1:35 French Tanker Reading The Map 1940 No.1

A French tanker over a map, 1:35 scale

The figure shows a French tanker of 1940 at the moment he is unfolding a map. It is a calm, narrative motif that gives a diorama a reason why the vehicle is standing there. Dynamo-Models offers it as the first number of a pair meant for a single scene in 1:35 scale.

The figure and its period

French armored vehicles of 1940 had crews in distinctive equipment that differed from other armies at first glance, above all a padded helmet and a long overcoat. That is exactly why the figure is easy to recognize even unpainted. A stance with an open map works best at the side of a vehicle or over a hood, where the figure has something to lay the map on. Without such support it will look as though the sheet is being held in mid-air.

Painting the overalls and the helmet

Reach for muted shades shifted rather toward brown; a sharp green would not suit this period. Build the leather of the helmet from a dark base and add sheen only on the high points, so that it does not look varnished. Handle the map as a light area with a fine drawing: small lines only need suggesting, as the eye will fill them in from a distance. Exact map symbols would be lost at this size anyway.

Where to set the figure

• with a kit of a French armored vehicle in 1:35
• into a scene from the spring and summer of 1940
• as a pair with the second number of the same line
• for collectors of less usual subjects
• for a piece where the figure's intention is to be clear