1:35 U.S. soldier who sleeps

A sleeping American soldier in 1:35 scale

The resin casting captures a soldier of the American army in a moment of rest. A resting pose is a rarity among figure subjects, and yet it is exactly what can lighten a diorama and give it a story. It is supplied unassembled and unpainted.

Rest as a subject

Sleeping anywhere and in any position was as much a part of the reality of field life as a move or a fight. Soldiers dropped off on truck beds, on armor warmed by the engine, propped against a wheel and under a tree by the road. A figure like that works as a counterweight to action and shows the viewer that the scene has its own time: one man is on watch, one is eating, one is asleep. Collections of genre figures therefore rest on these supporting roles rather than on heroic stances.

Before you reach for the brush

Wash the casting in warm water with a drop of dish soap and let it dry thoroughly so that the undercoat holds. A sleeping figure touches the groundwork over a larger area than a standing one, so first find the spot it will rest on and only then fine-tune the seating. At this scale skin comes out well from a brownish base completed with oil glazes, and the uniform will take olive shades with faded areas on the shoulders and knees. Make a helmet or a cap laid aside beside the figure from another set; it does the scene good.

What scenes it is for

• In quiet scenes with a crew at rest
• On a truck bed, on armor or in a trench
• As a completion to a larger group of figures
• For modelers who want to tell a story