Accurate Miniature Equivalents for Custom Painting your 1940 E&P

[rorschach9]

If you ask me, I think you did a pretty darn good job on that modification to make a Japanese tank into an Italian tank!  Maybe just trim the barrel back a tiny little bit and once you’ve painted them I don’t think it’ll even be readily noticable that it was modded!

[cminke]

i ment the thickness

[maverick_76]

Boy you are setting up jokes left and right aren’t you?  :-D

[allworkandnoclay]

It’s not the size of the barrel that matters, it’s the accuracy and rate of fire.

[McLovin1985]

@maverick_76:

Boy you are setting up jokes left and right aren’t you?  :-D

I held back Maverick….  :lol:

[allworkandnoclay]

A few notes on the Italian Infantry:

They are the poorest quality of all the A&A infantry molds I’ve worked with. I’ve had to patch the right shoulder and butt of almost every soldier, as well as having a nightmare with a huge mold mark on the left side of the face. Lots and lots of extra scraping… Despite, they’re about 60% finished (still have to paint the bases, guns, and leather belts/satchels.

On a different note, as a side project, I just finished painting my ‘Fury of Dracula’ board game miniatures. If anyone is interested, you can check them out at Board Game Geek:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/images/boardgame/20963/fury-of-dracula.

[robbie358]

So you would consider the AA50 Italian units to be the definitive Italian molds in the game then?  Just curious.

[allworkandnoclay]

@robbie358:

So you would consider the AA50 Italian units to be the definitive Italian molds in the game then?  Just curious.

Well they’re the same sculpt… I suppose it’s just that they are either the hardest molds to fill or something like that. I assume the A&A50 infantry had the same issues.

[McLovin1985]

@allworkandnoclay:

A few notes on the Italian Infantry:

They are the poorest quality of all the A&A infantry molds I’ve worked with. I’ve had to patch the right shoulder and butt of almost every soldier, as well as having a nightmare with a huge mold mark on the left side of the face. Lots and lots of extra scraping… Despite, they’re about 60% finished (still have to paint the bases, guns, and leather belts/satchels.

On a different note, as a side project, I just finished painting my ‘Fury of Dracula’ board game miniatures. If anyone is interested, you can check them out at Board Game Geek:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/images/boardgame/20963/fury-of-dracula.

Wow man, those are impressive, very good work! I like the cobblestone on the bases.

[Most Holy]

First of all, Fantastic work! Second I wonder if you could post a picture of the brushes you use, particularly the ones used for the numbering on the vehicles. Perhaps along side of a fighter for scale reference? Do you mod your brushes or use them as is? I have never seen brushes that small but my experience is limited, I have just started doing this sort of thing myself in the last year.

[Rorschach]

@allworkandnoclay:

@robbie358:

So you would consider the AA50 Italian units to be the definitive Italian molds in the game then?  Just curious.

Well they’re the same sculpt… I suppose it’s just that they are either the hardest molds to fill or something like that. I assume the A&A50 infantry had the same issues.

I just took a look at my AA50 Italian Infantry and yes, they do have those issues with the right shoulder and left side of the face.  The right shoulder looks like that’s where it was attached to the sprue perhaps.  Didn’t notice any problem with the butts though.

[allworkandnoclay]

@Rorschach:

I just took a look at my AA50 Italian Infantry and yes, they do have those issues with the right shoulder and left side of the face.  The right shoulder looks like that’s where it was attached to the sprue perhaps.  Didn’t notice any problem with the butts though.

Yea - the sprues were definitely attached at the right shoulder and (with the new ones) the butt. The third one was possibly either at the top of the head or at the tip of the gun (clean break there). If you look at a 1940 Italian, as well as several other infantry sculpts, you’ll see a conclave circle where the sprue connected.

[McLovin1985]

@Most:

First of all, Fantastic work! Second I wonder if you could post a picture of the brushes you use, particularly the ones used for the numbering on the vehicles. Perhaps along side of a fighter for scale reference? Do you mod your brushes or use them as is? I have never seen brushes that small but my experience is limited, I have just started doing this sort of thing myself in the last year.

Allwork is actually the size of Thumbelina. Thats why his work is so good  :lol:

[allworkandnoclay]

@Most:

First of all, Fantastic work! Second I wonder if you could post a picture of the brushes you use, particularly the ones used for the numbering on the vehicles. Perhaps along side of a fighter for scale reference? Do you mod your brushes or use them as is? I have never seen brushes that small but my experience is limited, I have just started doing this sort of thing myself in the last year.

Sure thing - I’ll take some pics tonight.

[allworkandnoclay]

UPDATE

Italian Infantry

Italian Infantry - European Drab Uniform

Italian Infantry - African Uniform

Italian Infantry - Paratrooper Camo Uniform

Italian Infantry - Complete

[allworkandnoclay]

Also here are a few pictures of my work area and brushes:

My Work Area

Closeup of Brushes

My Homemade Paint Cabinet

I don’t use incredibly expensive brushes - usually I find that they last somewhere around 40 work hours due to their size. I suppose if I was a bit more attentive in cleaning them with soap hourly, I could get more out of them, but they cost around $5 each so I’m not too worried about it. I use the Reaper series of brushes for miniatures. Mostly I use the ‘0’, ‘10/0’, and ‘20/0’ sized brushes, depending on the area I’m painting. In my opinion anything smaller than the 20/0 tends to not hold enough paint to be practical. Really I recommend just experimenting around with what you think best fits you.

[Steel Wool Sheep]

Thanks for the update. Its been a really bad couple of days, I needed this.
Great paint jobs as always.

My one critical comment has nothing to do with your work. These are the weakest figures so far only because these are definitely the weakest sculpts. I’m just not that impressed with the sculpts, they could have been better. ANZAC should have gotten their own infantry sculpt too IMHO.

[Rorschach]

Bee-You-Tee-Full!

One quick question.  How on earth do you get such nice clear close-up shots?  I’ve been unable to get any close-ups that come in clear and crisp on anything this size yet.

[allworkandnoclay]

@Rorschach:

Bee-You-Tee-Full!

One quick question.  How on earth do you get such nice clear close-up shots?  I’ve been unable to get any close-ups that come in clear and crisp on anything this size yet.

Lighting is important - I have table-mounting lights about 8 inches away from whatever I’m photographing. I just use a Canon point-and-shoot and hold the camera an inch or two away from the minis. Having two light sources can help, and make sure that the subject isn’t obscured by shadowing (either from the mini itself or from your hand/camera).

[veto]

man,u,r,great,period. :wink: