Finally finished

I'm happy to have this one behind me. I painted all the flesh areas this weekend. I can now move on to some other projects. I'm going to avoid vignettes and dioramas for a while. I'm a little disappointed in the composition on this one. I added a third figure because I thought it would help the scene, but what happened is the interaction between the kneeling and seated figure got lost, and I elected to change the pose that suggested interaction. I took a few shortcuts on these guys I won't try again. Sometimes, the long way is best.

Next up; I have a figure posed up that will hopefully turn into an attacking Eastern Woodland Indian.

Paintin' the Camo

Getting through this project is testing my patience. Here are the painted uniforms. I still have all the flesh areas to paint. I'm trying to decide whether or not to use my new method of face painting, or my old comfortable method. I've been trying to learn the method laid out in Cartacci's book. I like the results I'm getting, but I have to take a step-by-step approach with the book nearby. My old method was adequate, but I could mix up a fleshtone palette and finish a face pretty quickly. I'm leaning toward the new way. I think the best way to learn is through repetition. Since I want to use this method in the future, I'll probably stick with it for this project too.

Pushing through to the finish line

Still struggling through the diorama/vignette pictured below. I took a few shortcuts during the sculpting phase and that is telling on me. Definitely learned a lesson there. The goal however was to take a different approach to drapery and wrinkles. That part was successful. I really want to get this thing finished so I can move on. It amazes me sometimes how a difficult project can be such a motivation sucker. As of last night all that remains is to paint the flesh areas and do a little outlining on the web gear. Then I can place the figures in situ and get on with some other projects. I may have done my last three plus project for a while. Painting the same uniform three times has turned out to be a little too monotonous. I should have this finished in time for the Tulsa show in June.

Next up on the painting bench is Elite's Capt. Souter. I'm looking forward to that one. Those fur coats are fun to paint. The flag around Souter's waist should prove challenging as well. I bought some neat and interesting bases at MFCA and I think I'll pick from one of them. After that, I plan to pick from the archives for a Chicago project. Some ideas in the pipeline; F&I vignette, mounted ECW Roundhead.

I think I'm rounding a corner with regard to my feelings about this hobby. Recently, I've been concentrating on triathlon training and those thoughts are what have occupied my idle mind. Now I find that since returning from MFCA, I'm somewhat back to normal and my idle thoughts return to this hobby. Maybe the Tulsa show will kick in some additional inspiration.

MFCA Post Mortem

I attended my first MFCA show in Valley Forge last weekend. I've heard a lot about this show over the years and I think that it vies with the MMSI show for "The US Show" to visit. The vendor's area is huge and well stocked. Many of the vendors are toy soldier dealers, but many were book, tool and figure kit dealers. I did find it a bit ironic that at a show focused on the figure painter, there wasn't one vendor that was selling paint in any appreciable quantity. Most of the shows I've attended have had at least one vendor with a rack of Vallejo paints. The awards ceremony was a little bit of a bugaboo. It started about 45 minutes late for one. They were ambitious about getting photos of the Gold medal winners, and it caused a little confusion. I was pleased to see so many Europeans in attendance. I haven't seen so many since Expo in Boston in 2005. BOS was a beautiful mounted knight by Phillipe Gengembre. I was pleased to see Jason Whitman share the MFCA Grand Master award with Jean Pierre Duthielle. One last word on the most imaginative piece at the show; Marijn Van Gils had a mini- shadow box in progress that was absolute genius. It was as if the viewer was looking from a closet into the face of a woman's paramour as her husband is bursting into the room on his surprised wife. The paramour is hold a finger to his mouth in a "ssshhh" gesture. Not many folks could carry out such an ambitious idea so successfully. All in all a great show. I may have visit this one again.

FUNK

Trying to gain back my enthusiasm. I just finished this dude. I say finished, but it really needs a little more work. I seem to do this a lot. I get a figure about 98% finished and that's when I feel like it's finished enough to share it. I'll still add some pastel weathering and touch up a few details and hit the visible glue spots with some dull coat.

My pace lately has been slow but steady. I'm going to go back through some of my backlog of original projects next and see about getting back into some of those. There's some good stuff in there, but I lost interest for one reason or another. I'm to a point on a couple of those that I just need to hit that tipping point that means completion is inevitable. After I get my first Tri-athlon behind me I expect to gain back the drive for my favorite hobby again.

