Matt Wellhouser's Custom Miniatures

Some More Pictures-

2012-01-18T20:38:00.000-08:00

Experimenting with some lighting-

Geronimo! 82AB Finished

2012-01-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

Here is the finished Young Miniatures 82 AB bust. Its mounted on a brass tube- and onto a Ken Thomas base. After its all said and done, I think the helmet was a success.

Magazine Covers

2012-01-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

Magazines My Work is In

Working on the bust....

2012-01-04T18:09:00.001-08:00

No, not that kind......

Painting....More

2012-01-03T21:44:00.000-08:00

Some small steps on the helmet-

Some Progress and Experiment

2011-12-30T20:23:00.000-08:00

I started painting the body of the bust- and the helmet. I decided to add the "scrim" or camo material. It is from a fine weave bandage, I'm not sure it will stay.

more........

2011-12-25T08:47:00.001-08:00

Work Work Work

2011-12-24T15:20:00.001-08:00

More progress on the face, basic shading going on here...

82 Airborne continued.....

2011-12-22T21:09:00.000-08:00

Here is some more progress on the 82 Airborne bust. Eyes are 90% there, laid in the base for the face

New Project

2011-12-21T21:45:00.001-08:00

This is the Young Miniatures 82 Airborne bust- Starting on the eyes

Merry Christmas

2011-12-17T09:21:00.001-08:00

The Thief Finished

2011-12-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

I finished this one up. Added the hat, sword and tie string for the shirt. Mounted on a nice John Jeffries Base.

Getting There

2011-12-03T20:39:00.000-08:00

Some more work on the cape and hat. I tried to give the feather a dust dirty look with colors mixed with Tamiya Flat Base. The hat is blue-tacked into place.

Working on the hat and cape

2011-12-02T13:22:00.001-08:00

Hat

2011-11-30T21:35:00.000-08:00

I worked onteh hat with more stains and so forth... The plume will be red.

Cape and Hat

2011-11-30T21:26:00.000-08:00

Back on the workbench.... I sprayed the cape and hat flat black- I masked the painted areas with blue-tack and saran wrap. Then on the hat I started brush work of applying highlights and dirt.. Used English Uniform, Leather Brown and a pink color to highlight.

The Thief - More work

2011-11-27T20:14:00.000-08:00

I worked on shading the leather and the shirt. I dont like the back of the collar, so I will sculpt a new one...

Paint is wet....

2011-11-26T21:57:00.001-08:00

More work on the face and beginning on the shirt and jerkin.

More SBS

2011-11-26T16:17:00.000-08:00

Here is the face with more shadows and highlights. Adding Burnt Cad Red and Black to the mix, As well as some lights-

SBS

2011-11-25T17:47:00.000-08:00

More Flesh Work

SBS

2011-11-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

Blocking in the flesh

SBS

2011-11-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

Adding Eyes

SBS

2011-11-25T17:42:00.001-08:00

Ugly Dude...

2011-11-25T17:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a step by step of Andrea's "The Thief" All acrylics-

Cover of Upcoming MMI

2011-11-23T17:32:00.000-08:00

New cover shot of upcoming MMI. That's my Mg 42 Gunner in lower right corner.......cool

Back From Yosemite

2011-11-13T07:14:00.001-08:00

Spent a week in Yosemite National Park. It had snowed while we were there. We were lucky that the roads were passable without chains. My Canon 30d broke on the first day. I used my back up point and shoot for the picture taking. Lesson- carry two bodies!

Artist Preservation Group

2011-11-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Mike Stelzel asked if I would donate a figure to the APG for auction at next year's APG show. So, I immediately thought of this figure. The APG is such a great group and cause. I hope they raise lotsa mula for this one. http://www.artistpreservationgroup.com/

SCHAMS Master

2011-10-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post a real crummy picture of my Masters Award from the California Show- (SCAHMS) Southern California Area Historical Miniatures Society. It took a while to get here. Thanks Jim and Lars.

Captain Miller

2011-09-19T08:04:00.001-07:00

Here is the finished 1/6 scale Captain Miller figure (half bust) from Warriors. Painted in acrylics.

Model Military International

2011-08-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a cover shot of issue 65. My WW1 Trench Raider bust is on the cover.

Painting Captain Miller

2011-06-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Here we go again.... I started this figure many months ago, and it sat half started on the bench. Its Warriors old Capt Miller Bust- 1/6 scale. Its a biggie. I was going to paint the face with oils, but I finally decided to use acrylics- Vallejo. So here is the progress so far.

Crusader Finished

2011-06-10T21:32:00.001-07:00

Here is the completed model. This is the Nocturna Crusader, 54mm (actually bigger).

Crusading On.............

2011-05-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

This is Nocturna Models 54 mm Crusader, more progress

Mean Dude

2011-05-25T20:06:00.000-07:00

Not really..... this is a picture I snapped of my brother at my daughters graduation party last weekend. She graduated with a Masters Degree! I liked this photo- because my bro was clowning around; and it's tack sharp. I used my Canon 30d with a Tamron 17-35 zoom. The lens was a real sleeper in Tamron's line a few years ago. I post processed in Lightroom (awesome program btw..)

Crusader

2011-05-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

Here is Nocturna Models Crusader. it's a 54mm (really closer to 70mm). Just started this one. Working on the face- more to do.........including those teeny eyeballs.

Alpine Miniatures BAR Gunner

2011-04-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Here is my recently completed project- Alpine's wonderful US BAR Gunner c 1945. It is 1/16 scale. This figure depicts a member of the 29th Infantry Division in Germany 1945. Painted in acrylics of course.

Catalina Island

2011-04-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

A little side trip...... My brothers birthday was April 14, so I went diving with him on Catalina Island. We had a local instructor (Ron Moore- Catalina Divers) go with us, cause I'm a bit rusty- not having dove in many years. Actually my brother and I were first certified way back when Sea Hunt was on tv....... We had a blast. I highly recommend it to anyone. Here is a picture

Another Cover

2011-04-09T11:18:00.001-07:00

Latest issue of MMI has my German dude on the cover. Cool..

Resurection

2011-04-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is a diorama I did a few years ago- it depicts a Brit pilot who crash landed and nosed up his Sopwith Camel on the edge of a enemy trench. He his picking off Huns running down the trench. With the new Wingnut Wings models, I am getting inspired to do another WW1 subject. This is 1/32 (54mm) scale.

It Looks Like a New Article

2011-03-23T09:01:00.001-07:00

Some time ago, I sent off an article for Military Miniatures in Review. It was an article on finishing the Young Miniatures Waffen SS bust. I spied this cover shot of the latest MMIR- soon to be out. The article is mentioned on the cover-about halfway down on the left.

The California Show- SCAHMS

2011-03-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Orange and the annual SCAHMS show. Another great show. There were some very good work on display. John Rosengrant had a great small vignette of an M5 with a squad taking fire, and a Revolutionary mounted soldier. I met Youn Song who goes by "Ebroin"; he is a sculptor and painter from Korea. He does masters for Young Miniatures. He brought his MG 42 Gunner-painted his way. It took Best of Show. I think he was very excited to receive the award.

I was honored to receive a gold medal for Blackbeard and the SCAHMS Master award. In an unusual move, the Master award was also given to Penny Meyer. In prior years there is usually only one award given. Congrats Penny!

I will go thru my photos ans see if any are worth a darn to post. It was a great time spent with folks I have known for years. This year I stopped by Bill Horan's for BBQ and a beer. Small crowd, good food. Thanks to Bill and Heather.

More Pictures

2011-03-12T16:10:00.000-08:00

Pirate!!!

2011-03-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

Here is a new piece. It is Blackbeard, This is a Young Miniature Bust of the famous pirate. Painted with Vallejo Acrylics. It was a real fun piece to do. More pictures soon.

The Helmet Cover........

2011-01-23T10:11:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of discussion on Missing Links about the helmet cover on this dude. So I cropped a shot and added it in. The technique is as follows:

The helmet cover was painted with Vallejo acrylics. The colors were kept very thin- watery. I add a drop of Tamiya Flat Base to the mix. I used lighter shades to highlight, and added black and Windsor Newton Sepia water color-(in a small tube) for shadows. I dry brushed the cover once I finished the camo with a slightly lighter base color. Then I used German Camo Beige and painted very fine/ faint lines to simulate the fabric texture. I used photos of a real cover as I went to have a reference. I dusted the very top of the cover with a small amount of MIG European dust pigment- just enough to simulate if the soldier set his helmet down while in the field. Its easy to make the colors too bright by using too much paint. Easier to add than take away--

Finished!

2011-01-21T22:00:00.000-08:00

Here is the Young Miniatures SS Machine gunner finished. At first I did not like the face- but it is growing on me-

New Stuff Update

2011-01-15T22:14:00.000-08:00

This is Young Miniatures SS Machine Gunner. So far this is a interesting kit to build. Its really a half figure. I painted the Italian camo jacket with Vallejo acrylics. I added very faint lines of paint to simulate the fabric texture of the jacket. Next up is gluing the machine gun to the shoulder. This will be tricky cause the gun has to mate with the sling and the figure's left hand. We'll see.............

New Project

2010-12-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

If you follow Timelines (timelinesforum.com) you have seen my work in progress on the Young Miniatures SS Machine Gunner 1/2 figure. Not really a bust in the classic sense, but a full half figure (does that make sense?). Anywho, its been a fun one to paint. I tried to replicate the fabric texture of the herringbone type fabric. It will make you go blind. Right now, I am painting the fur and working on the details on the tunic.

Another Young Bust

2010-10-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the Young Miniatures 1/10th scale Feldgendarmerie Bust. It is painted in acrylics and has a nice cocobolo base. This is a sweet kit. Fun to paint.

Chicago Report

2010-10-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

As I have attended several shows in California, this was the first big adventure for me. Traveling by air is not my favorite thing to do. It’s boring and cramped (I’m a tall dude)- you can't move, fart or sneeze... well, maybe you can- I might get seat choice then. Right off the bat, the plane leaving San Diego the engines would not start....not a good sign... I told Douggie this and he asked what airline I flew...he looked at me cross eyed... So I guess they fixed it in a jiffy (miracle) and off we went. I guess I didn't fly the right one. I watched the engines the whole way.... I’ll drive thank you. Carrying the figures is a challenge too. No sweat in San Diego, but at O’Hare on the way home, TSA took waaaaaay too long to figure out what was in the box (it was in the xray machine 5 minutes!- no shit). The young TSA officer opened it finally and was really amazed by the contents. – Sorry to the 300+ people behind me in line. I did a miniature 101 seminar right there to the TSA employees... Is it Ok to say " I got six little dudes with guns in the box".......??

Once at the hotel after the cab ride from hell (cheap is not always better Matt….. I think the guy was doing IT support while he was driving- among other things) I was met by Dave Peschke. Dave is a super guy and made me feel welcome –even though I was from California. He was the show chair and did a great job with his club putting on the show.

I had a great time meeting everyone that meets here on the forums and those folks I have not seen in years- Jason Green, Jason Whitman and his wife, Matt Springer, Kreston, Chris, John Long, Steve Deyo, Stephan Ward, Dano and his wife, Jon Harbuck, Fletcher, Stephan Malia, Mike Blank, Russ (Rusty) Anders and the Texas crowd, the Jeffries, Doug Cohen, Dee Moore, Mark Mindeman, Mike Stelzel and of course Dutch. The list goes on and on, and I sincerely apologize if I left your name out- I'm going off memory and that aint too good. Chime in here if you had a good time and shout out a name or two. (oh, I did join APG- what a great cause- so Herrera owes me dinner)

Overall the show was bigger than I expected and the people just as nice as they could be. That’s what this hobby is all about. The entries were just superb. It either makes you want to go home and burn your stuff, or strive to do just a little better. I sat in on one seminar and it was great- but I don't paint dudes with red uniforms and gold lace---who's army was that anyway? Kreston said they were Canadians or something.....

We had a blast in the hospitality suite- yep, we did send inflammatory emails to Pete Herrera- too bad we couldn’t stay awake long enough to get his equally inflammatory responses- all in fun of course. But next year we will probably do it in person. We ought to have beer on the show floor- that would make it a kick in the ass show- spill proof steins of course... __________________

2010-10-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest issue of MMI, I did an article about a panther tank crossing some railroad tracks. The figure on the upper right of the cover is part of that.....

I'm on a roll!

2010-09-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Two projects finished... The Andrea Viking and the Trench Raider. Both great little kits. These were a lot of fun to paint.

Update!

2010-08-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here is the Andrea WW1 Storm trooper. This is a piece for a friend. He was interested in the gas mask can being carried on the chest. The figure did not come with one, so I scratch built it. The primary material was styrene. The clasps and hinges are lead foil and brass. The lenses on the mask are unpainted right now, ultimately they will be an amber color.
Next is to add dirt and dust- remember they fought in a trench.

Viking Update

2010-08-06T14:06:00.001-07:00

More progress on the viking- what a great figure! All painted with acrylics.

New Project

2010-07-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a new project- " Viking Fury" by Andrea. So far it is a great piece. Everything fits good. I started painting the eyes.....

New Issue!

2010-07-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

Summer Time!

Just spied this new issue of Model Military International-- with the 200mm British Para on the cover. I had not posted pics of this. It was a job for MMI wayyy back when Spud was Editor.

Maybe I'll post some more pictures later.......... Meanwhile waiting for the new Young Miniatures SS Machine gunner 1/2 figure.. I have some cool ideas for that one. Stay tuned.

Another Bust, but kinda late

2010-05-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished this magnificent bust in March, but have not had time to post any pictures. This is another Young Miniatures bust. It is a U Boat crewman from ww2. It is a resin bust, which only has four parts- the body, head, binoculars and the plinth (part that holds it up). I snapped these pictures; I am not too happy with them. I really like the character and it was a blast to paint. I did not take any in progress pictures- I was too far into painting. Sometimes you don't want to stop.

2010-02-24T19:56:00.000-08:00

I thought I would put together some new pictures of the MG34 fellow. Enjoy!

New Year- New figure

2010-01-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

Here is a Jeff Shiu Miniatures Waffen SS Gunner. I had this primed and ready early last year, but due to a multitude of stuff going on- family, health, work, etc., never finished it. It is a really nice figure. I spent the past three weeks finishing it up. It is painted using Vallejo and some oils- mostly for the wood finish on the mg 34 and shovel handle. I really liked the way it painted up. I think I may order another figure from Jeff in Hong Kong.

I have to prioritize my work- I still have to finish a Brit Para (sorry Ian), so I think I'll bang that one out next- it's about 60% done.
I have found that building for magazines is a pain in the backside- nice to have hobby money, but it can lead to loosing interest in the hobby. I think I may hang that part up for a while- after I clear out the current commitments. Anyway, enjoy the pictures.

2009-12-24T14:25:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone. Have a great holiday and a Happy New Year!

Young Miniatures B17 Waist Gunner

2009-11-21T07:48:00.000-08:00

Well, here is my first work after about 8mos off- many issues going on, but I had time to take a picture or two. This is Young Miniatures B17 Waist gunner. What a fantastic piece! Highly recommended. excellent sculpting and fit. I painted it with Vallejo acrylics. Enjoy.

2009-11-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

Well, I am going to start (or finish) new project. This is something that I have not done in a while- 1/35 scale armor! I usually prefer larger scale stuff, but with the selection of kits and figures (and ideas) It's hard to pass up. I had started the Dragon M4a1 76 w (whew-whatever that means) and put it aside. The model itself is about 30% done right now. The instructions really suck, but using some reference and on-line pics I am making my way thru the build.

I started by sketching some ideas on paper. Originally I wanted to use a M5 Stuart, but I saw some Sherman builds and changed my mind. The basic concept is that the tank and infantry are moving along a road in France and ran into some land mines. A couple of ground pounders are probing for mines while everyone cools their heels waiting for a mine detector team to come up.

In addition to the tank, I have the crew, and six or seven infantry. I am converting Dragon figures as well as throwing in a couple of commercial resin dudes. I am using the excellent Monroe Perdu farm wall as a backdrop- I chopped it up a bit to fit.

I have some Hornet heads and hands (cause the kit ones suck). Here is one of the dudes with bayonets.

2009-10-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween. I have not been doing much modeling.... too much other stuff getting in the way. I am trying to finish up old stuff and I have several ideas kicking around for new projects. Now that the weather is a little cooler I can sit at the bench and work away. My model buddies Gary and Dave were going to stop by to show off their fantastic work, but that has been delayed. We will snap some pictures to share.... Come on guys!!

2009-07-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well, its summer- HOT! not much modeling lately due to other things going on. I bought a new machine- a micro lathe. Besides figures I do dabble with Formula One race cars and GP Motorcycles. I have made parts on my Harbor Freight lathe, but due to its size and inaccuracy, it was cumbersome (can you say cheap Chinese?). This little gem should do the trick. It's a Taig lathe, and it is made in the USA! Its only about 18" long. I can turn, drill, mill on the thing. For my busts, I usually use the lathe to machine a pedestal for the figure. Cool. More to come.....

New Magazine

2009-05-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest issue of MMI (I think it is the June issue). Brett Green, the new editor stuck my Fallschirmjager on the cover- how cool is that!

