1:35 British paratroper N°3

The real subject

Airborne infantry reaches its area by air and then relies on what it can carry. The figures therefore wear their kit tight to the body and look compact even in a resting stance. The line this item belongs to divides the individual soldiers up piece by piece, so you put the group together yourself and do not buy figures you will not use in the scene.

The third into the group

Three figures are a proven composition in a diorama. If you do not set them in a row but in an imaginary triangle, the scene gains depth and the eye travels across it by itself. It helps when each figure is doing something different: one looking around, another glancing back and a third absorbed in his kit. In 1:35 scale an adult measures about five centimeters, so the figure fits hardware, buildings and accessories in the same scale and can also manage the role of a scene of its own on a small base.

Building and painting tips

Cut any excess material away a little distance from the part with a sharp blade, sand the remainder, then wash, degrease and prime the surface. Join any parts with cyanoacrylate glue, which holds on ordinary modeling materials. With figures at this scale it pays to raise the contrast slightly, because the model is viewed at arm's length and fine transitions disappear at that distance. Take the uniform from a darker base to more strongly brightened edges, underline the folds with a wash and finally unify the surface with a matte varnish.

Who it is for

The figure suits modelers who put a scene together gradually, and also those looking for a single figure for a finished vehicle model in 1:35 scale. You can manage the painting with a brush and it is a rewarding practice piece, because a mistake can be painted over.

Paints, glue and the other material needed to finish it are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.