29 June 2013

Oberschütze Senfgas -- Prepwork: Project Notes/TD List

William was extremely candid re: his approach to this series:
As the series evolves I am working hard to refine the designs of the uniforms and gear. ... But, these are fictional characters so I will also use artistic license when I feel the urge.
And I am perfectly fine with that. These are works of historical fantasy, and one should not expect them to be historical paradigms: historicity is not what compelled me to acquire these.

Having said that, IMO, the broader the historical foundation, the more believable the unbelievable becomes. If nothing else, historicity becomes the "lure" that might attract someone who would otherwise unilaterally dismiss the work. This was/is my motivation for expending so much effort on my renditions of the Red Skull--and now these.

Hence the following TD list. As those of you who know me well know, WWII is not my area of expertise; but neither am I a wet-behind-the-ears noob. I feel there are some areas that could benefit from [a little] additional prepwork, and with everything else being good to go, it is worth spending the time. . .

  • The helmet. The Stahlhelm is a subject of specialization unto itself; and I doubt that I would be able to become sufficiently knowledgeable in the time it takes to prep the bust. But I do want to make sure that the "lines" are right, and that the finish is ultimately believable.
  • The gas mask. Work has already begun on the focal piece of this work, and there is more to be done. Again, a very complex subject that AFAIK has not had much press devoted to it. My intent is to accurize--within reason--the mask and filter to M1938 specs. While I have begun work on the filter as well, I have yet to scale it out to determine whether a Fe41 or a Fe42 is a better "fit".

And that is it! The challenge here is to first accurize; AND then suitably distress the items depicted, whether sculpturally or via paint/finishing. One must keep in mind that these are the reanimated dead 70 years after the fact. . .

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