Jason Whitman's Historical Minutia

2012-01-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

Overall view.

2012-01-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

Here's the right side of the vignette. Note the upper leg armor panels on the pikemen are made of putty which were formed on a brass dowel and allowed to cure. A thin coat of Vaseline was brushed on the dowel to keep the putty from sticking. One cured, the panels were then carefully pried off the dowel and carved to shape. Each armored "plate" was carved on the panel. Some filing and sanding was needed to finish them up. These pieces were also all done at the same time.

2012-01-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

The helmets were all made in a similar manner. I started with the brim and shaping it to a pointed or sharp ridge front and back. This was let to cure then the dome was sculpted. Again, allowed to cure then the crest formed. Once cured, some carving were needed to give it a sharper edge. ALL helmets were built at the same time and checked for uniformity. Lastly, the rivets were added with Duro balls. These were made by tediously rolling between the fingers then allowed to cure. Each was fixed to the helm with slow drying super glue. The slow drying glue allowed me to move the rivet about to get a somewhat even space between each.

2012-01-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

Close-up of wounded officer and pikeman.

With this many figures in an action vignette there has to be some contact between subjects. Joining these two engages the viewer and make the whole scene more alive.

2012-01-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

close-up detail of the musketeer. The powder flask flying about are from a ECW Airfix kit. The heads I'm using for this vignette are a mix of Hornet and Historex with some facial modifications being done to fit the pose/subject.

Lutzen 1632

2012-01-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

Here's the mock-up of my Lutzen dio/vignette.

More pics to follow.

2012-01-03T17:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope to be more productive in regards to blog postings. Last year was a busy time for modeling so there's a lot of catching up to do.

As you may have noticed, I changed the name of my blog. The reason being, I can barely keep up to-date with one, so I've taken the name of my other blog, "Minutia". This way I can share other interest I have, be it miniatures, art or historical reenacting (something that was a passion of mine for a good ten years). With that being said, all things historical that appeals to me, no matter the subject, will be here...Not just miniatures.

Stay tuned.

Sidd painted!

2011-12-24T07:39:00.001-08:00

Here's "Sidd" painted (acrylics). Sorry for the long delay. This was a real treat to sculpt and paint, not only to sculpt a "baseball" figure, but to do a figure that has a connection with our hobby. It was also awesome to actually talk to the person behind "Sidd", long-time MMSI member and MFCA Grandmaster, Joe Berton. He even gave me an autographed baseball card of him!

In the photo below (L-R) is collector, Dutch Allen, Joe "Sidd" Berton and myself.

The Curious Case of Sidd Finch

2011-09-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to model a baseball player. When I was offered this commission, I jumped on it. The subject's story is very unusual in that his existence and feats was all a hoax. The coolest thing about this story is his connection with our hobby.

For a few of those MMSI ole timers, you may recognize this guy and his story.

Here's more on Sidd. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidd_Finch

The figure is 54mm. Sculpted with Aves. Head from Hornet.

Drummer, 59th Regiment of Foot,1775 54mm Original

2011-06-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Here's another I finished before MFCA.

Head is from Historex.
Drum scratch built. (Will do an SBS sometime later this year.)
Body scultped with Aves, with some Kneadatite here and there.
Painted with acrylics.

Thanks for looking.

2011-06-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

R.I.P James Arness (May 26, 1923- June 3, 2011)

A big part of my childhood was war movies and westerns. The long running TV show 'Gunsmoke' (1955-75) attracted my attention like no other TV program as a young kid(with the exception of cartoons like Johnny Quest and Johnny Bench's Baseball Bunch). I can still hear the 'Gunsmoke' theme blaring out of my Grandparents home which was next door. Practically every afternoon, during the summer would find me in front of the TV for an episode...And if the plot didn't grab me (how many do to a kid under ten or eleven?), I went back outside to play. It was all good, anything to fuel the imagination. To this day, I'll hunt for the show on TV Land.

French Cavalry Officer, Thirty-Years War

2011-05-30T17:27:00.001-07:00

This was a second attempt in painting a dapple grey in oils. The last was in the late 90's! The figure and equipment are painted with acrylics.

The horse is from Historex and the figure is original. The head of the figure is from Historex with moustache and goatee added. The saddle is scratch as well as the officers sword. There some conversion work on the lobster/Ironside helmet. It's the same one I used in the ECW project I just finished. Going by the reference I had, the dome is fluted with nose guard through visor and feathers added to the top.

Thanks for looking.

French Grenadier, Soissonois Regiment, 1781

2011-05-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

Another winter project. I must have used every shade, from cold to warm, off white color Vallejo has to offer with alot of mixing between them. I really liked how this one turned out, I just wish I would have wrote down the mixes I used for the white uniform.

The only point in posting a couple in-progress pictures is to simply show how I posed the armature and material used in creating the sculpture. If someone takes something from them, all the better.

Thanks for looking.

Hessian Drummer, 1777

2011-05-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

Over the next week or so I'll be posting the work I had for my MFCA display. For those not familiar with my work, all my original pieces are 54mm.

The figure here is a Hessian drummer during the American Revolution. I believe this is the third Hessian I've painted with ticking/striped overalls. The putty I use is Aves and Kneadatite. The head is a commercial piece and the torso are castings that a buddy gave me.

The drum is scratch-built. The past few drums I have built have been scratch and are getting a bit easier everytime. In the future, I'll do an SBS on how I model a drum.

Thanks for looking.

