1:35 German infantry boots-various positions-WWII (no.4)

The stance is read from the foot

When a person comes to a stop, he never stands on both legs the same way. One carries the weight and is braced on its whole surface, the other rests on the toe or on the outer edge, and the hip leans out over it. Sculptors call it contrapposto, and it is the simplest way of turning a motionless figure into a living person. On a figure in 1:35, though, that whole difference takes place on two surfaces the size of a grain of rice.

What you will do with it on a diorama

The set has feet in various positions, so a figure can be convincingly seated on a crate, leaned against a fender or stood on a slope. It is precisely the tilt of the foot against the base that gives away whether a figure stands on the level or on a slope – and it is the most frequent weakness of otherwise well-built scenes, where soldiers on a heap of rubble stand as if they were on a parquet floor.

The footwear gives the battlefield away too

The German soldier was not shod the same way everywhere. To Africa he set out in a laced tropical boot with a canvas upper and a light sole, mountain units wore ankle boots hobnailed around the edge, and the infantry in Europe wore precisely this plain tall boot of cowhide. For a scene from the Eastern Front or from Normandy it is therefore the right choice, while in a desert scene it would not belong.

From the casting to a weathered boot

First cut the casting block off with a fine saw, sand the face and degrease it. Join the leg to the figure through a wire pin, not on glue alone. Once the figure stands, glue it to the base and only then deal with the transition: a thin layer of material imitating mud or dust goes around the sole, which at the same time masks the gap. Finally mix a pigment with a little of the terrain material, so that the footwear and the surface of the diorama speak the same language.