SPA Modeler

Prepping the Deck

With the figures cleaned up and primed it’s time do more work on the deck section. I made alterations to the flag pole and added two more wood seats to finish the deck. I put aside the flag included with the kit and printed a smaller one due to the original being way out of proportion. I was just too big. I had intended to use some hemp string for the flag rope, but used strands of copper wire twisted tightly to resemble rope instead. It was much easier to keep the flag in a “windy” configuration and also have the tail end of that rope appear “flapping” in the wind.





Now that I had the main body set up, I pre-drilled all the mounting locations for each figure. This took some time to get the positions correct without looking awkward or unrealistic. Keeping the spacing between each figure without their coats interfering with each other was the issue. So far, they look good and the positions look natural. As you can see, these figures have great poses and the faces have a lot of character, that cannot be denied. The scene definitely portrays intense action on the part of the crew.







Being satisfied with the crew placement, it’s time to chip and weather the deck before painting the figures. We are now picking up steam and forging onward. More to follow soon.

Thanks for watching. Cheers, Ski.

That looks really good. Can't wait to see your masterful paint on that crew.

keavdog wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 6:12 pm That looks really good. Can't wait to see your masterful paint on that crew.

Looks very realistic. Great work.

Thanks, Gents!

Facial Work, Lt. Werner

Now that the gun deck has been worked to a semi-final stage it’s time to start oiling some faces and get this set going. Lt. Werner, the war correspondent, is first on the bench. I think Jeff got really close to the facial expression and features of this actor. The scene depicts a wind-swept and water-soaked deck which comes across nicely with this face in particular.

Using my standard mix of Winsor & Newton oils of Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, and Burnt Umber, for the basic flesh tones, I started with the area around the eyes and worked my way around the face. I always use acrylics for the eye work themselves because of the drying time. If corrections are needed the process goes much smoother using acrylics; oils would get messy in such a tight space.





I kept the flesh oil application very light initially and will add the red cheeks and rosy tones in a few days. The beard still has a lot of work needed as does the eyes and the area around the mouth. Most of the final touches will be feathered in when the sheen has faded making it much easier to see the areas needing direct attention. It is important to remember that sub crews did not see daylight for extended periods of time so the flesh tones should reflect that fact. I don’t want them looking ghostly white, but I can’t justify a tan appearance either, lol.

It should also be noted here that this figure is squinting, so the eyes will not be so clearly visible. Yes, they are painted as per usual, but the working areas is very small on this particular face. Lt. Werner will be set aside for now as I get started on the next figure in the line-up.

More to follow soon and thanks for watchin. Cheers, Ski.

Your figure work is amazing!

LyleW wrote: ↑Wed Jul 12, 2023 6:42 am Your figure work is amazing!

I agree!

Fantastic work Steve!