Balance and beating the winter Blah's

Getting my scene set. I have the figures for this scene sculpted and I'm getting ready to paint. Looking back, I wish i had composed this scene to have more interaction between the figures. I believe the scene is realistic, I just think it could be more interesting. I'm pretty happy with the scenery itself. I'm ready to move on to something new. I do have at least one figure ahead of these. I got a copy of the Union soldier that I designed for the APG on the paint bench next. Mike did a great job of casting. There are only very slight mold lines to clean up. I expect it to paint up pretty quickly. It's a pretty simple uniform. I think it's going to provide a much needed change of pace before I get into the monotony of olive drab.

I'm missing Atlanta for the first time since I started going. I plan to do MFCA this year instead. The timing for Atlanta was not too good this year. As I blogged earlier, I'm training to do a Tri-athlon or three this year and going to a show at this point was going to cause me to miss three to four days of training. MFCA's timing is better and besides I've never been.

My fears of training have come true. I find that with a lot of my free time used up with working out, I either a) don't have time or b) don't feel like modeling when I do have time. I try to do a little something every day though. That has helped me move ahead in lurches. I'm hoping that the winter gloom over the mid-west will lift in the coming weeks and my energy level will lift along with it.

In the photo is the completed groundwork for my Alamo Scouts recon vignette. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Most of all I'm pleased that it has helped me to regain my enthusiasm for this project. I had stalled out on the figures. Getting the groundwork finished has helped me to see and end to the project and I'm looking forward to having this scene populated. I did a bit of sculpting on the figures last night. I hope to do some more over the weekend.

The groundwork itself is a multi-media product. The vegetation is made up of paper products, dried flower items, photo-etch leaves, ground foam, and roots. I used epoxy putty for the rocky outcroppings and sculptamold for the earth.

In the photo is a master that I donated to the APG for their fund raising efforts. I understand it should be on sale at the Atlanta show. Speaking of the Atlanta show. It looks like I'll be missing my first one in about six years (I think). I'm going to try to get to MFCA though. I've never been and I hear it's very good.

I finally had to have a "Come to Jesus" meeting with my studio. It was a sty. I threw out a lot of junk and reorganized some others. I finally got back after my Alamo Scouts vignette. Getting over the hump on a project sometimes means you need to shift gears a little. Normally I finish the sculpting before I move on to the groundwork. But I've gotten a little burnt out on the figures, so decided to start the groundwork at this point. Getting the scene set will hopefully get me re-energized to get back after the figures.

Getting things done during the winter evenings is more difficult than you might think. There are no lawn chores and no lake trips, so you'd think getting in the studio would be easier. I find that in the winter I don't have as much energy and feel less like getting up out of my chair. Training for Tri-Athlons is taking some of my energy but not a lot more of my time, so that's going well enough.

Getting a few items done before year's end. In the photo is a Metal Modeles French Dragoon from the Franco-Prussian War. It was sculpted by Raul Latorre and as such it's a little less stiff than Metal Modeles usually produces. I had initially bought this figure from a vendor at an AMFS show a couple of years ago. I was excited about painting it, but I lost it somewhere along the way. I bought another because I liked it so well. It was a very nice figure to paint. Painting my own sculptures seems a little tedious times. After you've spent so much time sculpting a thing, you kind of want to get away from it for a while. When I do a stock figure, I try to get the best figures I can afford. I have tried to stay away from WWII stuff too. Branching out of your comfort zone allows you to learn about other periods along the way. I also have a Union Infantryman on the bench. I'll post photos of the finished work when it's done.

Leraning the craft II

In a post a while back I talked about some of the revelations I've figured out about sculpting proper anatomy. I've started to get a handle on anatomy through some practice. One thing I've gotten over is the fear of starting over. I've started to try to apply those same lessons to proper drapery. When I first started sculpting I noticed the way clothing lay in certain poses. Now when I observe clothing folds and drapery, I envision which tool I would use and how I would approach a certain difficult piece of drapery. I'm struck by the drapery of Taesung Harms and Raul Latorre. There are others that I think have a good handle on it as well, but I think these two fellows excel at getting this part of sculpting right. Lately I've worked out a few techniques of my own that have opened some doors for me. No matter how long you've been at this business, there's always something you can learn to do better.

Project update; The FPW Dragoon is almost done. Basically, the sword straps are all that's left. It's turning out very well. It's one of four or so figures that I think represent personal bests for OOB figures. I have slowed down on the Alamo Scouts dio. Another sculpting project is getting top bill right now. I'm working on a Union Soldier master. I like the face I have going and the figure is sculpted up to the coat tails. I use a bottom up approach, so I'd say it's about halfway completed. I'll be posting some photos after I complete the Dragoon.

