Getting Started

ONCE THE FIGURE IS SELECTED

Lately I have been absolutely fascinated with World War I, so I decided to build and paint a World War I German. The first thing I did was check out various internet sites for manufacturers who make WWI figures. Having decided to do a 120mm figure, my choices came down to three companies; Verlinden, Model Cellar and Jon Smith Modellbau of Germany. I chose the German Stormtrooper from Jon Smith. The well-proportioned figure and natural-looking pose were appealing. The casting was excellent; it fits together well and very little clean-up will be needed.

	German Stormtrooper Assault Company, Infantry Battalion Western Front 1918 by Jon Smith Modellbau

RESEARCHING YOUR SUBJECT MATTER

Researching your subject matter can be one of the more interesting and fun aspects of the figure painting process. Research can provide historical accuracy to your subject and a greater understanding of history. There are many resources to draw from while researching your subject; it just depends how far you want to go

To research the German Stormtrooper I started with the Osprey series. Osprey has a vast selection and offers several excellent books about World War I Germans. I also used the books Stormtroopers by Brassey's and Uniforms of the Imperial German Army 1900-1918 by Schiffer Publications. However, the book I found the most helpful was World War I Infantry in Colour Photographs from the Europa Militaria series. This series features actual photographs of original serving uniforms, equipment and weapons in full color.