1:35 Boys throwing stones

Boys with a stone in hand, 1:35 scale

This figure set from the brand Royal Model consists of castings in polyurethane resin showing young men in ordinary civilian clothing, caught in mid-swing. The figures are supplied raw, that is unassembled and without paint.

The scene the set comes from

Throwing stones became one of the most widespread images of urban unrest in the Middle East from the end of the 1980s, and it is repeated in dozens of conflicts around the world to this day. Facing armored vehicles here are unarmed people in tracksuits and with bags, often barely out of school. That contrast carries the whole story of a scene: an armored vehicle on its own looks like a museum exhibit, whereas a figure in violent motion sets both the action and the direction in which the viewer's eye looks.

How to approach the castings

First wash the parts in lukewarm soapy water, so that the mold release agent disappears from the surface. Cut the casting residues off with a fine-toothed saw and level the area. Cyanoacrylate glue holds the joints; PVA does not have the strength here. A primer is necessary before painting, or the pigment rubs off the smooth resin.

Who the set is useful for

• builders of modern urban scenes and street scenes
• for dioramas where vehicles meet a civilian setting
• for bringing an empty street, intersection or square to life
• figure painters who want to practice civilian cloth instead of a uniform

The set arrives unassembled and unpainted; neither a base nor any chemicals belong with it.