English Civil War Vignette-Painted

2011-05-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

Here's the vignette painted. Most was painted with acrylics with oils here and there. The grass is unravelled jute twine painted in various colors.

The helmet shell casting on the "Ironside" was sculpted or modeled by either John Long or Anders Heintz. Sorry guys. The sword is scratch-built and was copied from a few examples.

Thanks for looking.

English Civil War Vignette

2011-05-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here's one of several projects I had going over the winter. Sorry for not posting in "real" time, I've just been plain lazy.

The scene is taken from an illustration I saw in a book on the history of cavalry. It depicts a Parliamentarian "Ironside" riding down on two Royalist officers. As you can see, there's some artistic license in the composition.

This project, I will have to say, was the toughest to compose of any project of mine to date (yes, even the Guilford project). To get the pieces to gell together took many hours of manipulating and much observation.

I'll post the painted version in the next day or so.

More "True Grit" pics.

2011-04-26T18:52:00.001-07:00

Here's more pics of Rooster. Attaching the reins to his mouth was much easier than planned. I replaced the thick ones supplied with strips cut from sheet tin.

It's funny how whenever I was working on this, that movie was being shown on TV. AMC played this movie a lot during the theatre release of Jeff Bridges' version... Of which, I havn't seen yet.

"Fill your hands you S.O.B.!"

2011-04-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Here's one of several projects finished over the winter. It's Andrea's take of John Wayne's classic film 'True Grit'.

The horse was painted in oils and the figure and gear acrylics.

Not the most enjoyable stock kit I've ever worked on. While the casting of the pieces were very nice and clean, the engineering was not very helpful when painting, particularly for the horse. The metal pins casted into the front two legs is a great idea but they leave only 1/4" from the bottom of the hoof to play with! Good luck trying to paint something that heavy and have it clamped into your vise. The remedy I had was to epoxy a length of brass rod to the pins and blue tack to the vice.

I don't model many mounted metal kits but this is something I will consider in the future.

Armatures for new vignette...

2011-02-15T18:18:00.000-08:00

Here's armatures for a vignette I'm working on. The scene takes place during the English Civil War.

Makin' feathers

2011-01-14T21:33:00.000-08:00

My current project requires some feathers. I'm using a marble to help with the form. I coat the marble thinly with Vaseline then attach a blob of Kneadatite. The edges of the "blob" are smoothed out and the sculpting begins. I start with typical feather shapes using the toothpick and finally refining with an X-Acto knife.

My other blog

2010-12-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

If you havn't noticed, I put together another blog. It's just my wonderings on non-figure related stuff. I may however add "toy" soldier subjects...Things that helped spur my passion in history and modeling. I'll try to keep it up to-date and interesting.

Thanks for looking and Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T14:33:00.000-08:00

I picked this up on ebay last month. It's a pewter 54mm figure of a Prussian Artillery Officer, 1790's, apparently sculpted by Roger Saunders. I love the pose and character of the face, it's just itching to be painted. But alas, destined to be part of the grey army or in the cabinet to admire and study.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T15:06:00.000-08:00

"Like a Mountain Avalanche"

2010-12-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

"Seeing in the flight of the 2nd Maryland a chance to surprise and inflict severe damage upon the enemy, Washington ordered his trumpeter to sound the charge. Like a mountain avalanche, the dragoons rolled down the hillside and smashed squarely into the rear of the Guards." Quote from "Another Such Victory" by Thomas E. Baker

Here's the finished piece. I should note that the first figures to be glued to the base were the officer and drummer. Since the two were to be attached, I need "room" to sculpt (and paint) the hand of the officer onto the arm of the drummer.

American dragoons painted

2010-12-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

Here are the American dragoons painted. What initially inspired me to do the model was Troiani's "balance" of colors with the dragoons. The contrasting uniformed white coats with the blue coat of the trumpeter made an interesting combination.
I originally wanted the officer in greatcoat, but then I would not have that contrast. So, it was suggested that a cloak would work and still "identify" him as an officer.

Still no weathering yet. Everything painted in acrylic.

Sculpted American dragoons

2010-12-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I did not take many pics of the figures just after sculpting. Going through my folders, these are sadly the only two that I did take pictures of.

The heads are from Historex.

Guilford project with some paint...

2010-12-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

Here's the project with some paint. As you can see, I'm working left to right, front to back. Even though I've composed to my liking, there's still some "tweaking" to do when I place the mounted figures. Note, the figures are not glued to the base yet.

The paint is all acrylic, but I will use oil paint when staining/weathering. More on that later.

The Horses

2010-12-04T18:24:00.001-08:00

The horses used are from Michael Roberts. These are beautifully sculpted, I just wish there were more poses. Since I ran out of spare Historex pieces, these were the perfect solution. At the MFCA show, I picked up two of the rearing and one charging. With two of the same pose, I knew a little conversion work was ahead. I didn't want to show the horses in full gallop but rather in mid-halt or a slow canter. I repositioned some of the legs using brass pins and filled in the joints with putty.
Some of the gear, saddle and reins, etc. are based on British patterns.

Guilford Courthouse Inspiration

2010-12-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

As soon as I saw Don Troiani's painting of same subject, I was instantly inspired. The sweeping scene screamed diorama...Well, large vignette, depending on ones definition.

I slightly elevated the rear of the ground so dragoons were not too obscured by the figures in the foreground. By keeping a narrow front, and by composing the mounted figures coming down and at the viewer, it helped add a sense of movement.

