My figures: DEAD SOLDIER WWII INSPIRED FROM DEAD SNOW 54mm

[Frank-Holger]

After a long time with doing nothing in modeling or sculpting, I have promised myself that I work hard this year on finishing stuff and creating new figures from known and unknown designs which fit into my taste. Some of you might have seen the DEAD SNOW movies. OK, I do not like horror comedies much but these films have something that hooked me and I wanted to have a bunch of the dead soldiers. The first is a german winter combatant, but I will do some Vietnam style stuff, too.

This here is no real sculpt. I have used an old Tamiya figure for prepping (making the cloth looking very rotten) and exchanged the head with a Zombie head. Said to myself, no sculpting here, just use it for filling action. Than the fun began with the paint job. Using only acrylics I layed on several washes of different colours to make it look like he slept some years in maggot filled earth and now came back to hunt the living. Or something like. I am in between the painting stage, there is some work to do more, but I hope he is presentable. So if you have any critque, I count on you!





Cheers guys and thanks for lookiing!

Frank

[Deepgroover]

Hi Frank.
I love the concept, and think it would be fantastic to see a squad of zombie soldiers. That would make a fine scene. Everything looks good, and the tattered clothing is a nicely done custom touch. The only thing I can suggest is to maybe shorten the neck of the aftermarket heads you use. It's hard to say how much, but I see a shadow at his lower chin. That should be just on top of his coat collar. I think those aftermarket heads come with very long necks so the modeler can customize the fit to whatever figure they're working with. Some may fit deeper into the socket than others.
I've only seen the first movie, thanks to a friend who loaned it to me. Pretty good as I remember it. Now I'll look forward to seeing your idea take shape. Keep it coming!

[INVISIBLE MAN]

Frank, this looks great. I have a few 54mm models in my collection but have been scared to start them due to their small size. This looks awesome and I think I will break one out and give it a go.

[Frank-Holger]

Thanks Deep! You are right pointing out the neck of the rascal. I have thought about it before I attached it and decided to leave it a bit longer because I wanted to have something like a "skinny and tall" appearence of the guy who is "rotten down to the bones" so to say. I have an Officer in the works who is a bit more fleshy, and his head is cut down to a short neck (when I have some of the boys together, hopefully this will become a bit more clear). And yes, dead soldiers (meaning such a fantasy scene of cause!) are interesting subjects for horror figures. This here is more the "dry" type. But I think, the Vietnam style zombies I have in mind will be a bit more "juicy" when you get what I mean , hehe!

Invisible man, give it a try and start. You will have tons of fun with the little men and they are always a blast to paint. Will show some of my smaller paint ups, I love to do 30mm figures, too!

Thanks for steppin in, Gentlemen!

Frank