I'm making a collection of drawings, each time showcasing a soldier from one of the nations that fought in WWII. For this first drawing, I'm making an infantryman from the United States Army.

Some background info on the character. I originally planned on making this guy USMC, and that's actually what I based the uniform on. However, it came to my attention that the USMC had virtually no infantry presence in the European theatre, and the rainy, dark setting here definitely seems more Europe than Pacific. As such, he's an Army pup.

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This drawing took about three weeks to complete, but total working time is maybe 5 or 6 hours. I've been lazy. I decided to take my time with it and make it right rather than fast. Sketch and lineart are completely digital (no scanning like I usually do), and there's up to three layers of shading on the drawing. One very soft shading, one rougher, but still brushed on and soft, and finally, a sharp one to add impact. It's the first time I've tried to do rain and I think it turned out pretty good. Finally, I added some film grain and desaturated to make it look more old and worn.