I'd like to thank Gary Dombrowski for helping with the composing. He and I spent a couple hours discussing the project while hanging together in Gettysburg after the MFCA show. While he drew some rough sketches, I simulated the poses I thought would be effective...Sorry, I don't have those sketches. Those are in the hands of a private collector...Never to be seen again:)

Guilford Courthouse Project- Composition

2010-11-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

In the next few days I'll be posting some of the better pics I have of the Guilford Courthouse project.

I started it just after getting back from MFCA. The horses I used are from Michael Roberts with some conversion work. Since two horses were the same, I re-sculpted the neck on one and changed the position of some of the legs.

Thanks for looking.

2010-10-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Step 8. For the whites of the eyes I use Vallejo Pale Blue. For the iris I used Vallejo Prussian Blue with a touch of grey for highlight. Eye lids were painted with a mid-tone flesh color.

The last two colors used are for extreme highlights. Outer corner of the eye, top of eye-brows, top of nose. Ratio of three drops water, one pant.

It's hard to tell with the picture but there is a pronounced contrast from upper to lower face. Total face painting session took aproximately four hours.

This SBS was designed to show what techniques I use for face painting. Most of these techniques were learned from simple observation, by finding other artist who's "style" I liked and simply emulate.

I hope this SBS helped in someway, somewhere.

2010-10-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

Step 7. Second sitting. This is where I do alot of playing with blending paint. I take a palette w/ three wells side by side and select the three paints (see pic below) that I used for the upper cheek, nose and forehead area.

Now I "up" the water ratio. Two to three drops of water to one paint. This is where Reaper shows it woderful blending capabilities. Mix paint thoroughly. Going from dark areas to light, dip brush in well, touch side of damp towel once, unloading paint. Then lightly go over transition areas, of the forehead, cheek, nose and upper lip area just under the nose.

I'll go back and forth, from dark to light until I see a transition. Sometimes I'll mix two colors in between the wells to get desired color. Not shown, but I also put a drop of Vallejo Violet, between the wells, and added tiny amounts to help flush the cheeks a bit. Like I said, a little playing to get desired effect.

I've also filled in the eye sockets with Vallejo Burnt Umber.

2010-10-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Step 6. Now I go back and add a touch of highlight using, the workhorse of the palette, Reaper Tanned Shadow. This time add more water, two drops water to one paint. And use light verticle strokes along the jaw line (sorry for the horrid pic), not much, just enough to show some highlight.

Then I go to Reaper Mahogany Brown and hit under the nose, upper lip and inner ear.

This is the end of my first sitting. Approximately one and a half, to two hours.

2010-10-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

Step 5. This is where I do a little playing with the paint. I'll start by giving this fella a little 5 o'clock shadow. Using Reaper Tanned Shadow and Vallejo Dark Sea Grey I cover the jaw, chin area and upper lip. I'll add a mix of Tanned Shadow and Vallejo Violet in the next well over and tone it down. Ratio of water to paint is still about the same.

You'll notice I use the space in between the wells to mix and play with the colors.

Note that this is all being done in one sitting and the color wells from previous applications are still wet, with the exception of the basecoat.

2010-10-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

Step 4. Now I use Reaper Tanned Highlight. I hit the forehead, upper cheek, bridge of nose (but not the tip), crease area under nose and upper lip line. Same ratio again. One part water, one part paint.

When applicating, I'll go over the same spot a couple times until I get the coverage I want. Always off-loading the brush on a rag before applying. The brush may look clean after touching the rag, but there still is enough pigment to cover.

2010-10-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

I've gone back and edited the posts and added steps to make easier to follow. My apologies, I'm not a writer!

Step 3. Now I'm using Reaper Tanned Skin and will cover forehead, nose, upper cheek, "smile line", the outer lower lip area, chin and neck area. Same water to paint ratio. One drop paint, one drop water.

2010-10-10T14:35:00.001-07:00

Step 2. Now I take the basecoat color Reaper Tanned Shadow with one equal drop of water and cover everything except under the chin, nose, eye sockets and ears.

I'll apply two even coats of this color.

Please note that I mix with the brush handle end and not the bristles, like I've seen some artist do, because acrylic paints KILL brushes. I'm stubborn because of this and will not break in a new brush until the ones I'm using are frayed and cloted with paint residue. I can be also, for lack of better words, anal about brush care and clean constantly.

When mixing in the tray, I do it as light as possible so as to not punch a hole through the foil, and have a handy rag near to wipe off the handle tip.

2010-10-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

I should clarify that this is just the basecoat. It took three applications to give it a solid even coat. The ratio of water to paint is typical when I apply color. Later, when I start to "blend" it will get higher in water. More later.

Caucasian face painting using Reaper and Vallejo acrylics

2010-10-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Step 1. The following sbs will be on my current approach to painting caucasian flesh with acrylics, namely Reaper and Vallejo paints.

I've been using Reaper flesh colors on the past 10 or so figures and I can't speak more highly of them. They are, in my opinion, superior to Vallejo. One of the appealing characteristics of Reaper paints, is there is little to no pigment seperation once mixed. They blend wonderfully and with the variety of tones, there is no need of mixing colors.

Being a quick and messy painter, I often do not take the time to wipe off excess paint off the "nipple" on Vallejo bottles, so thankfully, the bottle cap structure on the Reaper's are better than Vallejo. There is no large cavity between the cap and nipple for paint to build up and make it difficult to open and pulling the nipple out of the bottle. Thus the nipple dispenser is rarley clogged and is relatively clean every time I open it.

Plaese note that I will "spoon feed" this sbs and should have something new every day. This will be a "run on" post so I will not title this sbs with each segment, so those following via planetFigure, please continue to visit.

