Very nice job on that figure Matthew and that weapon sling looks great!
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After the preliminary primer I did a bit of tidying, sanding and filling, including somewhat predictably knocking the gun barrel off with my sleeve. Managed to glue one of the spares in place, so hopefully that won’t happen again…
Second primer coat looked OK. Given the reputation of yellow I thought I’d start with that, then masked it off and used my Tamiya Royal Blue, having assumed that all of my paints are matt… turned out to be X-3 so was an inappropriate gloss.
Somehow I remembered X-21 Flat Base, which I think like many people, has been sitting in my paint collection for years unused. Notoriously having no useful instructions on the jar, I found a YT video that said to mix it 1:1, and that seems to have worked.
So I now have a basecoat on the coat and hat, and added some black for the trousers.
Thought I’d have a dramatic photo for the face masking tape removal.
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Looks great. It is coming along nicely. 
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Part way through painting…
Every time I paint a figure it’s like I’ve never done it before. 
Interesting the realisation of how much more I should have exaggerated creases, and more carefully sculpted the shirt and tie. Next time.
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Very nice work on that figure Mathew! I know how you feel about painting figures- I feel exactly the same way, like I’m just starting out.
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He is looking good.
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Well I think its looking pretty good- you have worked well with the detail that you sculpted to bring it all out with the paint.
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Thanks everyone for the positive feedback and likes.
After another session this evening I think he’s starting to get closer to the right level of misery.
Does anyone have any suggestions for the writing on the cap band? I’m not sure I can print a decal that small. The letters would be about 1mm high. Trying to write it on with a 0.05 pen… it’s bound to go wrong…
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Looking really cool.
Would you be able to just make something like this with Microsoft Paint or similar program and cut it out and glue it in place? 
Don’t know if it would work or not…I’m just reaching here.
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Harv, I had a go and on this attempt it was down to the limit of readability. I will try with different software.
The text needs to be under 5mm wide. I remember when printing decals before they had a tendency to smudge slightly even though clear coated, and with writing this small, that sounds like it may well just turn into a blob.
I ebayed some nice mesh for a chain link fence, and knocked up a couple of L section supports. This will hopefully serve to protect the rifle barrel.
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I’m surprised you actually managed a fairly legible printing of that- it could work well on the bright yellow cap trim.
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Wow, really coming to life… especially after a nuclear bomb 
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In between all the xmas activities, a bit of progress on the base.
It’s kind of like the real thing with the fence posts inserted into holes in the ground, horizontal wires threaded through holes in the posts, then the mesh wired on to them. All with the help of CA glue.
It’s hard to see the colour of the mesh in the photos and almost as hard looking at it in reality - I have to get it at the right angle to the light to see what I’m doing. It’s black, then dark grey, then rust, then light grey drybrush.
The ground is meant to be dirty wet tarmac with some weeds growing from a gap, and a little slushy snow.
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Wow, well done. Realism in scale.
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Very nicely done Matthew!
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