Painting Mannequins (By Request!)

[NZMark]

6

[NZMark]

Last one.

[Glenn Barbaritz]

those look great Mark. love the work you do with the eyebrows. Greg, what can I say. those are the best allied mannequin set ups I believe I ever saw and thats quite a compliment from Me as I am not to big into allied ensembles. but yours I would definitely have. you are quite an artist also I see. love checking out this thread. one thing though Greg. you really should put your pics here in the "mannequins with kit thread". I think alot of people would love to see them. Glenn

[Greg B]

These head pics look supperb Mark and two things I think you have highlighted is by varying the colour/shape and thickening of the eyebrows and especially the eye colour, the same heads can look so different.

The other thing's are skintone highlights and shadows..no two people have the same skintone complextion. I must say that webster got it right as far as size..these heads can take most german allied cap/hat and helmet sizes other than very large and very small. I think you show that Mark with the caps which look great on these heads.

I would like to see Webster do a few more various faces but with the same size crown and skin texture...I think they would be big sellers.


Thanks Glenn, to kind!... I will do that some time, currently working on a couple more mannequins and its comments like yours and Marks which make me try to keep working towards a really supperb natural looking mannequin. Equally important other than just the painting is the positioning of hands,arms and legs etr and the general stance...ie posed but sorta natural. Its funny buy by playing around with a 1/6th scale Dragon figure it can give you a few ideas but once you start cutting arms and leggs on 1:1 you only have one chance or

Greg

[NZMark]

Greg,
The new generation Webster heads are less user friendly - the head cavity has now been filled with a hardened foam, so making those mouths open is now a much bigger hastle. I like to pick up 'Perfex' mannequins when I can - NZ made in the 70's and 80's they are brilliant for hand and head detail, with great poses.
I know what you mean about re-positioning each one as an individual, but a straight 'up & down' example takes up much less room than an action or sitting pose. (Wouldn't it be great to get into Waiuru and be told 'make us a 1:1 scale diorama of FJ repulsing a Commonwealth counter-attack on Crete - and here's all the original kit to use, plus a blank cheque while we're at it'.)
Good mannequins only add to a display. I don't think they detract at all or divert focus from the kit being shown.
Greg, your rooms getting crowded again...you might have to knock a wall out!
I second the thanks to Glenn and Scorched Earth - Cheers, Guys
Mark.

[Lenny W]

Just finished 'Huey, Luey & Dewey'. These have been altered to a clients specs' who collects flying helmets. All three have been glued and triple screwed to their bases for added strength. I would have made these guys a bit more battle hardened if for my own use, but I think they turned out OK.
Please post more of your own efforts and keep this thread running
Regards,
Mark.

mark as soon as i find my air brush i have a lot of work to do,great insperational thread keep up the posts please great job
regards,
lenny

[ww2collector]

Hi everybody,

Great paint jobs I have seen here my compliments..

I have one question about it if you use modellers paint could
that potentionally damage the headgear?? Or do you put something
on the head before putting the headgear on..???

Thanks,
Eric

[NZMark]

Hi everybody,

Great paint jobs I have seen here my compliments..

I have one question about it if you use modellers paint could
that potentionally damage the headgear?? Or do you put something
on the head before putting the headgear on..???

Thanks,
Eric

Hi Eric,
I apply two very thick coats of acrylic satin lacquer to seal the paints, and to give the 'flesh' an overall even-ness, and tone down any sheen from the cured paints. This protects any headgear from paints, but once cured no paint should rub off anyway.
Cheers!
Mark.

[Erwin L]

After getting inspirated by Jeff's mannequin this is my result.

Regards Erwin

[Erwin L]

another shot

[NZMark]

Inspirational, Erwin!
Best Regards,
Mark.

[Erwin L]

hello Mark

Thanks for the compliment
Here his brother. He got wounded by a shrapnel. Now i have to find some bandage to cover his eye and head.

Regards Erwin

[JG 51]

Thanks a lot for this thread, a lot of great advise

[Hohenstaufen]

Mark,

Well, I tried your advice and here is how my DAK guy turned out. I would like your advice on how to make the lip area better, so anything that you can suggest or help me on, I would greatly appreciate. Grant.

This is a pic on how the mannequin started out looking like.

[Hohenstaufen]

next, I then sanded down the lips and cut out teeth from the flatened area. I then took modeler's putty and made the new mouth, brows, and cheek areas. After it dried, I sanded it down again, then added a little more putty and re-sanded. I had to mix paint colors to get the right skin tone, then I sprayed it with an air gun. Once that dried, I then sprayed the "Sunburn" affect using "warm skin tint color". The last step was the eyes and eyebrows and teeth. Thank you for your wonderful thread on altering and painting your mannequins. I feel that my next one willl be better. A word of advice to anyone wanting to do this, it is fun and exciting, but be patient , take your time, and use unexpensive mannequins, when altering the facial features. The one I used was around $110.00 dollars . I don't think that I would would try this on those expensive Belgian mannequins.