The medieval Persian Sufi poet Saadi (
1184 - 1291) said it best: "Whatever is produced in haste goes hastily to waste." This was certainly true when it came to attempting to paint the Sertorian Legionary for The Missus in a single day. But let me start at the beginning - or rather just after my last post.
Provided you read my previous post, you will know that I decided late in the day to paint a 54mm historical figure for The Missus' birthday in basically a week. To recap, by last Tuesday night I had basically cleaned up the figure, primed it and started basecoating the skin and neckscarf - this was revealed in my previos post.
What was not revealed, largely due to continuing work after posting, was the preparation of the base for the groundwork (see the next 2 pics below).
I started by gluing the vendor supplied groundwork down onto the base, which was scavenged from an old football (soccer) trophy. After positioning and epoxying some stones on the side to imply a rock face, I placed masking tape around the sides where I wouldn't want spillage (be it glue, putty, sand or paint) later.
Next I would be building up a slightly sloping ground with plastic ceramic clay, but I first wanted to give the clay something to hold onto. Probably unnecessary, but I decided to do it anyways. I drilled a series of 1mm holes into the wood base, and cyno'ed short pieces pieces of brass wire into place. This would also give me an idea of the contours I was planning.
I let that set overnight, and the following day proceed to build up the groundwork with the plastic ceramic clay, placing the odd rock here and there. While the clay was still setting I also pressed some fine sand into place so that I could get an idea of of what it would look like later.
While I was quite knackered toward the latter part of the week, I didn't want to lose the momentum I had built at the start of the project. So I decided to continue working at the groundwork. Using Woodland Scenics terrain glue (basically watered down white glue) I glued down some GW sand and stone mix for texture and then covered that with a fine sand I had collected from the garden a few months prior.
The two sides of the base that would not be the main focus, the left and rear, were coated with a textured sandstone acrylic paint which I bought from a arts and crafts store. Once all of this was dry I removed the masking tape. You can see the result of this in the next 3 photographs. Please bear in mind that I haven't autolevelled these photos so the lighting isn't that great...
Okay, so up until now Saadi's quote isn't really appropriate becuase everything is more or less going to plan... the base is looking good, the figure is ready for painting and I've organised with the outlaws to spend the day with The Missus and keep her out my hair while I try this "speed painting" thing. But then Saturday happened...
After shipping the lassie off I finally sat down to paint at about 9 AM. To be honest I have no idea where I went wrong. Sure, I tried a new fleshtone mixture, and a different method of painting bronze. I can only attribute the (quite frankly) shit finish due to 1) my haste in painting and 2) a lack of practice of acrylic painting throught the year. So... a long story short, due to my haste, I will now be stripping the figure down and starting again.
Thank goodness The Missus isn't too phased - she's just chuffed at the prospect of getting a figure that has been specially painted for her. That and her main present was an iPod! LOL
At the last minute this past weekend, in true "Rudi fashion", I decided that I would paint a figure especially for The Missus' birthday. So what's the big deal you say? The big deal is simply that her birthday is on Monday 21 January, and I normally take weeks - okay, okay, months - to finish a single figure. So for me this is a real case of speed modelling. That said, if I finish it: cool. If not: no worries, I have other gifts for her. But... I really do want to finish it for her.
So what's the figure already? El Viejo Dragón Miniaturas’ CG130 Roman Legionary, Sertorian Army, North Hispania, 74BC Why this figure? Not reason other than that when looking through my box of review samples she said she liked this particular figure the most. Don't think I need a better reason.
With every figure I undertake I like to try at least one new technique. And, since my copy of Danillo Cartacci's Painting Miniatures arrived last week, I've decided to try 2 of his metal techniques, namely bronze and mail. These should be interesting to try.
Another new technique I'll be trying to painting a Meditteranean skintone. I picked up a list of different fleshtone "recipes" off CMON a few months ago, and have been itching to try them.
Enough about what I want to do, and onto the job at hand...
I started the cleanup and polishing the helmet and mail coat last week Thursday at "Model Thingie".The helmet and mail were then masked using Humbrols Maskol (gawd the stuff reeks!) before priming the figure with Tamiya Light Grey Surface primer.