Raw Jaeger pic

2010-10-06T14:31:00.001-07:00

I've been pretty lazy about taking in-progress pics of my recent pieces. This is the jaeger before being primed.

Hessian Jaeger, 1778

2010-09-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a AWI Hessian Jaeger based on, I believe, a Peter Copeland drawing. This is my second version of a Jaeger from the Revolution. There's just something about that uniform and kit that makes the fingers itch.

The head is from Hornet and the rifle is a Historex conversion. The body is made up of AVES, MS and Kneadatite.

Berlin Wall "vignette" finished!

2010-08-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

Here's the finished piece. As you can see I've made some changes. The JFK portrait was originally inspired by photo-realist painter Kent Twitchell's painting, and it was decided to stay close to this particular image of it. I may do some touch-ups here and there.

I may also take some better pics of the East side of the Wall, as there is much more contrast than shown.

Why the wreath? A failed "escape" attempt? I did add some pock marks on the wall to let the viewer's mind wonder.

This isn't a "documented" incident, because nobody on this side was allowed this close to the Wall. But it does give a feel of forbiding, isolation and sadness.

Like the "Storm Child" piece I did a couple years ago, this piece makes you think and invoke emotion into it. To be honest, these are the only pieces so far where I felt I was creating something that may be called "art".

Hope you like it and thanks for following.

JFK painted and Wall construction complete

2010-08-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Here's the finished JFK/ West side segment of the Berlin Wall. Not a great likeness of the man but I'm pretty happy with it. It's more or less graffiti art anyway.

Yesturday, I cut about 3/4 of an inch off the base. After some consideration and suggestion, the tighter the subject behind the Wall would be the more intimate the scene. I also added a 54mm scale chart to show the aproximate height of the Wall.

Up next is painting the figure and tying the scene together.

Berlin Wall- Rough outline

2010-08-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

I've begun constructing the wall. Not too complicated yet. Going by images and drawings, with people standing next to it for scale, is making the task much easier.

There is a slight taper when looking from a profile with it narrowing at the top. The top of the wall was made of sewer pipe to make to make it difficult to get a good grip. And how I'm going to make that, with the materials I have at hand, is beyond be at the moment.

The wall is made of sheet styrene with balsa wood sandwiched between. I put a couple shims at one end to help with the taper. I then textured the surface with Liquitex modeling paste, let dry then sanded down to give it a rough surface like a cheaply formed concrete slab.

The image of JFK was inspired by one made by an artist from California (more on him later). What I'm showing is the begining stages of the "graffito" portrait. I used an image from the internet and printed out a "wallet" size picture. Then, I used carbon paper to trace an outline of his features and the rest was painted in. Note, as of this posting, I have re-done the one being shown and will explain later why.

Oh, I've put composition of the scene aside and leave the decision to the person who has interest in the piece.

Berlin Wall- Composition Proposition

2010-08-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from the Rev War vignette/dio to get a jump on this one. It's a little homage, for lack of a better word, for the efforts made by leaders the "free world" to persuade the East to open it's borders during the Cold War. Since the Wall was torn down in '89, it's not an overtly political piece today, but I'm sure would strike a cord somewhere in someone.

Right now I'm working the composition and trying to decide which view is more effective. Reading left to right makes me see the portrait of JFK, then what may be going on behind the wall. On the other hand, I first see what may be going on and the JFK bust stops my eye, then makes want to turn the base around to see the back.

More on the JFK portrait later and whats going on behind the wall.

2010-07-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long delay. This project is a monster but enjoying every bit. I'm much further along than what I'm showing (Taking pics of in-progress stuff feels like a chore sometimes). And I also wanted to fill in that July slot on my blog:)

Sneak Peek

2010-06-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not as active blogging as I'd like to be. This current project has taken up a lot of my "free" time but I'll show a little teaser of what I'm working on. This will be the largest project I've taken on to date. My early large vignettes were not well received for a reason I well know now...Effective composition. Hopefully this current one will have that bite that is needed. Time will tell if this is a "winner" or another exercise in mediocre figure staging.

The subject is from the American Revolution and the scene from a battle in the South.

Thats all for now. Stay tuned.

Mike Blank's MFCA Display

2010-05-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here's another piece I could have spent much time in front of, Mike's "With Gods Help". Simply a work of art. Like many, I always walk away from his display inspired.

More pics from MFCA

2010-05-21T09:01:00.001-07:00

Here's some more pics from the MFCA show. I was fortunate to be paired up with John Rosengrant and Marijn Van Gils for judging in the OPEN category friday night. Two of the most gracious and insightful artist in the hobby today. I learned much from that experience and will never look at a display again the same.

Speaking of Marijn Van Gils, his display was much visited over the weekend. His two mini box dios were wonderful. His "Reality TV" was not only well done and original but hilarious! There's only a handful of people in this hobby that I would call a true "fine art" artist and he is one of them. All his subjects are unique, well executed and original, traits of a fine artist.

Some MFCA 2010 show pics

2010-05-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics from the MFCA show. I have nothing much to say to about the show other than WOW! The large number of pieces displayed, seeing the quality of work, that gets better each year and Bill Horan's retrospective, made for one great time. I honestly could have stood in front of his display the whole weekend and just study each piece. I doubt that many of us will see that much of Bill's work in one place ever again.

I regret that some of the pieces that I photographed does not have a name attached. I always mean to go back and write down the artist name to go along with the piece. From now on...

