Logistics, The Figures Updated Feb 8th, 2021

[bob letterman]

Logistics, The Figures Updated May 7th, 2018

I meant that I liked the pose of the new Patton figure as he looks more like he is directing traffic. Being a figure guy, I know that initial posing and conversion photos usually do not do justice for the vision of what the figure will look like when more detailing is done and paint is applied.

Anyway, I think the new Patton figure fits the scene better.

Cheers,
James

James, you're a figure painter, so you would understand. I built the other one a few years back, and it kept popping back into my head as, "Is that what I really want to be the central focus on this monstrosity of a diorama"? And the answer kept saying no. I seem to do that a lot! Back in 1984, when I built the first Legacies, I used the old Tamiya General set of plastic figures Patton, I gave him a lead foil London Fog type overcoat, but I liked the way his face looked when painted. He melted in the sun back in 1990 and i rebuilt Legacies sans Patton. Here is the only photo left of him.

So, I made this one of several plastic and resin Patton figures. I used that old Patton head from the Tamiya set. So, I am hoping he will look as good as the old one, hopefully a little better and without the overcoat. We'll see!

Bob

 

[Rhino]

Logistics, The Figures Updated May 7th, 2018

He does look a little like George C. Scott. :hmmm
Absolutely Outstanding, Mr. Bob!!
Harrumph!!
:salute

 

[bob letterman]

Logistics, The Figures Updated May 7th, 2018

He does look a little like George C. Scott. :hmmm
Absolutely Outstanding, Mr. Bob!!
Harrumph!!
:salute

Thanks Chris!

Back when i had VLS, one of our (Insider joke) figure busts was one we called "George C. Patton. Can you guess why?

Bob

 

[bob letterman]

Logistics, The Figures Updated May 7th, 2018

It’s been awhile since I posted any progress. I’ve been a bit under the weather lately, nothing major, and finally back at the bench. I did much of the detailing of Georgie Patton an hour or so at a time. I can’t promise how well he will look when finished, but, I have detailed the hell out of him from head to toe. We’ll see? He is the most important figure of the 435 figures in this diorama, so, I felt he had to look as good, and…. as much like Patton as I could make him.

The figure is a combination of several Patton figures, the face from the old Tamiya Generals set. In my opinion, it’s the best likeness out there so far in 1/35th. I took his arms and hands literally off four other figures that were previously built. That is why the different colors on the arms. I had to carve them smaller to match up with his frame. I’ve always been a big believer that if the face of a figure is not good, the rest doesn’t matter. The face is all-important, at least to me. Likewise, if a figure is a specific personality, it should resemble that personality as closely as possible.

In the diorama, Patton will be standing near the large statue on some crates, directing traffic with the help of several Headquarters MPs. Although the XYZ Express, a much larger freight moving, military conglomeration than the prior and more famous “Red Ball Express” arrived at the intersection first, therefore giving it right of way, Patton reversed that, allowing his tanks, of Combat Command “B” of the Fourth Armored Division, commanded by Colonel Creighton Abrams, to whom Patton is returning a salute, to have priority. Obviously to the consternation of the Convoy commander, who will be yelling at an MP to no avail!. Still, the narrow streets are clogged up ahead and at the moment, nobody is moving!

As he is 90% a plastic figure, I detailed a lot of equipment that wasn't cast sharply. His boots for example. Usually, Patton wore old fashioned Jodhpurs or riding pants with custom made boots. Patton was extremely wealthy, some estimate he was the wealthiest officer in WW II. He never took a salary from the military. Occasionally, he would wear the standard army boots, (Or ones similar that were custom made for him), and most photographs of him in those boots were when other high ranking generals were present. As there are many generals in this diorama, I chose those. I used thin lead foil and PE buckles to make those boots.

In these photos they look wide, but will visually shrink some when painted dark brown.

Now, Patton has stars on his epaulets and helmet as well as tiny ones on his shirt collar. The smallest stars I could find were in the Eduard set below. They are on medals about center on the PE sheet to the left. I cut them off as full medals were not worn in combat normally.

