The uniform is painted with Vallejo 830 field grey, highlight: Vallejo 830 + white and Shadow: Vallejo 830 + raw umber + black. Also, touch up here and there around the folds with muddy colour to create the worn out and dirty look of the uniform. The folds of the uniform shown with the images are actually all sculpted and is not painting illusion but carefully shading with highlight and weathering greatly enhance the appearance.

For the equipment suspenders, the leather is painted black first and red brown + flesh is add in various density to create the cracks of the leather surface to give the kind of weathered effect. The close-up of the MG34 Accessory pouch shows the detail of the stitches which was painted with a 4 "0" brush. The texture of the water bottle is done by stippling method with gradual change of colour from dark brown to sand + brown.

MG34

The MG34 is firstly given with a few coat of black acrylic colour. It is then coat the several coat of Humbrol Metal Cote 27004 - Gun Metal. After round about an hour, it was buff with a soft cloth to give a slightly shinny metal effect. Then several wash of very diluted black and raw umber oil paint is applied and let the paint to run into the recessed area. Highlight area is enhenced with sliver mixed with white colour. The wooden stock of the MG is painted with a basic colour of yellow orche + a little bit of red brown. The wood texture is then lay in with various shades of red brown + raw umber. The striation pattern and the hole at the end of the stock are painted with very fine line of raw umber + black with lines  ( highlight ) of yellowish white to give the illusion of the raised pattern

Groundwork

First of all, the size of the base must not be too large as it's purpose is to enhance the figure rather than "buried" it. I drilled a hole in the appropiate position of the base for plugging the pin of the figure. Celluclay mixed with white glue is used as basic ground material. When it was still wet, I added some very fine sand and wood pieces of various size to the surface. A tooth pick was insert to the hole so it will not filled up with celluclay.  Then it was left to dry overnight before further work is done. When dried, the figure is glue into position with epoxy glue and epoxy putty is added to touch up the area where the boot is in contact with ground.

The ground is given several coat of dark brown and various shades of muddy brown colour. There is no need to blend the colour carefully at this stage. Then very diluted black and raw umber oil paint ( mixed with Humbrol thinner ) is applied to the ground. The thin wash will make the dark oil paint ran through the recessed area. Then the detail of the ground and rock is carefully bring out by glazing with a acrylic colour. Major area of the snow is made from Plaster of Paris while snow covering the log and branches is done with microballoon mixed with plaster.

reference

German Camouflage Uniforms 1937 - 1945   by Borsarello

German soldiers of WWII   published by Histore & Collections

Uniforms of the SS    by Andrew Mollo

Waffen SS   by D.S.V. Fosten & R. J. Marrion

To page 1 of SS in Greatcoat article

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