Zvezda's Kit 6106 - German MG-34 with crew

Good day guys!

Hope you are all well.

In one of my last posts, I showed you what I bought from my local store. In the lot, there was Zvezda's #6106 kit - German MG-34 with crew. Last Monday, I managed to finish both MG elements and I added two figures (prone poses), from Italeri's (ex. Esci) German Soldiers (one of the first set of figures I ever bought in my life).

I needed to use the guys with the binoculars in seperate bases just in case I wanted to use them as forward observers (ex. for artillery) alongside some radio-men for the coordinates.

I followed the same principle in terms of basing, as I did with my Russian Maxim guns - meaning pizza stands, pieces of foliage cluster, pieces of plastic sprue, plaster and balsa wood.

On with the photos then...

I hope you like 'em! :-)

Have a great day guys!

T.

Paintball Sunday!!!

Good day and good week my dear friends!

A busy weekend, the last was, in terms of housekeeping , social interactions and PAINTBALL games!

Yesterday (Sunday), I dug out my military equipment (from my service), dressed up, and became an actual toy soldier, only a bit taller though! :-)

I was going to participate in a game that takes place once a year in Greece, where people from many countries come to fight each other (does it ring any bell in terms of European/world history?) a series of DDay scenarios (beach landing, hill occupation, village clearing etc..). As you probably have understood, this event lasted all day and when it was finished, most of the participants, icluding me, were exhausted and very very dirty (I have to rething my painting approach towards my little men - they probably would be filthy while fighting for days, as it was usually the case....).

Soaked in sweat, filthy from dirt and multicoloured -as a rainbow- from hits (I got hit several times, but I managed to take out two 'Germans'), I decided to do it again when the chance is given!

My only suggestion if you decide to try it - have plenty of water guys... you can get thirsty really easily! :-)

Have a great day!

T.

Broadside 2012 Show

Good day guys!

As you most people who visit my blog know, I live in Athens, Greece. I have lived in England as well, but that's a different story, not related to this post.... :-)

 While visiting other peoples' blogs, I stepped onto this one from Fran (aka The Angry Lurker, great blog by the way), who is mentioning his participation in an show called 'Broadside', alongside his friends, on June 10th.

This show hasn't got the promotion it needed (from our hobby related magazines), even though advertising space has been bought from them...If you visit one of the organisers' blog (Anything but a one), you'll see what occured.

Even though, I won't be able to attend this show (for obvious reasons), I thought that I could at least help by mentioning it to my blog, so you other Englishmen (and others interested) fellows, learn about it, and support it with thy(!!) presence.

I suggest you do the same! After all, as we say here in Greece 'one hand washes the other, and both of them wash the face'.

Go on guys, spread the word!!!! :-)

Cheers!!!

T.

ZVEZDA's Kit 6104 - Soviet MG "Maxim" with crew - Painting Tutorial

Good day everyone!

I am very happy that  you found interesting yesterday's tutorial about painting Zvezda's #6115 37mm Russian A/A gun. It was easy to assemble the model, and as you saw, it was rather easy to paint it as well.

Following yesterday's custom and promise that I gave you, I will show you today, with a similar post the way to paint Russian soldiers, dressed in summer/early autumn uniforms.

For this reason I will use the figs from a kit a I bought just recently - ZVEZDA's Kit 6104 - Soviet MG "Maxim" with crew. I will paint the figs in the same colours, but I will use them for different terrain / battlefields. One (in a way I like to call it) 'Steppes Variant' and one 'City Variant'.

So....here we go!

Step 1.
After assembling the figs, I used some FOW War Spray (German Armour - Late), to prime them.

Step 2.
I used some VMC 70.804 Beige Red to paint the flesh parts of the figures.

Step 3.
I used some VMC 70.894 Russian Green for the Maxim guns and the helmets.

Step 4.
I used some VMC 70.879 Green Brown to paint the puttees.

Step 5.
I then used some VMC 70.881 Yellow Green to paint the webbing.

Step 6.
I used some Black (any matt balck would do) and VMC 70.846  Mahogany Brown to paint the boots and the belts accordingly.

Step 7.
I used some VMC 70.801 Brass to paint the ammo rounds.

Step 8.
I then used some VMC 70.862 Black Grey to highlight the boots.

Step 9.
I then used some VMC 70.875 Beige Brown to paint the shovels' wooden parts.

Step 10.
Take some red colour (any dark red would do - I used VGC 72011 Gory Red) to paint the collar pipings of the figures.

Step 11.
After that, I took my never-ending bucket of (water based) wood varnish (brown tone), that I got from my local hardware store - 'Praktiker' and with an old brush I applied the content on the figures. I took the 'excesses' off with a finer (but old nevertheless) brush.

Step 12.

That's about it really.....I then based them (before I applied the greenery) and sprayed them with some Army Painters' Anti Shine varnish.

Below you will see the photos with the finished figures based in their two different bases.

The one is the 'Steppes Variant' base, enriched with some static grass and small pieces of cluster foliage (Light Green). 

The other is the 'City Variant', where shades of grey were applied to the base's sand, and some parts of the figs' sprues that were cut, glued on the base and got a good amount of plaster on them, to represent debris.

When this mixture got dry, I used the same shades of grey (one dark and one light), alongside with some Brick Red, to paint the scratch-built debris. After that, I glued some thin strips of balsa wood, on top of the debris, I then used some GW Devlan Mud wash, in order to enrich the debris with some floor/roof wood.

Some group photos for the finale:

As you probably have noticed, by using some lighter tones for the uniforms, I achieved some contrast with the varnish that I used and the bases that I based them in the end.

I hope you like them, and that you found this tutorial useful to use it for your little men! :-)

C&C are (as always) more than welcome.

Have a great day!

T.