The two pieces that I do recognize with a name is Matt Springer's "Woodland Nymph" and Trevor Hensley's(sp?) "Avatar". Both excellent pieces that pics don't do justice.

More later.

Couple more pics of the 63rd Regiment drummer.

2010-05-13T14:06:00.001-07:00

I took a couple more pics of the drummer before the MFCA show.

Stay tuned, I have some pics from the MFCA show and some sneak peeks at my next project.

Drummer, 63rd Regiment of Foot, 1775 54mm

2010-05-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

Here's one for the road. I kinda did this out of order, the grenadier was the last figure I finished. I guess, saving a favorite for last before heading off to the MFCA show.

I really liked how this one turned out and enjoyed building and painting this figure. The drum however was a bear to do. I was going to use a simple spare Historex piece but the molding was horrid. So I stripped the entire shell and sculpted the tension cords with very thin strings of kneadatite.

The inspiration for the piece was Don Troiani's study of same subject. Except in my version the front is viewed prominently. I remember Gary a year ago mentioned that this would make a neat figure and I agreed.

Thanks to all that visit my blog. Please note my postings this spring/summer will not entirely be figure related but will be filler before I really get into my next project. It goin' to be BIG.

Stay tuned.

British Grenadier 10th Regiment of Foot, 1775

2010-04-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

Possibly the most frightening site to those early colonial militiamen was the British soldier with fixed bayonet coming right for them. You could place this chap at Lexington and Concord or Bunker Hill. Though few of the Crown's troops had seen action before the American Revolution, they were well disciplined and knew how to use the bayonet with great effect. It would take a winter at Valley Forge to give the American soldier confidence to stand against this formidable weapon.

The head is from Historex. The putties from AVES and Kneadatite. The musket is a Shenandoah conversion. I'd like to thank Anders Heintz for the castings he sent to me. Also a big thanks to Gary D. who is always willing to share his knowledge.

Thanks for looking.

"Attention Ladies...The Blouse Man is on the premises"

2010-04-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

Here's the finished piece. I've added some paper cups and a discarded cardboard box. For some reason I had a hard time figuring out on what to use for a box, until Gary suggested using index card. Well, duh on my part! It worked perfect and was just the right thickness. I just so happen to know a little about boxes and their construction so it was an easy build.

I took some pics with the flash and w/out to show the contrast in the fleshtones. I also added a little more mud and splashes to her lower half. Any more would, in my opinion, take away from the overall paint job. I'm sure I'll get a yes or nay on this overal from my peers but I'm still in the camp of "less is more".

Thanks to Gary for the tips! And especially thanks to my mentor and right hand man on these off-the-wall projects. Of whom, I'm sure, have not heard the last of.

Hippie Chick-Work In Progress

2010-04-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a new subject for me! It's EVD's Hippie girl. This chick is 90mm in scale...all white metal. Because of the large scale and weight, I had to paint this beauty in sections. It came in four pieces and each, I swear, weighed just as much as one 54mm!
The stars and stripes weren't that difficult to paint (everything acrylic) once I got into a rhythm. And the hippie radical, Abbie Hoffman on the back of her jacket, was a one shot deal and turned out better than planned. This is still a work in progress. I need to finish her belt buckle and other touch ups. The grounds of Woodstock was needless to say a messy place, so I'll add some "trash" here and there.

Sorry for the washed out look. There's much more contrast than shown. I'll try better next time. Thanks for looking anyway.

I would like to thank my benefactor and spiritual advisor on this project. It's always a fascinating and challenging trip when we work together;)

I added some tunes to the play list. So listen up, tune out and get down...errr something like that.

Nothing new...

2010-03-27T04:36:00.000-07:00

...but I'll keep the blog rolling with a pic of my main reference library that I keep close to the workbench. "Yippie skippy", you say!

This is only a 1/4 of my collection. The rest is on cheap book cases in the family room or in totes.

Just finishing up painting a stock figure and also digging up ideas for one or two more projects before the MFCA show in May.

Thanks for browsing.

Bargain book treasure.

2010-03-10T20:35:00.001-08:00

I'm fast becoming an illustration book junkie. One I recently picked up is a book on the British artist, Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788). This $60 book cost me $12 at a local bargain bookstore. It's loaded with 254 illustrations and 195 color plates. This is an indispensable reference source for people who paint/model this period. His subjects varied from the ordinary laborer to the men and women of noble classes, with landscape and animals mixed in.
I'll post more of my favorite art/reference books and bargain buys.

The pride of my collection.

2010-03-09T20:22:00.001-08:00

As many know, Gary Dombrowski is not only a talented sculptor but a gifted 2-D artist. A couple months ago, I received a pleasant suprise in the mail. It was Gary's study of a Hessian jaeger he based on my original sculpture. No words could express my joy on receiving such a generous gift. This felt better than being given any award, at any show.
Like figures, seeing an original 2-D painting in the flesh is MUCH better than viewing through pictures. Gary put countless hours into this 5X7 painting. And aside from his generous heart it made me wonder if "true" artist feel no real ownership in their work. But it's really about enjoying what you do and feeling that intoxicating rush of creation. Either way, I couldn't ask for a better friend in the hobby. Thanks pard.
It now hangs above my painting table, next to a favorite of mine, Winslow Homer's "The Briarwood pipe".

"A Cruel Misfortune" Final pics

2010-02-21T08:19:00.001-08:00

Here's the last pics of the vignette. This project has brought me alot of satisfaction and I feel it's my most successful to date. The figures have interaction and tells a story. And, as we know, are key ingredients to most vignettes. I look back at past larger vignettes/dioramas compared to this, and they all lack that "punch" required. I don't look at them as failures (well...yes, at the display table) but as learning tools. And I hope to get better at vignettes from here, although it may take a few more to feel that satisfaction again.

