1:35 Behind enemy lines, Soviet Razvedchik w/PPSh 41, 1941-45

A Soviet reconnaissance soldier with a PPSh-41 submachine gun, 1941 to 1945, in 1:35 scale (Rado Miniatures)

A resin figure in 1:35 scale from Rado Miniatures, from the Behind enemy lines range. According to the name it is a single figure of a Soviet reconnaissance soldier, a razvedchik, armed with a PPSh-41 submachine gun, in the period from 1941 to 1945. The singular in the name corresponds to a single figure, unlike the multi-figure sets of the same range. It is neither a vehicle model nor a finished scene, but a stand-alone figure for a diorama, a vignette or for a model of equipment in the same scale.

A single figure as a piece of work in its own right

A stand-alone figure has one advantage over a set: you can calmly try out on it a technique you would not want to risk on an expensive multi-figure set. That applies most of all to the face. On a figure in 1:35 scale the face is a few millimeters across, so all the work rests on two things, on a smooth transition between the base tone of the skin and the lightening of the forehead, the nose and the cheekbones, and on a darker line in the shadow of the eye socket. Painting the white of the eye and the iris usually does not pay off in this scale, as the result looks wide-eyed; it is more convincing to suggest the shadow and leave the eye dark. The submachine gun with its characteristic drum magazine is a rewarding detail in turn: the wooden stock can be built up with glazes into wood and the metal parts toned down with graphite.

Building and painting tips

Wash the casting in lukewarm soapy water, cut the casting block off with a fine saw and sand the area wet with respiratory protection. Reinforce the joints of the arms and the head with a short wire pin. Spray on a thin primer, as a heavy layer clogs the detail. Paint from the top down and leave the face for good light and for a moment when your hand is steady. Make the shadows with a glaze of a darker tone of the same color, not with black. Tie the figure together with a matte varnish at the end and tone the lower part of the footwear and the trousers down with dust pigment, so that the figure visually belongs to its base.

Who the figure is for

• Builders of dioramas and vignettes in 1:35 scale
• Modelers who want to try painting figures on a single piece
• Anyone interested in Soviet subjects of 1941 to 1945
• Those adding a single striking figure to a model of equipment

The figure is supplied unassembled and unpainted, as a resin casting. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.