MJ Miniatures 1/19 Erich Hartmann Bust

[Deleted member 6559]

I started today having another attempt at the 1/16 Alpine tanker, but it went pear-shaped again - looks like I'm going to have to source a new head. In the meantime this one arrived from Historex, so to restore my mojo I made an immediate start. I had intended this to be another entry in the Battle of Britain GB, but of course Hartmann didn't start his career until 1942 and was still in training during the battle.

This is a lovely kit:



Beautifully sculpted and cast and with the huge bonus of a choice of heads. I decided to go with the cap option:




Pretty tricky, it being such a young face, but I think he still looks a bit like our man after my initial efforts.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Lovely sculpt, great start to the painting

 

[Jim R]

Hi Peter
The sculptor has the face spot on. Your painting definitely looks like Herr Erich
Jim

 

[Jim F]

View attachment 393610 View attachment 393609

I started today having another attempt at the 1/16 Alpine tanker, but it went pear-shaped again - looks like I'm going to have to source a new head. In the meantime this one arrived from Historex, so to restore my mojo I made an immediate start. I had intended this to be another entry in the Battle of Britain GB, but of course Hartmann didn't start his career until 1942 and was still in training during the battle.

This is a lovely kit:

View attachment 393611

Beautifully sculpted and cast and with the huge bonus of a choice of heads. I decided to go with the cap option:


View attachment 393612View attachment 393613

Pretty tricky, it being such a young face, but I think he still looks a bit like our man after my initial efforts.

Hi Peter, I'll need to route around a bit but I may well have a spare Alpine tankers head you can have if you can bare with me. regards Jim

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Neil and Jim R - Thanks for looking in.

Jim & S - Many thanks Jim, but don't worry. I've dug out a Dragon head that will do. I just don't seem to get on with Alpine heads.

 

[Jim F]

Neil and Jim R - Thanks for looking in.

Jim & S - Many thanks Jim, but don't worry. I've dug out a Dragon head that will do. I just don't seem to get on with Alpine heads.

Hi Peter that's good as my memory was wrong and I only have German heads at the moment, regards Jim

 

[SteveH]

Morning Peter

Another cracking start and you have kept up the mellow younger palette after the Russian girl.

I thought your other Russian was a pilot,! must have been the leather helmet!

What colour will you use on the uniform, if you used Luftwaffe uniform on the RAF pilot?

Another bright and brisk day ahead, an its Friday too

Hurrah!!! you still get that Friday feeling in the home office LOL

Have a good day with the Drapery

Regards

Steve H

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Morning Steve

I'll use Luftwaffe Uniform again, though this one is mostly leather jacket. I might actually go back to the tanker today, as I've sorted out a new head.

Weather not looking too great for the next few days - a real British summer unfortunately. Enjoy the weekend wind-down.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Back to this one, and I've now done the cap:



I absolutely HATE painting German officer's caps - all of that piping and decoration. I'm not overly happy with this and am hoping that the torso will distract attention away from it somewhat.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Now that's a youthful look that's convincing. And I understand about German caps!

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Thanks Neil. He was known as Bubi (The Kid) and was 22 when he started his combat career in 1942. I think the designer of German caps had a plan to foil figure painters of the future.

 

[Richard48]

Aha now i have seen this one on Facebook.His fizzog looks spot on to me Pierre.
Carry on Carruthers,John Race stop fidgetting in the stalls please.
Rich.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Many thanks Ricardo. Quite difficult to make much of such smooth features, so I hope to be able to go to town on the jacket. Mr Race is now sitting on his hands.

 

[SteveH]

Morning Peter

Very nice work on the ornate cap, and a really youthful head too.

The leather jacket should present a good contrasting brown and slightly battered with the collar, Knights cross and shoulder boards adding a spike of extra interest.

Looks like a fun day ahead, might even get some reasonable weather too!

Enjoy the drapery

Regards

Steve H

 

[JayCee]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that cap. It looks excellent and really sets off the face.

 

[Steve Brodie]

He is looking good Pete, defiantly has a youthfulness in his face. You sometimes forget how young some of these RAF and Luftwaffe pilots were when they were thrown into war.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Steve H - This one has quite a simple colour scheme, so I'm hoping the jacket will ass some interest. A fine start to the day with 30+ temperatures predicted for later in the week - that pesky jet-stream!

John - Thank you. I'm happier with the cap now - I just get frustrated when I can't emulate the box art.

Steve B - 22 wasn't a particularly young age for a pilot at the time, but I think Hartmann looked younger than his years, hence the nick-name.. Hard to believe that Guy Gibson was only 24 when he led the Dambuster raid - they don't make youth like that any more.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

One completed Erich Hartmann:



On to the torso today, and I started with the collar, then tackled the shoulder boards. German officer's shoulder boards are another thing I hate painting, being made of strips of cord which have to be delineated individually. Very fiddly.

Then it was on to the jacket, which was done with a mixes of Vallejo German Camo Black Brown, Leather Brown, Saddle Brown and Red Leather, to which I added Flat Yellow for the extreme highlights. To create a soft shine I gave it a coat of satin varnish. The final act was to darken some of the flesh tones under the cap visor.

Look out for Part 2, involving the spare head and some Verlinden bits and pieces.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

oooh lovely!
I'm interested to know what the part 2 mash-up is

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Thanks Neil. I'll start a new thread for the next one.