Thanks for following this project.

"A Cruel Misfortune" Part 11

2010-02-17T16:55:00.001-08:00

Here's a couple pics of the finished piece. I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out. The pictures on the other hand leave much to be desired. I'll post more later.

Thanks for following this project.

Grass

2010-01-26T20:26:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the messy writing, I put this together on the go. This is how most of the groundwork will be done. The Jute twine can be found in most garden centers. It comes in this natural color and is perfect for thick weedy grass. Last Spring I picked up a ball of green twine that I will have to try later on. I can't remember who makes the modeling field grass but I want to say Hudson & Allen. It's expensive and cost $8.00 for a small stalk. The fibers have neat little heads that look like weeds. I cut even amounts of both, mix them up and apply.

"A Cruel Misfortune" Part 10

2010-01-25T21:14:00.001-08:00

Here's the first figure to be secured to base. I chose this one for obvious reseaons, that being I will be working my way inside out of the scene.
Sculpting and painting the hand onto base was NOT easy, but I'm happy with how it looks. The "grass" is unraveled twine mixed with some Hudson & Allen field type grass and then painted with appropriate colors. The grass is adhered with wood glue mixed with an earth toned color. Adding paint to the glue will help "mask" any shiny spots hiding under the grass. I still have some touch-ups to do on the figure before additional pieces go on.

New acquisition to the work room.

2010-01-23T17:32:00.000-08:00

My wife was fortunate to score this display case at her office when it was going through renovation last week. Thanks Doctor P! Lucius has a new home again, guarding my Troiani and Meissonier prints. The family room is where most of my "stuff" is diplayed.

Blenheim Poem

2010-01-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I've started painting the horses. As of now I won't show any pictures until most of the project is complete. I don't expect further postings on this project until late February. Please stay tuned however, as I will post other "goings on".

In the meantime, I leave you with a poem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV1RMTnpWb4

Filling a void.

2010-01-17T07:52:00.000-08:00

The void is filled and textured. It will be painted to blend in with the base.

The horses are primed. I have a few touch-ups to do on the figures then they will be ready.

Reference...

2010-01-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

Here's some books I used for reference. "From Pike to Shot" is a book Mike Blank recommended to me. It covers briefly everything about the armies and battles in western Europe from 1685 to 1720. It's not really an illustrative guide but it does give uniform colors, weapons and tactics from all the major powers. If anyone models this period, this book should be at hand. It's a classic and can be found on ebay now and then. I bought this copy through amazon for under $20 a few years ago. The Osprey titles are o.k. but are still wanting in more uniform and equipment descriptions. More on references later.

Slight composition adjustment

2010-01-13T12:26:00.000-08:00

I made a little adjustment to the composition. The two main characters, Beinenbourg and Tallard, were not centered enough, so I moved them about a 1/4 inch to their left. Hopefully this placement makes the scene a little more balanced.

"A Cruel Misfortune" Part 9

2010-01-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

Here's some final pics of the piece before painting. I have a few things to finish on the wounded figures. Tallard's wig wasn't working for me so I carved off the hair and re-sculpted it giving more of a wave or "suggestion" of curls. Other than a few sword blades and giving the figures a final "once over" and wash, I should be able to prime some things up by the weekend.

Thanks for following.

Closer pics of Beinenbourg and Tallard

2010-01-06T18:02:00.000-08:00

Here's some pics if the interaction between Crown Prince Frederick's aide, Beinenbourg and Marshal Tallard.

"A Cruel Misfortune" Part 8

2010-01-03T08:15:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! Here's the latest. Crown Prince Frederick fits snug to the horse and is itching to be painted. His right hand will be holding a sword in salutation. This has to sculpted to the sword and the fingers articulated to make a convincing grip. Thanks for following.

Stay tuned.

Hat Crown

2009-12-28T06:06:00.001-08:00

I'll be making a couple of tricorns in this fashion for the project. I use a Hornet head, minus ears, and covered with Vaseline. The reason I cut the ears off is because I don't want them to hinder my blade while prying off the cured crown.

Makin' Buttons

2009-12-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

I think I got this idea from Joe Hudson. It's crude, it destroyed a drill bit, but it's a huge time saver. Considering the amount of buttons on each figure, it helps to have a time saving device as this. I basically taped a couple pieces of plastic card to a block of wood. With a hammer, I make a few taps on the drill bit into the lead foil. The two sheets acts a cushion when tapping out the buttons and prevents them from being driven into the block of wood. This is all trial and error. Out of three punched, I'll get one decent button.

"A Cruel Misfortune" Part 7

2009-12-21T20:27:00.001-08:00

Here's the finished sculpture of M. Beinenbourg, Aide De Camp to Crown Prince Frederick of Hesse Cassel, whom Tallard surrendered himself to during the final stage of the Battle of Blenheim.

Left over putty...

2009-12-19T05:43:00.000-08:00

When I ordered the base from Ken Thomas, he informed me that it would have a void on one side. No problem, I'll fix it somehow. I hate having left over putty, thats why I mix small batches at a time, so this is what I've done with the small semi-hard clumps that are not useful. The blue thing is a piece of foam board I carved to fit the shape of the void. I did this so I wouldn't have use half a tub of putty to fill it.

"A Cruel Misfortune" Part 6

2009-12-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

Here's the finished French Marshal Tallard.

