1:35 ČS Finanční stráž 1938 (zima)

Czechoslovak Financial Guard 1938, winter dress

The abbreviation CS in the name stands for Czechoslovak. This figure in 1:35 scale captures a member of the Financial Guard in its winter form of 1938. The Financial Guard was an armed force that provided customs supervision and the guarding of the state border, so the subject is close to a border landscape.

The winter form of the force

The winter dress adds a long greatcoat, warmer headgear and gloves to the basic uniform. The silhouette of the figure is bulkier for it and the folds are deeper than on the summer variant, which makes the modeler's work with shadow easier. Border duty was also tied to broken terrain, so the figure allows for a more pronounced base.

Which scene it suits

The natural setting is a snow-covered road, a barrier, a boundary marker, a forest clearing or a log hut. A winter vignette is rewarding even for a beginner: a white base brings out a dark figure and the scene looks finished even with a minimum of accessories.

Painting and winter effects

Paint the greatcoat in a gray-green range and do not forget to lighten the shoulders and the upper edges of the folds, where the light from the snow would fall. Add a cold reflection with a thin glaze of blue-gray in the shadows. Suggest the snow on the boots and on the hem of the coat with texture paste, not with white paint, otherwise the effect looks flat.

Suitable for

• Builders of winter vignettes with strong contrast
• Collectors of subjects from the Czechoslovak border region
• Modelers who want to practice working with snow effects
• Anyone interested in interwar forces outside the army