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W^D
Models 1/72 | |
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There has never been any BIG lack of 1/72-20mm scale Great War figures, at least if you are willing to use both soft plastic and white metal (the last category often with less than anatomical bodoes and faces), and if you are also willing to use little men engaged in some kind of action activity, you know shooting, running, throwing grenades. This "action" quality is a problem when you build dioramas, as they tend to be both unrealistic and a bit stereotype. And many of us have scoured the available sets for little men showing a bit less energy and want of danger. And prayed for less action-oriented figures.
Well, we need not to pray any longer! A new Model Company has seen the light of day: it's called W^D Models, and the man behind it all is Barry Williams. And he aims to fill this empty niche. (This enterprise has been under way for some two years now.) The first result is six sets with Great War British, each set containing three-four figures (or two with accessories): Set 1 Mechanics, Set 2 Gunners, Set 3 Gunners , Set 4 Gun Crew, Set 5 Sand Baggers and Set 6 Wiring Party. Many comes with separate arms and a choice of heads - soft caps or helmets - making them suitable both for early and late war periods.
I must say right away that these are some amazing figures, probably the best Great War figures I have seen in 1/72 scale.
The uniforms, the detail, the sculpting, the poses, the anatomical proportions, everything is top notch! There is none of that clunkyness or a bit doll-like appearance that you see so often in white metal figures in this scale. Heads and hands are all to scale. And the poses are relaxed, casual - perfect for diorama work. Some of them have detail like 1/35 figures. The sculptor has done an amazing job. And don't take my word for it. Simply have a look at the pictures.
As I see it, there is only one really two problems with these. Number one, that it is so hard to do these figures justice when painting them! Especially the faces require extra work - the sculptor has actually managed to give smiles to the faces of some of these guys. Amazing! Number two, that they in one blow renders a lot of my old figures ready for retirement. A can't longer use lot of my old white metal Wargame figures, at least not alongside these, because the old figures look like hideous caricature dolls in comparison... I have used my own simple 4-step method on these figures: 1.) painted the colour of the uniform, 2.) Put on a black wash, accentuation the deatils, 3.) Dry-brushed with a light colour, accentuating creases and so on, and creating high-lights, and 4.) painting all the other details in their proper colours, not least faces, hands, boots, helmets, etc (the most time-consuming but also the most fun step). It is a very FAST method, originally used to paint big batches of wargaming figures. It actually works pretty well on figures like these two, but as I said, the faces require more special work. WD Models and Barry Williams can be contacted at wdmodels(AT)googlemail.com. | |
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