1:35 USMC Demo Team, Up! (2 figures)

A pair of US Marine Corps figures

Collectible figures in 1:35 scale meant for building a scene. The name of the item refers to a team sent out for demolition work and to the moment when it receives the order to move; two figures are given. These are standalone figures that the customer combines with equipment and terrain of their own.

What the scene captures

The arrangement tells a short story: one figure is rising forward, the other accompanies it. Such pairs are rewarding, because they create tension on their own and do not need an extensive base. A piece of dusty road, a low embankment or the edge of some growth is enough and the scene works even on a base the size of a palm, which can be stood in a display case beside larger models.

Painting the figures

The face decides the most. Build the skin from a darker base toward lighter coats and leave the shadows in the eye sockets and under the chin. The field uniform from the period of the deployment in southeast Asia is usually painted in olive green tones; a gradual lightening of the areas and a fine wash in the folds give the cloth depth. Tell the equipment apart with a slightly different shade from the clothing and add dust in the color of the terrain to the boots. At the end stand both figures side by side and compare the shades: a small difference in the tone of the cloth will visually separate them and the scene will fall apart into two standalone figures.

Where to set the figures

• Into a scene with an armored vehicle or a cargo truck
• On a small display base with a minimum of terrain
• Into a more extensive scene as an enlivening pair in the foreground
• With a group of further figures from the same period