Started painting last night. Flesh basecoated using AV Cork Brown. Not that it's visible from this photo, but the neck scarf has been basecoated with GW Scab Red.
And that's pretty much how far the figure still is tonight. I started working on the groundwork tonight as I am a bit too tired to paint a 54mm face. At this point Monday is speeding towards me and I have no idea if I'll recover enough time to finish the piece. Maybe, just maybe, I can steal a few more hours during the week. I'll have to chat to the in-laws and get them in on the conspiracy to get her out the house on Saturday for a few hours. As it is I still need to charge and load her pressie - and nope, I ain't telling nobody what I bought her ;-) :-p
Ci
So you'll notice I've entitled this post "Validating one's work", so you should be warned that this is just a little rant. So this is how the story goes...
On Saturday evening I published my review of Alpine's 1/35 scale "WW2 German Officer Set". Now what many don't realise is that it takes time to put a fairly decent, or even a fairly mediocre, product review. I worked on the review on and off over about 10 days, I'd say total time including photography - which itself takes me about 1.5-2 hrs to take the pics with my crappy camera and resize and fix them. Now let's talk upload time... it's weekend, the review needs to get published, I have no choice but to use my home dial-up (our older readers may remember those - well in darkest Africa most of us still use these due to parastatal monopolies - but that's another rant for another time). So add another 1-1.5hrs for the upload of the photos.
K... so we're talking max 12hrs working time for a review which takes a reader about 10 minutes to read and browse the pics. And here's my main gripe... after the 12 working hours, and the 10 minute read, and (at time of rant) 464 times the review has been read.... I get one comment... sheesh people, give a reviewer some feedback! How are writers supposed to know if the other 463 readers found the review useful? If you think the review sucks, or is unfair, or is just another product endorsement like some other reviewers I could mention give.... for heaven sake say so!
Now please, don't get me wrong. I really love doing figure reviews. I love it from the moment the moment I first open the box through the research (and how I love the research - it's probably my favourite part) through the photos (pain in the arse they may be to me) to the final publication and seeing my opinion in print. (I get the same feeling from being a business analyst and doing the requirements stages)
I just really want some validation for my work.I don't think that's too much to ask is it?
Rant ends here
BTW, I'd added the link to the review to my list of reviews.
BTW2, I finally got the Platoon 1/35 Panzer Assault Gunner published last night as well. Gawd, it took me long enough to get that one out...
Cya later
Manufacturer: Platoon
Item Code: PT-029
Scale: 1/35
Material: Resin
Sculptor: Yoshitaka Hirano
Review Publication Date: January 8th 2008
Germany’s distinctive Panzerbekleidung is normally associated with the Panzer division’s tank crews, or with the SS. Furthermore, it is easy to forget that this service dress was not only issued in black or camouflage patterns. It was also issued to other branches within the Panzer divisions in feld-grau, such as the Assault Artillery (Strumartillerie).
PT-029 “Panzer Assault Gunner, 1944” is a 1/35th scale resin figure sculpted by Yoshitaka Hirano with box-art by Luca Cardoselli. The gunner is portrayed in a casual pose seated pose mid-cigarette - the box-art shows the gunner seated on the turret of an unidentified vehicle.
My review on Historicus Forma
Manufacturer: Alpine Miniatures
Item Code: 35054, 35055, 35056
Scale: 1/35
Material: Resin
Sculptor: Taesung Harmms
Review Publication Date: January 4th 2008
Initially issued to motorcyclists and military police, from 1944 the rubberised motorcyclist greatcoat was privately acquired by many officers and senior NCOs in the frontline. This recent release by Alpine Miniatures is an excellent example of how the garments were worn.
35056 – “WW2 German Officer Set” is set of two 1/35th scale resin figures sculpted by historical miniature sculptor Krisztian Bodi (a misprint on the box insert states that the figures were sculpted by Alpine’s owner Taesung Harmms). The two German Officers, both wearing rubberised motorcyclist overcoats, are portrayed in a casual stance – the first leans against an unseen object with documents in hand, while the other poses with his hands in his trouser pockets.
Released in October 2007, the box-art is painted by regular Alpine box-art painter Jaume Ortiz Forns. Both figures are also available individually as figures 35054 WW2 German Officer #1 and 35055 WW2 German Officer #2.
Review on Historicus Forma