"A Cruel Misfortune" Part 5

2009-12-11T21:57:00.001-08:00

Here I've added the "skirt" of his coat and roughly drew where I will place the pockets and "pleats". It was important to sculpt the back and front of jacket and fuse it to the skirt. This will keep the skirt firmly in place while sculpting the pleats and pockets and also for triming and sanding later.

"A Cruel Misfortune" Part 4

2009-12-06T16:50:00.000-08:00

Here's some work on Marshal Tallard. This figure will be more or less an SBS. Thanks for following.

"A Cruel Misfortune" Part 3

2009-11-29T15:12:00.001-08:00

I'm almost finished with the horse, I still need to add fringe to the saddle holsters.

"A Cruel Misfortune" Part 2

2009-11-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

I've now fleshed out the figures and layed out the groundwork. I spirnkled the ground with model dirt/stone and textured it with a rough stone.

"A Cruel Misfortune" Part 1

2009-11-27T09:37:00.001-08:00

Here's my winter project. It depicts a final moment at the Battle of Blenheim, 12 August 1704, where French Marshal Tallard and remnants of his army, is swept to the River Danube and is forced to surrender. Sources say that up to 30,000 soldiers drowned in the river trying to make an escape. Though that number sounds a bit exaggerated, it does say something about the desperation that was felt in the retreat. The fields and villages around Blenheim where left to the Duke of Marlborough and his allies. Upon receiving the marshal as a prisoner the Duke remarked "I am sorry that such a cruel misfortune should have fallen upon a soldier for whom I have the highest regards".

The base was custom made by Ken Thomas. It's made of burl but has a large void on one side. This will be the backside of the vignette and will be filled in with putty. I planned on four figures and two horses but there was too much open space in the middle so I added a casualty to help tie in the scene. I gave the groundwork a slight elevation so this will give the composition a stage and help not conceal any figure.

I've begun work on the horse. I wanted the head of Tallard's horse sightly turned so I cut a sliver off one edge and filled the void with putty.

Thanks for following and stay tuned.

Berdan Sharpshooter, 1863

2009-11-22T16:55:00.000-08:00

Here's the finished Berdan Sharpshooter. I depicted him as he may have appeared during the Gettysburg Campaign. His worn out green frock coat has been replaced with an issue sack coat. He still retains his green trousers but are showing sings of wear. His green forage cap is worn and faded as well and sports a red diamond of the 1st Division, 3rd Corps. If it not were for the Sharpe's rifle, an occasional green frock coat or forage cap and the distinctive Prussian style hide knapsack, these troops during this campaign probably would have differed little from the average Union infantryman.

Last batch of Chi-Town '09

2009-11-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

Here's some final pics from the Chicago '09 Show. I wanted to add more but some photos were just too washed out. I did manage to get some shots of "Shep-N-Wolf". Not a bad jam. It was some pretty cool entertainment before the awards ceremony.

6th Hussar, 1814

2009-11-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

Here's the finished Metal Models Hussar. I did some experimenting with ebroidery floss for the fur trim. Not sure how convincing it is but like alot of this hobby it's done by trial and error. Still, it was fun to paint and I may try this technique again sometime.

Even more Chi-Town pic's

2009-11-08T15:32:00.001-08:00

More Chi-Town pic's '09

2009-11-06T18:44:00.001-08:00

Chicago '09 pics

2009-11-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

Here's some pieces that got my attention that weekend.

On the workbench

2009-10-28T19:21:00.001-07:00

This is whats up next. The first is my contribution to the APG. It will be a Berdan Shapshooter around the time of the Battle of Gettysburg. I picked the new Hornet head set with frightened/surprised expressions.

The next is a Metal Models Chasseur. Alot of this line is "cookie cutter" but to have one in hand is really inspiring. The detail is wonderful and the casting superb. And the price wasn't bad either!

Stay tuned.

5th Chasseur Redux

2009-10-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

Pip's tambourine

2009-10-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

I added another feature to the 'Moby Dick" scene. The illustration design came from a couple scrimshaw carvings I dug up on the net. Painting the thing was a bear as it's no bigger than my little finger nail!

I'm re-working chasseur's shoulder belt now and hope to have it posted before Chicago.

Thanks for checking in.

New digs

2009-10-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm just about ready to move back into my play room. This was my summer project. Over the past couple years I noticed some damp spots in the corners of the far two walls and the drywall was getting soft at the bottom. Fearing the worst and tired of procrastinating, I decided to gut the two walls. Sure enough the base boards were water logged and rotting. I've had some construction experience so I was not too unfamliar on what needed to be done. The walls were ripped down, insulation taken out and the base boards pried from the frame. I had to "sister" some of the boards because water damage was climbing it's way up some spots and these had to be cut off. Mold was our biggest fear so everything was washed down and left to dry. My next project was filling in any cracks with fast setting cement. I also calked the heck out of everything. A coat of masonary paint was applied over the walls... Two and three coats over the problem area's. I replaced the base boards with treated wood, replaced the insulation with basement quality stuff and went on to hang sheet rock. I've done some "mudding" in the past so that went pretty quick. I finished painting the walls with a color called "swan sea" which is really a cool shade of white. We went and bought some cheap vinyl flooring with a faux stone pattern thats pretty convincing from a short distance. I finished the wall trim today and will start moving in tonight.

Organized chaos...

2009-10-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

Here's what my workbench typically looks like at the tail end of a project.

Painted Trooper...First Version

2009-09-30T17:01:00.000-07:00

Here's the painted piece. He's not finished because I have it on pretty good authority that shoulder belt is not correct and should be the same color as the waist belt and void of lions head, chain and shield.