Return to Standard time

Thinking about getting back after this guy. I have a couple of projects ahead of it though. I'm doing a three man vignette of an Alamo Scout recon group in the South Pacific. One using binoculars and some hand signals to communicate to another using a handy-talky, and a third pulling rear security. I intend to create a rocky outcropping with some dense foliage and perhaps some water. Also in the hopper and nearly complete is a Metal Modeles French Dragoon from the Franco Prussian war. It's a beautiful sculpt by Raoul Latorre. Nice detail. I started it when I got back from Chicago. It's going well and I managed to not butcher the white belts. The gold bullion has proven to be a challenge, but I think what I have so far is working. Next up is the face and then the details and groundwork. Not necessarily in that order. I resisted the temptation to place the dragoon in a cigar box. I see a lot of possibilities for this mini-box as I call it, but I don't want to over use the idea.

I keep forgetting to mention that I obtained a copy of Historical Miniature #1 from a very generous Bob Stein. I now have the entire print run of the main English speaking magazine devoted to historical miniature painting and sculpting.

Chicago 2k9 Post mortem

Just got in from my annual fall trek to Chicago for the MMSI show. The club puts on a very well done show and has since long before my time. This was my tenth, but the club's 35th. Hard to imagine really. It was a great time. Rusty Nail drove up from southern Arkansas on Thrusday and we took out the next day together. It's always good to have a travel companion. The trip across IL is one I really enjoy. The farmland in the fall is really beautiful. This year the trip up was kind of gloomy because of the constant rain. Seeing the sun, appropriately enough on Sunday was a welcome change of pace. It was terrific seeing old friends and meeting some new ones. The amount and quality of work in the exhibit hall was great as usual. I was honored to win a gold in the open and a silver in painters. It was difficult to hear the different awards from the hallway, so I missed hearing what some of my friends got for their displays. Above are the two most recent pieces I completed. They were part of my display at this year's show. I sold the pirate to a collector. I didn't really intend to sell it, I just wanted to show the collector what I had been working on and see if he was looking for anything of that sort. He was rather taken with it and after some reconsideration, he elected to go ahead and purchase it. I sometimes hate to part with my work. It does finance my hobby and besides, I've already had my fun during the creation.

Getting ready for MMSI

I'm starting to ramp up with getting some projects finished for the Chicago show. I plan to have three pieces ready for the show. The Gumshoe, Light Brigade Dragoon, and a pirate. In the photo is the groundwork for the pirate. I think it comes off pretty convincingly. I think I'll tinker with it some more as time allows. The gumshoe was finished long ago, and the Light Brigade should have been done long ago. I have some time off coming up that I'm hoping will push me over the top to get some of these things finished. I had planned to save the pirate for another show, but my good friend Anders shamed me into at least trying to get it done for Chicago.

I'm Cap'n, and I say you're Cap'n. Cap'n.........

I've been working on a handful of muskets for various manufacturers and not getting to sculpt lately. So as I was winding up those projects, I posed up several mannequins for future projects. Hoping that the lightning of inspiration to strike, I hammered out a project that I've been wanting to do for a while. It's a pirate inspired by NC Wyeth's illustration of Captain Billy Bones. I didn't want to do an exact copy, but much is borrowed from Wyeth. My character is fatter than Wyeth's and I did the hat differently. If an experiment I have planned goes well, I should have a pretty dynamic setting for this fellow.

We had a great chicken BBQ for family and a few friends from work. It was a great time. BBQing twenty chickens is not for the faint of heart though. I think everyone had a good time. It was unfortunately marred by an accident that required a trip to the ER for my three year old niece. She had to get a stitch in her lip. I'm really hoping that she doesn't get a scar. I bear much of the responsibility for it, I have to admit.

School is in full swing now and I'm bearing the fruit of a driving teenager. I have a bit more free time now that I don't have to get JB after school.

On the Tri front, I bought a new bike from my friend Don and rode it a good twelve miles. I'm looking forward to riding more. Swimming is not really an issue now, but I plan to join a center that has a pool so I can get on that aspect of it. I've increased my runnig distance lately and some success on this front will be great, as I am not fond of running.

Can a man serve two masters?