The date of the diorama is shortly before he made full general and is still a three star. He was the commanding general of Third army and wore the patch on his left sleeve and below the stars on his helmet.

I'll use the Archer set below.

I used a punch and die to make lead foil buttons and belt. PE buckles and emblem for the belt. tiny strips of plastic to represent three rows of ribbons, which were in the reference photos I used. Tiny strips to represent the stars on his collar and plastic again for the two US emblems on his jacket. The following are photos taken before I begin painting. Only the face has been base coated with acrylic flesh at this point.

Now comes the paint!

Thanks for looking in!

Bob

 

[sharkman]

Logistics, The Figures Updated May 7th, 2018

Nice additions Bob! I really like the lead treatment for the boots!

 

[jknaus]

WOW thats nice. I didnt realize that eduard had pre coloured insignia. Thats cool.
James

 

[moon puppy]

Logistics, The Figures Updated May 7th, 2018

That's awesome, really does look like him.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

I agree fully on your staement about "If the face isn't right, the figure ins't going to be right". I have one small figure in 25mm called "Samarai Night Fever" It is John Bellucci in his samurai outfit and it looks exactly like him even though it is 1 inch tall.

George is coming along quite nicely Bob! Can hardly wait to see him finished!

 

[lupanzer]

Great improvments!...very nice details

Luiz

 

[bob letterman]

Logistics, The Figures Updated May 7th, 2018

Nice additions Bob! I really like the lead treatment for the boots!

Thanks! I think they'll look much better after painting!

Bob

 

[bob letterman]

WOW thats nice. I didnt realize that eduard had pre coloured insignia. Thats cool.
James

Thanks James.

I actually got those in 2004 or 2005. They were released before I sold VLS, They work well on some things and not so well on withers.

Bob

 

[bob letterman]

Logistics, The Figures Updated May 7th, 2018

That's awesome, really does look like him.

Thanks MP!

Hopefully, he'll look more like Patton when I am finished painting him!

Dad

 

[bob letterman]

I agree fully on your staement about "If the face isn't right, the figure ins't going to be right". I have one small figure in 25mm called "Samarai Night Fever" It is John Bellucci in his samurai outfit and it looks exactly like him even though it is 1 inch tall.

George is coming along quite nicely Bob! Can hardly wait to see him finished!

Thanks Paul. I had a sculptor from Georgia back in the VLS days that could nail every likeness. He just had a knack. I always used him for 120mm and larger figures and busts as larger scales are even more important when It comes to likenesses!

Well, if all goes well, I should have him finished about the 8th of July or before!

Bob

 

[bob letterman]

Great improvments!...very nice details

Luiz

Thanks Luiz!

Bob

 

[Prop Duster]

Bob, To borrow a phrase " I'm gob smocked"-again. Your Patton is phenomenal. :drinks Cheers

……………………………………...

Well back to re-sharpin' my #11 blades....wonder if I should switch from the 80 grit yet?... Na, still got plenty left.

 

[Jeeves]

Looks great Bob- I tend to hold my breath when I'm adding fine details like those helmet stars...needless to say I would've passed out after adding all the great detail you did.

I had a great 1/48 figure of Adolf Galland I used that was his spitting image....can't agree more with you.

 

[White_Wolf]

Trying to get my head around the fact that this is a figure on a diorama that breaks all the records. I haven't seen too many figures with so much detail even when presented as a figure, let alone in a scene / vignette / dio.

Outstanding job on details, as always, very Lettermanesque


Laurence

 

[SA Dave]

absalutely mantastic

 

[MrT]

Outstanding!

 

[bob letterman]

Bob, To borrow a phrase " I'm gob smocked"-again. Your Patton is phenomenal. :drinks Cheers

……………………………………...

Well back to re-sharpin' my #11 blades....wonder if I should switch from the 80 grit yet?... Na, still got plenty left.

Thanks!

:yipee :yipee :yipee :yipee

Bob