another further dry brush of the Gorthor Brown mixed with more Pallid Wych flesh over the trousers. 

Now add Pallid Wych flesh to dryad bark to add the highlights to the darker patches of camouflage. A series of dots that merge into each other but once again some stand alone dots.

Now add the lighter blotches of the camouflage with Minuature paints leather brown, then add a tad of Pallid Wych flesh to highlight. The leather brown is more toned down then the Umber so a lighter colour blotches works better. 

It's a quick guide to the camouflage, it's perfect for a table top standard. You could argue that it's not 100% accurate but it ticks the boxes for me. Hopefully this will help, so happy hobbying everyone.

The full 10 men and the Fallschirmjagers kit that donated the parts.

Keep looking I will keep posting 

   Cheers Russ 

Dixon Miniatures Confederates

                                     More goodies from my ACW collection

My collection spans quite a few years, I would show my age if I admit I started collecting these guys when they first came out. I still think they look as good today as the day they first arrived on the market. 

Over the years I have converted and messed with figures to the point that I honestly can't remember all the conversions I've done. I started off with little bits like blanket rolls and ended doing major surgery and hacking figures into pieces. 

                      Maryland Guard Zouaves

It made a change painting a Confederate regiment in blue but these guys turned out rather nicely. Blue and Red do look good together and hopefully it shows with these guys. 

Dixon miniatures offer quite a bit of variety in poses and I've always been a fan of mixing the poses within a unit. 

Texas troops 

These guys were painted more to represent a generic regiment, the black facings seem more commen in the later years and I reckon they look so much better then sky blue but that's just my opinion. 

Once again they are a mix of poses which I think makes the regiment look much more life like. It's strange to think I've spent more then half my life collecting and painting these guys. 

These guys have brought me so much pleasure over the years, and hopefully sharing the pictures will pass some of the pleasure on.

So thanks for looking and hopefully I will post again sooner rather then later.

    Cheers for now Russ

Latest additions for NAM

 It’s took a while to get some more recruits completed but here they are, I decided to make scenic bases. I also decided to add a few bases with multiple figures which is something I've not really approached before. Hopefully they will add a bit more variety to my collection. 

                                                     The three bases in all their glory 

   

I'm hoping they have the appearance of just about to engage the enemy.  The figures mix nicely on the bases, the range of figures from Empress Miniatures gives the options of everything from M16s, M60s, Laws, bloop guns, radio operators, command figures, medics with causalities, the range is enough to field a good mix of troops and support weapons. 

The bare metal from Empress Miniatures 

NAM 7

                                                                           NAM 6

NAM 15

As always the figures are superb, very little clean up required, the fact you can get different packs of figures armed with M16s with a mix of figures that are prone, kneeling, advancing, firing you also get options with the M60s and other weapon options. 

The radio operator is a small conversion, I added short sleeves rather then bare arms that the figure comes with.  

The branches are literally just picked up from the garden and hopefully look the part. I've still the aerials to add to the radios but other then that they are finished. So my collection is growing and there are so much more to add, the Ontos is finally taking shape so hopefully it will join the guys sooner rather then later. 

So thanks for looking, figures crossed it will be sooner rather then later when I get to add the next lot of figures.

So thanks for looking 

            Cheers for now Russ