Er....there's been a slight delay to the Empress Dragoons due to the wrong kind of figures on the production line. Painting will resume with the arrival of yet more Hinton Hunt replacements. These are even now winging their way across the globe, courtesy of the Archduke!
This should have been the perfect opportunity to crack on with my final French battery, but what I ended up doing instead was obsessing about something else entirely. This was: what to you do when you're one figure short of a regiment of Chasseurs and all you've got is a ropy old Lamming French hussar officer, a spare Hinton Hunt horse and box full of unwanted Scruby, Hinchliffe and Minifigs bits and bobs?
Mrs WM, on the other hand, refers to him as the "Essex Hussar", but then she's like that.
It was the horse, of course, which was the really nerve-wracking bit as I had to detach him from his base and reposition one of the hind legs in order to get him to rear up properly, as well as more or less completely reconstruct his left foreleg. I had to resort to a bit of Scruby assistance for the last part.
The hat is a Hinchliffe creation with the original Lamming French officer's plume grafted onto it.
He's not quite the Théodore Géricault masterpiece I had in my mind's eye, but he'll definitely fill the gap.
As this is likely to be the last Hintonspieler post for 2016, it only remains for me to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
WM
This should have been the perfect opportunity to crack on with my final French battery, but what I ended up doing instead was obsessing about something else entirely. This was: what to you do when you're one figure short of a regiment of Chasseurs and all you've got is a ropy old Lamming French hussar officer, a spare Hinton Hunt horse and box full of unwanted Scruby, Hinchliffe and Minifigs bits and bobs?
And the answer, two very nervous weeks later, was:
an officer of the Chasseurs à Cheval de la Garde Impériale.
Mrs WM, on the other hand, refers to him as the "Essex Hussar", but then she's like that.
The hat is a Hinchliffe creation with the original Lamming French officer's plume grafted onto it.
He's not quite the Théodore Géricault masterpiece I had in my mind's eye, but he'll definitely fill the gap.
As this is likely to be the last Hintonspieler post for 2016, it only remains for me to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
WM
 |
| With sincere apologies to Géricault . Note to self: don't try to get a job as a Photoshop artist. |
A famous subject...and a great job!
ReplyDeleteYou are very kind, Phil. It's what Gericault's subject might have looked like if he'd come from Easter Island!
DeleteA Merry Christmas and Good New Year to you and yours ! , Tony
ReplyDeleteLet's hope for something better than 2016, Tony!
DeletePhenomenal - and this is all soldered? A really upper-crust bitza (as they used to say in the 'Pool - bitza dis, bitza dat) - marvellous job. I'd be keen to see him lined up with his mates. If I attempted something like this (which is not going to happen) I would spend the rest of my life waiting for the bitz to fall off again. I would keep a dustpan and brush alongside the dice and tape measures.
ReplyDeleteAnd beer, of course.
He is indeed, Foy, barring point at which his hat meets his head. I had to resort to pins and superglue for that.
DeleteThe secret is to soldier the end of each joint before joining them. The heat from the iron then melts and fuses these ends really quickly and when it cools again the joint is absolutely solid. That and a lot of frantic filing and cutting to take of the excess.
....It was Lewis Gunner and his comments on attaching horses' hooves to brass that gave me the hint!
DeleteAmazing Matt!
ReplyDeleteA very merry Christmas to you to. As for 2016, what's the worst that can happen?
My personal nightmare involves my chimney crashing through the roof and landing on top of the cabinet where I keep the troops, Ian! However, that would only serve me right for moving to the Shaky Isles, I guess.
DeleteWhat a way to finish the year Matt, he is a little masterpiece, a brilliantly unique figure to add to your collection.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours too :)
It's all Don's fault. Three weeks ago I had only three HH Chasseurs and bugger all prospects of getting any more. Thanks to Don, however, eight more minty Kriespielers have been smuggled out of the states, and little crackers they are too. Expect to see more in the New Year....
DeleteI'm afraid he's always going to be the Essex Hussar for me. Just as I can no longer paint yellow plumes without thinking "banana". Your family has much to answer for. One day I'm going to try and copy your technique for horses. For a bloke who didn't want to "do cavalry", they are inspired. Happy Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI was that close to adding some fluffy dice, Archduke.
DeleteI'm still not completely over the cavalry block, I'm afraid to say - hence all the little "diversions". I don't think I've managed a single regiment in one go yet!
It's inspired and the special touch of 'style' will elevate your Chasseurs above the rabble - I only hope your dice repay the love lavished on them.
ReplyDeleteDice? On yes, dice! A war games table will definitely be making an appearance in the New Year, Rob! Apart from anything else, Mrs WM wants her old pine table back.
DeleteHe certainly looks inspiring to me. Very nicely done work.
ReplyDeleteBest REgards,
Stokes
Thank you, Stokes. I'm not sure I'd have gotten away with this nearly so successfully in the glorious 30mm that you work with.
DeleteAlways remember the 70's Historex advert showing a superb 54mm version of the Gericault painting, I think you've come as close as its possible to get in 20mm.
ReplyDeleteCheers Dave. Maybe an old Lamming was not the best choice of raw material, but it was fun to have a go nonetheless.
DeleteHe is stunning!! I can see tgat we are going to be treated to some delughtful individual pieces next year. You have that ability to look at a figure and see the possibilities and then the skill to create a new figurine from the rather pedestrian raw material!
DeleteMore power to your iron.
Merry Xmas and a Prosperous New Year,
Roy
Well that's an excellent way to sign off 2016! Lovely stuff!
ReplyDeleteThank you chaps!
ReplyDeleteStunning, simply stunning!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Alan
Delete