2009-03-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

Just finished the annual SCAHMS show pilgrimage. What a great show! Nice to see old friends and make new ones. The displays were top notch, and the vendor area huge!

I picked up a new Ma.K kit, so I am hooked. Here is the first one- painted with acrylics, oils, and pigments. Kinda like building an armor model, but more like a figure. Great canvas for weathering.

Young Miniatures SS Bust

2009-02-16T21:31:00.000-08:00

Well, because I could not make it to Atlanta for the figure show, I worked away on the Young Miniatures SS Bust. This one is a great bust, but all his busts are. I painted this one with acrylics including the face. It was a challenge, I almost gave up on the sucker. But I am really happy with the results.

Fallschirmjager Finished

2008-12-28T17:59:00.001-08:00

I had time to finish this figure- added to the base and shot some pictures.

New Figure

2008-12-26T08:08:00.000-08:00

Finally have enough done on this figure to show it on the blog. This is a 120mm figure from JeffShiu Miniatures in Hong Kong. You can see the kit below. I painted the camo (Marsh 44 pattern) with my Iwata airbrush with the tip removed. I used about 8-10 psi of air, and really thinned paint. The head is a replacement I stole from a S&T kit. I had to remove the SS eagle and replace with one I sculpted from A&B to represent a Luft eagle.

I am working on the base now, and will add the left hand when I glue him down, so I do not bust anything off.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T08:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Being Christmas, I thought a nice, wintery picture would be fitting. This is a picture of the magnificent Hubbard glacier in Alaska. Enjoy!

New Book

2008-12-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

Here is a new book that I picked up. This is a great book for WW2 Normandy fans. It details the battles around and in St. Lo. It really shows the hedgerows and surrounding areas. It is loaded with both great American GI and German pictures. If you like Fallschirmjagers this is a great reference. My latest figure was really inspired by this book (I will post pictures soon).

Merry Christmas!

Awesome New Figure

2008-10-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a new figure I picked up from a sculptor in Hong Kong. It is really well done. Yep, it is a German Paratroop- Fallschirmjager. 120mm scale. Here are a couple of pictures. The company is Jeffshiu Miniatures http://jeffshiu.net46.net/

New Photo

2008-10-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

At the recommendation of Pete Herrera, I reworked the shadows and other details on my English knight bust. I think the results are much better. For some reason, this thing is a bear to photograph. I experimented with my lights and finally got some results that work.

Vacation!

2008-09-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

We took a cruise on Holland America that left from Seattle to the inside passage in Alaska. The trip was fantastic. One highlight was stopping at the Boeing Museum in Seattle. Worth the stop! WW2, WW1 aircraft, plus modern stuff too. Outside of Juneau we visited the Mendenhall Glacier. Here is a picture. The front of the glacier is about 250 years old!

Finished

2008-09-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well, finally had time to take some pictures, and show this one off. One ugly dude. Painted in oils, for most of it, except the mail is acrylics as is the helmet. The sword is natural metal with acrylic for the sheath. I had to re-do the base, as the one I originally made allowed the bust to tip over!

2008-07-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

Here we go! A little more progress on the English Knight. I painted the mail, and the surcoat (I think that's what it is called). I like the light surcoat, opposed to the dark one. A little different I suppose.

This is a nice change of pace from the huge projects and WW2 stuff.

2008-06-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

Summer is here!! A quick update, I purchased a Andrea bust a few weeks ago, and it's been so blazing hot here that I cannot work on it (my shop is in my garage). So after seeing finished work on the web I started painting. It goes slow because I stop to take pictures of each step (photo studio is in garage too). The piece has lots of character and a real ugly face, but it is sure a lot of fun to paint. Originally I wanted to paint the flesh in acrylics- but I wasn't satisfied with the result, so I did it over in oils. I will use acrylics to paint the hair as it give a better effect.

2008-04-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

Just in from UK... Another article- this time in Tamiya Model Magazine. It is the Mirage 200mm Airborne figure I did for Richard. Here is the cover of the new issue.

Time for another post!

2008-03-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here is Young Miniatures 101st Airborne bust. This is a real cool bust. I painted this in about two weeks. I rmoved the flag from the right shoulder - 101st did not have them.

It Is Done

2008-03-11T21:04:00.001-07:00

Well, after 1 year, 4 months I finished the T-34 diorama. Here is a sneak peek.

2008-02-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

I received an advanced issue of MMI a few days ago, I was surprised to see my article featured on the cover. Wow! here is the cover. This one should hit the US near the beginning of April.