The wine glass was a bit tricky. What I did was take the butt end of a drill bit, visualized the depth I wanted the glass well to be and taped the end of the drill bit. I coated the end with Vaseline and mixed two batches of 3-Minute epoxy. One mix had a drop of acrylic paint (Vallejo Hull Red) the other plain. Naturally I didn't have alot of time to play. I coated the bit, first with the colored epoxy then the clear.
It took me six times to get an o.k. looking glass. The stem is thin wire and base clear plastic card. Both covered with epoxy. The red wine is not that bright in person. Same with the trooper's jacket, it's a much darker forest green.

Thanks for following and stay tuned.

Trooper, 5th Chasseurs a Cheval

2009-09-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest. It's a tropper with the French 5th Chasseurs a' Cheval during the Napoleonic Wars. It's based on a study by Keith Rocco.
The table wedgie is made of plastic card.

Painted pics coming soon....

More Pros Painted Pics

2009-09-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

Here's more pics of the "Pros from Dover". I should mention that Lauzun's uniform, if most havn't already guessed, is totally made up. There are several images, from different artist, depicting the Duc and none agree with each other. Some have him with a moustache and fur cap! As there is only one knowm image of the Lauzun, and it shows him neither a uniform or having a moustache. Therefore, I took a little from each artist rendition and made my own intrepretation of what he looked like at the siege of Yorktown! No doubt, this whole project was fun to create and probably one of the more satisifying large pieces I've done to date.

Up next is a piece inspired by Keith Rocco Napoleonic subject.

Thanks for following. Stay tuned.

The Pros...Painted

2009-09-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

Here's the finished piece. What a work out! I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out.

The pics are as good as it gets for now. I hope you all like. I'll post more pics later.

Thanks for following.

The Pros from Dover-Part 5

2009-08-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

Here's some closer pics of the trio, in particular LaFayette. I chose a head from Historex, one that had youthful features. I had to do alot of carving on this head because most of it with ears was covered with a bandana. I resculpted the forhead and added ears and hair.

I'm well into painting the horse and it's becoming a project tougher than planned. I have been going back and forth with the base so as to not get sloppy with the horse.

More later.

The Pros from Dover-Part 4

2009-08-16T06:12:00.001-07:00

Here's some closer pics of Steuben and Rochambeau. I chose heads that I felt were close in resemblance to their character. For Steuben I picked a head from MIG that had mature features. And for Rochambeau, a piece from Historex, that had a austere, mature, and commanding look.

Painting for Steuben is finished, I just need to add the telescope to his hands and sculpt thumbs. Lauzun is alomost finished, I need to add his saber and saberattache. The horse is about 40% complete and the groundwork has its base coats.

Thanks for following.

The Pros from Dover-Part 3

2009-08-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

From what I've read, there is only one known period image of the Duc de Lauzun, it's a profile engraving done sometime during his life. There are several artist interpretations of what he may have looked like during his time spent in America. Of the images I have seen of him, half depict him with a moustache. Why? I'm thinking this was the fashion for French cavalry units at the time and thus the artist depicts him in such manner. I've featured a couple artist renditions of the Duc. The one the collector really liked and myself, is Bill Horan's figure. My version will be slightly different.

As for the figure, I used the upper torso of a Historex hussar dolman piece. The Pelisse is also from Historex. I had to do a minor conversion with this piece as it did not lay like I wanted and was not very form fitting. I cut it in half to make it lay right, filled in the gaps w/ putty and added fur to the edge as the exisiting one was not very detailed. Even though I had to do a little cutting and carving, these two pieces saved me a lot of time.

More later. Thanks for following.

The Pros from Dover-Part 2

2009-08-02T05:23:00.000-07:00

Here's the finished sculpt. I will post closer pics of each figure later.

As for the base, the amount of putty used to cover it was much smaller than I had planned. I applied the putty in sections, starting with the back, working my way to the sides, top and foreground, adding debris and texturing with a rough stone as I went.

The gabions are from Armand Bayardi. He makes really neat model accessories. Very detailed and are wonderful additions to a vigentte/dio.
I used three whole gabions and one half. I could have used four half's but using "whole" pieces adds a little more depth.

More later. Thanks for following.

The Pros from Dover-Part 1

2009-07-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

Well it's been two months since my last post. Thanks to all who have been visiting.

My current project is a commission piece depicting some of the well known commanding officers of the Rebel Army at the siege of Yorktown, Virginia in October of 1781.

Though none are American, they all played important roles during the Revolution.

Those that will be depicted are as follows-Marquis de LaFayette, Friedrich von Steuben the Comte de Rochambeau and the Duc de Lauzun.

I had to do some digging throug my spare heads for appropriate features that I feel resemble the characters.

Composition, composition, composition. I, like all modelers, will always struggle with this when putting together multiple figures and such. I have the vision, but it takes a life of it's own when the pieces are actually being set to base.

The collector who commissioned this piece wanted three officers on foot, standing on a fortification, with one mounted riding up to the trio. I, at first, had the horse parallel to the trio with the gabions surrounding the horse. This didn't work. When I put the mounted figure on horse he took up too much space and looked like the center piece of the vignette. I didn't want that. So I hacked off the far left gabion and chipped away alot of the wood. This will allow the horse and rider to be positioned at an angle and allow the foot figures some spot light. The dead space on the base I added a spent cannon ball and a clump of sod. I feel this composition looks much better and tells a better story.