SBS Guide to painting LM-B004 'Waffen-SS

infantryman Ardennes 1944'

1/10 scale bust, Life Miniatures

Sculpted and painted by Sang-Eon Lee

Background

With launching my own brand, LIFE MINIATURES, I had envisioned the concept of my bust was

realistic bust portraying a person who is in historic events in 20th century.

I’ve wanted to create a bust that has emotions of people who lived in this turbulent century as if let

my colleague appreciate a bust shot taken by Magnum photographers

My first commercial figure, 1st Marine Division of USMC served in Guadalcanal 1942, was

released a couple of month before. I’d like to deliver hardships of the battle by depicting a

leatherneck stand on the edge of human limitation against the harsh jungle environment. He is

making a grimace of intense sunlight with one eye closed and smiling a cynical smile. It also gives

a humorous look in this painful situation. All of this designed to express the will of this man who

has bright hope of victory over Japan at the end.

“Waffen-SS Infantryman, Ardennes, 1944”, the most recent release of Life Miniatures, is portraying

a German soldier eating a piece of bread.

Why the Germans again? It has been a common criticism arising when a German soldier’s bust is

released. In spite of repeated production of various German soldiers by many artists and companies,

it is still attractive.

I’d like to say that the design of German uniforms and equipment are in the middle of modern and

contemporary times and even superior in aesthetic point considering the period. In spite of the

advancement, their reckless challenge is regrettable and it’s fascinating to me beside my political

stance. I believe that such a bond of sympathy is shared not only by producers but also customers.

However I’d like to portray them serious look tired in a battlefield instead of making them a brave

hero because I worry that such a positive image can implant a distorted view.

With this idea I planed to sculpt a miserable German soldier who bites a piece of bread. He is

chewing bread with timid motion worrying about cracking his lips frozen and dried by cold weather

in gloomy days destined for certain defeat of Reich.

This bust is sculpted and painted with this concept.

Painting

Abbreviation

1, The brand of acrylics : J - Josonja’s acrylics, VA - Vallejo Arte Deco acrylics

2, Skin tones :

Preparing for painting figures, I usually arrange 6 levels of skin tone mixtures.

2L - B 30% + Vallejo Arte Deco midium flesh 60% + Vallejo Arte Deco white 8% + Josonja's

cadmium yellow LT 2%

1L- B 50% + Vallejo Arte Deco midium flesh 48% + Josonja's cadmium yellow LT 2%

B - Josonja's skin tone base 40% + Vallejo Arte Deco midium flesh 40% + Josonja's vermilion 10%

+ Josonja's plum pink 6% + Josonja's cadmium yellow LT 4%

1S - B 80% + Josonja's burnt sienna 10% + Josonja's vermilion 10%

2S - B 60% + Josonja's burnt sienna 30% + Josonja's plum pink 5% + Josonja's vermilion 5%

3S - B 50% + Josonja's burnt sienna 40% + Josonja's plum pink 10%

Face and Hand

1, As many of you already know, I always airbrush J carbon black for the base colour. This is

obviously the best way to paint blocked & covered area, Although you miss something that should

be painted in that area, the black base coat make it less obvious, because the black base coat doesn’t

reflect as much bright as bright colour. Sometimes I leave the black in the deepest crevices. This is

a good way to shorten working hours and is of benefit to the painters like me who always have tight

deadline.

I painted the eyeball with VA White and applied shadows to the 12 o’clock position using B and

VA black.

2, Using B, I painted the black circles on the eyes as the base layer for painting the irises, taking

into account its size and position, Next I outlined the lower part of the eyes, using a mixture of B +

J Burnt Umber + J Red Earth + J Napthol Crimson. And I applied the same colour to the lachrymal

glands.

3, Retaining the surrounding black rings, I painted the irises using a mixtures of VA turquoise + J

napthol crimson. After adding more J napthol crimson to the mixture, I appied its thin layer between

the outer line of the blue area and the inner line of the black rings to achieve the effect of blending.

4, I added highlight to the irises using a mixture of VA turquoise + J moss green.

5, I painted the pupil using VA black and added the final highlight to 5’o clock position using a

mixture of VA turquoise + J moss green + 2L.

6, Using VA white, I applied the reflex lights to 2’o clock position.

7, I’d like to introduce you an overview of the study to find appropriate position of the highlight

area. You can see that those areas are marked out with yellow lines. I calculated this on the basis of

a fundamental principle that in case of a prominent bent, the upper side gets more light from the sun

than the lower side , thus we see the upper side brighter. And I think that you could easily guess the

case of a inverse bent. This should be applied somewhat differently depending on the texture of the

surface. I recommend you to refer the photographs of a real person’s face with natural highlights

and shadows to complement this basic principle.

8, I marked out the highlights using 2L.

9, I marked out the shadows using 2S.

10, I proceeded with the first intermediate tones, using B, applying it to the boundary lines between

2L and 2S.

11, After outlining the eyebrows, I layered 3s, J burnt umber on the deepest area of shadow

12, To achieve more realism, smooth gradient and appropriate intermediate tones are essential. I

applied multiple transparencies of intermediate tones to the boundary lines between the two

different tones, For example, applying B between 2L and 2S, applying 1L between 2L and B,

applying 1S between B and 2S.

13, Repeating the same procedure, I added a colder effect to the cheeks and under the nose using a

mixture of B + J napthol crimson.

14, I repeated the procedure of No. 12 until getting smooth blending.

15, I added the final highlights to the most prominent areas using 1L

16, I blended the final highlight with surrounding colour by using the same technique that was

introduced in the previous steps.

17, I proceed to get each tone blended with others better, while the positions and intensity of the

highlights were slightly revised to make the appearance of this guy more natural. Once it was

successfully completed, I added freckles and skin problems by pointing multiple transparent dots

using 1S, 5S. The painting process for the beard was the same as for the skin dots. The final part of

painting face was to depict the lips chapped from the cold weather. I started with a mixture of B + J

napthol crimson as the base colour and applied shadows using 3s, J burnt umber, J napthol crimson.

Highlights were roughly added using 1L, 2L

18, The same procedure goes for painting the hand. I started with the highlight of 2L, marking it out

on the black base coat.

19, I marked out the shadows area using 2S.

20, I started layering the intermediate tones of B to the line where the first 2 tones meet.

21, Layering the intermediate tones, I applied the deepest shadows using J burnt umber.

22, Applying each intermediate wash tones to each line where 2 different tones meet

23, The colour of base layer for preparing to paint the nail was a mixture of J burnt umber + 3S.

Retaining the surrounding line of darker base layer, I painted the nail body using 2S taking account

of its size and position. The final touch was added to the top edge of the nail and lunula using 1S.

24., 25, I added a cold effect using a mixture of 3s + J napthol crimson. And I progressed the same

procedure of ‘Step 17’ to obtain skin problems and grime effect. Once the hand was successfully

completed, I painted the bread using J burnt umber, J burnt sienna, J yellow oxide, J fawn, J skin

tone base.

Helmet

26. For the base colour of helmet, I used a mixture of J carbon black + J french blue + J raw umber.

The background of SS decal was painted with brush using VA white.

27. I drew the surrounding line of decal and the letter ‘SS’ with a brush using VA black.

28. I chipped the decal using the same colour as for the helmet.

29, Some good work with brush is essential to achieve rough brush mark of winter camo of the

helmet. I dipped a flat square brush into a mixture of VA white + J raw umber and drained it on

absorbent kitchen paper. By dry brushing with it to allow the grain of brush to be left, I gradually

obtainted multiple layers of winter camo.

30, I added VA white to the highlight by using the same technique of ‘Step 29’.

31, Shadows and smudge of the helmet were added using J yellow oxide, J burnt umber, J carbon

black

32, I began the leather belt with J raw umber and highlighted with J red earth. I continued raising

the bright tone using a mixture of J yellow oxide + J vermilion +J red earth over those area of wear

and tear. I gave the final touch by adding simulated cuts and outline of highlights using J fawn, J

yellow oxide, J vermilion, B, 2L.

Toque

The colour chart for toque

Final Highlight – Highlight 70% + 2L 30%

Highlight – J french blue 80% + B 20%

Intermediate – J french blue 80% + VA black 15% + J raw umber 5%

Shadow – J french blue 60% + VA black 40%

33~34, I began to work the highlight and the shadow areas of toque.

35, I applied the layer of intermediate tones to the lines where highlights meet shadows, then adding

the mixtures of highlight + intermediate to the new lines where intermediates meet highlights. The

same procedure was repeated to the new lines where 2 different tones meet until smooth blending

had been achieved.

36~37, The final highlights were added and blended by the same technique as for the previous

steps. J red earth, J yellow oxide, J burnt umber were used for the effect of smudges

Tunic

The colour chart for tunic

Final Highlight – Highlight 70% + 2L 30%

Highlight – J french blue 40% + J olive green 40% + B 20%

Intermediate – J french blue 40% + J olive green 40% + VA black 15% + J raw umber 5%

Shadow – J french blue 30% + J olive green 30% + VA black 40%

38~44, These are exactly the same procedures that I introduced to you throughout the steps of the

toque.

Smock

45, I applied the base coat to the smock using J fawn

46, I used a mixture of J fawn + J raw umber to start adding the pattern to the autumn camo, a

mixture of J green oxide + J olive green to the summer camo

47, Referring to some photographs searched on Google, I added the brightest areas of the autumn

camo using a mixture of J fawn + J cadmium yellow + J vermilion + VA beige and J jade to the

areas of summer camo.

48, I added the darkest areas of the camo using a mixture of J raw umber + J fawn.

49, Appling multiple layers of a very thin coat of J raw umber over again, I gradually obtained the

shadows on the deeper areas. Once it was finished, I added VA black to the deepest areas of the

camo and the belts and grenade

50, Using J fawn, 2L, J cadmium yellow, the process I used for shadows and also applied to the

highlights.

51,52, Final result with all its element.