This is a relatively recent piece from Young Miniatures. As usual the quality of the sculpt and mould is high with a nice Thomson from DEF Model.
There is quite a few bits and bobs for the fig- a bit of forethought about how you might want to tackle it is useful before getting the glue or paint out.
In terms of problems there was a bit of fiddliness with the helmet straps which sit in front of additional jump straps and are all very fragile. The antenna for the PRC-300 radio was similarly annoying but a bit of, planning, pinning and drilling sorted it out- ditto for the gun sling.
The gun itself is an M1928 with the finned barrel and simplified fore grip- a good rendition that went together nicely.
Also my usual gripe about Young’s stuff is the lack of bloody decals! The moulded on US Flag patch is without detail and while the screaming eagle is decent the ‘Airborne’ script above is distorted. How difficult would it be, at the price these figs are, to include one or two decals for bits like insignia?! In the end I made my own 48 Star flag decal.
For the M1942 reinforced jacket on the figure I found pictures of a great example worn by an Officer from Fox Company of the 506th and used that as my color ref.
As usual for me with figs I try to do something new or different with each one. For this it was adding the look of texture to the webbing and equipment straps.
Figure painter Kirill Kanaev offers a fantastic explanation of this technique in his AK book on figures and I tried to follow that. It is a fairly simple idea but not so simple in practice. I found a latticework pattern on the bits of rough burlap/hessian on the helmet and a horizontal line pattern on the helmet straps to be easier than the dotted pattern I did on the webbing.
All in all I was pleased with some areas and disappointed with others. It taught me
a lot though, particularly in regards to paint amount and consistency. I look forward to trying it again.
Any comments/criticism etc are very welcome.
Thanks for reading.
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That is an excellent job on the US Para Karl. You did a great job on the uniform color as well as the radio and weapon. The webbing is fantastic! I’ve seen some figure painters start doing the texture on the webbing and it definitely looks the part. I’ve yet to try it but will soon.
Can you tell us about the paints you used? I love the highlights and shadows of the uniform- well done. Might I suggest just a tad more color in the face under the cheeks , but otherwise excellent!
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Thank you Richard, very kind comments. I totally get what you say about the color in the face. This is something I really struggle with in figure after figure- I just can’t seem to add that little bit of color in the cheeks- or the nose for that matter! I am always wary about adding it, especially to a relatively pale face like this- too much red/pink and it looks wrong and too little and it doesn’t look natural. I will keep in mind what you said and I will keep trying- it’s something I really want to improve on.
As for paints- I used Scale 75 Artists Acrylics for the jacket (Cork Brown iirc) and helmet and Vallejo pretty much everywhere else. I would name them all but I didn’t write them down- something I also must start doing!
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Just for reference; the M1942 paratrooper uniform was initially issued during the North Africa campaign for the 82nd Airborne participating in Operation Torch; and many discovered that the fabric on the uniform was thin and would rip out at the seams, therefore the riggers would sew additional canvas reinforcement around the pockets; knees and elbows and add tie-downs for the trouser side pockets.
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I know what you’re saying - I struggle with face painting more than any other skill in modeling. I never get it right it seems.
I use Vallejo acrylic paints as well with their retarder to ease in blending. I also use Reaper miniatures set of flesh paints just for the face and hands. They seem to blend easier than vallejos . Don’t worry about naming the paints, it’s the results that matter.
I always start with a darker initial flesh color as a base and go from there.
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First off, Karl - excellent work. But Young miniatures did you no favor adding that flag to the sleeve. 101st paratroopers did not wear it on D Day.
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I agree with @18Bravo.
Only the 82nd wore the flag.
General James Gavin (left). Youngest Major General (at age 37) to command a division in WW2.
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@18bravo -Thank you my friend! Also thanks to you and @SableLiger for the info on the uniform and the flag. I went to all that trouble getting decal paper and sizing up the little patch and I didn’t even need it 
!
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Thank you John- very much appreciated!
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I forgot to mention I also use Reaper minis for the flesh too- I find their ‘Trio’ sets really useful and I also find them easier to blend than Vallejo. I think they have a better finish as well- they are the best flesh paints I’ve ever used.
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Yes I would agree. Reaper paints are excellent but I don’t want to switch over entirely because I’m happy with vallejos and I have a large supply!
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Lovely work there, Karl. The shading and highlights on the jacket in particular are superb! Might I suggest a bit of a sheen to the skin? Not sure if it’s the pics but it looks a little flat. Touch of semi- gloss will make it perfect. A job well done mate!
G.
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Nice and clean painting, it’s always difficult to give advice and critic on a photo.
It’s my personal preference but the uniform and equipment are to shine (semi-mat) for me.
But excellent work overall
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@Lazarus -Thank you for the comments. I will definitely look at the skin again- I used matt varnish but I will give the semi-matt a go with my current figure project.
@Jan_Degryse - Much appreciated Jan, thanks. I used Vallejo matt for the uniform- strangely enough this particular product doesn’t seem to create as much of a matt finish as AK Interactive’s Ultra Matt- but I feel the AK product sometimes leaves a slightly chalk-like appearance to whatever it is put on.
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That’s some fine work, Karl, great job, Amigo!
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