1:48 French Officers 1940

The real subject

For the French army 1940 is the period of a short and rapid campaign it entered with vehicles and equipment from the 1930s. The officer corps is a rewarding subject in modeling scenes: commanders moved between vehicles and staffs, they could be told by their dress and by the fact that they carried no heavy weapons, and their presence gives a diorama a clear center of gravity. In a scene they usually come into their own where something is being arranged or decided, that is at a map, at a command vehicle or at the edge of a column.

What the set contains

Figures of French officers in 1:48 scale, supplied unpainted. Before painting, separate them, cut off the surplus material with a sharp blade a little away from the figure and sand the remainder gently. A figure one hundred and seventy-five centimeters tall in reality measures about three and a half centimeters in this scale, so the face and the cut of the clothing are legible on it.

Painting tips

Wash and degrease the figures first and only then paint. Apply the paint in thin layers, settle the shadows with a dark wash and carefully lighten the edges of the folds with a dry brush. An officer's dress tends to be smoother than infantry equipment, so the transition of light and shadow comes out well on it; the small accessories are better merely suggested than drawn out. Try the arrangement of the figures dry and turn them toward each other so that it is clear that they are talking together.

Who it is for

For modelers who build French vehicles of 1940 in 1:48 scale, and for builders of dioramas whose scene lacks a command group. Paints, glue and brushes are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.