1:35 Vietnamese Farmer riding cow #2

Vietnamese farmer riding a cow, the second variant, 1:35, MAiM

This is a civilian figural scene in 1:35 scale: a farmer sitting on an ox. It is not a model of equipment, but an accessory for a scene that has already been built. The designation of the second variant in the name sets this pose apart from another version of the same motif, which the brand offers separately; both the stance of the animal and the seat of the rider differ.

The subject

Draft and riding cattle belong to the village landscape of Southeast Asia and are used in modeling so that a scene does not look like an exhibition of equipment. A figure with an animal takes up more room than a figure on its own and works as a natural compositional block — it divides the area of a diorama and gives the eye something to settle on. The motif fits rice fields, field tracks, fords and village buildings. With the other civilian figures of the same brand an inhabited scene can be put together.

Building and painting tips

Choose the glue according to the material of the parts — a plastic cement on plastic, super glue on resin parts. Wash the parts in lukewarm soapy water, sand the parting seams and protect your airways when sanding. Paint the figure and the animal separately and join them only at the end, otherwise you will not reach between them with a brush. Build the coat of the ox up from several thin layers: the base tone, a darker shadow into the folds of the skin and a lighter dry brush on the back and the edges. Dirty the hooves and the lower legs with pigment according to the base; on wet terrain add a glossy effect.

Who the scene is for

• Builders of dioramas on Vietnamese and South Asian themes
• Modelers who want to add civilian life to a scene
• Collectors of figures and animals in 1:35 scale
• Those who need a more substantial block in a composition than a figure on its own

The figures are supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and a base are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.