I delivered the finished 82 AB figure to Richard, here is a pic of us deciding who was going to drop it! Richard really liked it, although he looks like a someone just told him the real airborne was the 101st. We had a great dinner at Nieuport 17 in Tustin- a aviation themed restraunt. It was really good!!!

Another Project Finished

2007-12-27T21:07:00.000-08:00

I just completed a figure for my freind Richard at Tamiya. I have been working on this one since April this year (2007 is almost done!). This is the Mirage 200mm 101st Airborne that was changed to 82nd- Richard is partial to the 82nd Airborne because he was in the 82nd Airborne (as well as 1st Rgr Bn.)!

During the Bulge, on the Northern shoulder of the battle, the 82nd fought elements of the 1st, 2nd, 9th, 10th & 12th SS Panzer Divisions. According to 82 veterans the 101st fought old men and ladies. (not confirmed!).

It is a resin figure painted with acrylics and opils for the flesh. I modified the base- cause the kit one sucked. Have a Happy New Year!!!

2007-12-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of figure number two for the T-34 Diorama. This is a S&T figure, sculpted by John. Not a lot of parts, fairly quick to paint. Nice figures are fun to paint- they just seem to come together nicely.

2007-11-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

Well finally some time to take pictures so I can update the blog. This is one of the figures going with the T-34. He will be poised on the4 turret.

Fresh in from UK, Spud Murphy sent me a few copies of my latest article- MMI issue 20. It features the article I wrote on the 82 Airborne figure.

2007-10-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

I have been busy doing figure reviews for MMI. One figure I particularly like is the new release from Miniature Alliance. It is a 90 mm Fallshirmjager armed with the FG42. It is a great casting, and very well made. It should be a blast to paint. Look for the full review soon.......

2007-10-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here we go.... some progress on one figure- for the top of the turret of the T34. Still more work on the camo...... adjustments here and there, and shading. Don't fret, I will change the belt buckle for a SS soldier. I will probably paint the flesh next to see how if comes together.

2007-10-05T13:15:00.001-07:00

Here are the figures for the T-34

S&T figures

2007-10-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

Working more on the T-34 project- here is shot of the exterior as the weathering progressed:

2007-10-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

Here is the mother of all projects (at least for me). For about a year now, I have been working on a large scale diorama. It features Trumpeter's 1/16 scale T-34 and two S&T figures. The goal is to have a scene that shows two SS soldiers checking out an abandoned tank. The tank broke down, and in the middle of attempting to repair it, the Russians had to hastily leave. The model features a full interior. It is sitting next to a farm house.

2007-10-02T21:21:00.001-07:00

This is Young Miniatures SS Feldgendarme bust. Really simple piece, lots of character, and fun to paint. I used acrylics and oils for the face on this one.

2007-10-02T15:17:00.001-07:00

More Pictures....

This is "On a Wing and a Prayer at the Edge of No Man's Land"

I was inspired to do this piece after looking at James Dietz's "Mud in your Eye" painting of a crashed Sopwith Camel in a trench.

I like airplane models, but one posed on a flat base without a figure is boring and lifeless. Fortunately the Hobbycraft kit (1/32 scale) is a good one, and I modified the Pegaso Frank Luke figure to work in the scene. This was a real fun project. I have not built a airplane model in about 20 years, so that was a switch.

The figure was painted with oils for the flesh, and acrylics for everything else. The base was scratchbuilt- along with the dead German. I used an Airfix multipose figure as a starting point. Roger Claeps was kind enough to give me a few WW1 parts from his stash. The sandbags were just A&B rolled out and formed into bags.

Matt

2007-10-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

This is S&T's 101st paratrooper figure. I have converted it to a 82nd trooper. This is the first figure that I have painted the face with acrylics! Super nice figure, a future article will be in MMI.

I was fortunate to be awarded the Series 77 "Best American" figure at the 2007 SCAHMS show

2007-10-02T13:57:00.001-07:00

Hello! I decided to put together this "blog". Although my website is still working, this seemed more convenient to use. I hope this is helpful to fellow modelers.

I have been busy with several projects at once (who isn't?). I am working on a 1/9 scale commission figure for a friend, a gigantic 1/15 scale T-34 tank with figures, and about a half a dozen other things. Soon as I figure this out, I will have pictures up!

I have been busy writing articles for Model Military International. John Murphy has been really a great editor to work with and I just need more time to put things together.

That's all for now, I'll post more later--

Matt