I've been bitten by the triathlon bug. Some friends are into this and my curiosity is piqued. I am a regular runner, but far from a fanatic. Swim training for the Bahamas trip I went on with my son added another element to the challenge. A bit of limited success in the pool has led to me questioning if I have a tri in me. I think I can get the biking down eventually. So if I can get over a few hurdles and stay injury free, I intend to begin training for sprint distance triathlons next year. I wonder if I'll be able to balance a busy training schedule with my main hobby. I have always been involved with sports, but nothing that required a regular commitment that I gather triathlons do. So we'll see how it goes. I think it's something I need to do. Hopefully, I'll be able to do the smart thing and take the training time from something other than the studio.

I just got back from Kansas City after a conference at the BOP Regional office. We worked out some issues toward standardizing Crisis Management Training throughout the bureau. It was kind of nice to be in the middle of this type of thing, instead of on the sidelines waiting for these things to be handed down. It was hard work, spent mostly behind a computer screen hashing out details of lesson plans and training courses.

I've been experimenting with plastic as a sculpting medium lately. I've knocked out a handful of scale weapons using mostly, or all plastic. I just finished a 1/24 scale thompson. Add that to the 1/24 garand an the 18th and 19th century muskets I've done. I think I'll be doing this more in the future. I'll be starting a plastic figure out of the box in a day or two. I think it may turn into a two figure vignette actually. We'll see.

Father's day weekend

The photo is a Confederate Guerrilla intended as a Thunderbird Miniatures future release. I've been wanting to do one of these, and Mark and I had a chance conversation over an Osprey print almost a year ago and I told him I'd see what I could come up with. I hope it's a winner. I like it so far. Just gotta get over the hump and solve a couple of design problems.

I went to the folk's today and helped Dad put up hay. You can't farm without tearing up some gear, and today we broke a tractor and a baler. The baler was repaired, but the tractor was swapped out. I wound up running a tractor that I had only drive once or twice. It was a little intimidating, moving up to twice the tractor as the one I grew up on. It had a cab and a fan though, so I figure it's a trade up. Of course Pops had the one with AC in the cab. Happy Father's Day Dad.

Tulsa anyone?

It's always exciting when it's time for another exhibit. The Tulsa show is this weekend. I always enjoy seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Viewing what everyone has been working on all year is what brings us together though. Over the fourteen years I've been active in miniature figure artistry I've managed to make quite a few friends and see some incredible work. The shows always come around too slowly and a show weekend is always over too quickly. The photo is my latest. This project was done on commission and still has a couple of small details that the patron has requested. The photo shows how it will look at the upcoming show. I'll have to add those details later. If you're coming to Tulsa, be sure to say hi, if you're not, you're missing out.

Spring has Sprung

Had a very busy Spring. Now summer is near and marked with the launching of the "Nony", our classic boat. It was a rainy day and we didn't do much more than take it out for a quick ride. The water would have been great to ski on though. The Tulsa show is coming up soon. I should have three pieces to display. The most current piece is a stock figure of Wyatt Earp on the porch of "The Oriental" shooting it out. If I can just manage to get the faces and hands painted, I'll be finished. It would probably take about an hour and a half to finish.

Steady as she goes

I haven't photographed anything to share lately. I'm working on a few things now though. A Wyatt Earp commission, a Crimean War Dragoon are on the painting bench. The only thing on the sculpting bench right now is the Bushwhacker I'm doing for Thunderbird. The painting isn't particularly challenging at this point. The sculpting is presenting a few problems to solve though. For one, it's my first mounted figure. For another, boots are very difficult for me for some dumb reason. Regardless, I'm excited about the project. I've wanted to do a Bushwhacker/Border Ruffian for a while, so when Mark said he was interested in the same thing, I jumped at the chance to do a master. I got copies of the pistols I made for him last week. The copies turned out great.

On the work front, I have to go to Crisis Management training next week. A few of us are heading out early to do a little training, and site prep. CMT this time around is in Ft. Carson CO. I think the facilities will be impressive, but the distance to travel is a little daunting. Being gone for nearly two weeks is not foremost among the things I'd like to do right now, but it will be a good session I'm sure.

On a personal/ family front, we all went to Tulsa to see Bruce Springsteen. It fulfilled a lifelong dream for me. I've been a fan of "The Boss" for over 25 years. I didn't think I'd ever get a viable, affordable chance to do it. It was a terrific show. There were a few songs that I was disappointed didn't make the set list. I heard plenty of favorites though. I'll be looking for him on the next tour. The day after the concert, we headed over to the Philbrook Museum. What a gem. There was too much to see in one day, so we'll be back one day. Art ran from ornamental garden sculpture to classical sculpture and painting to bizarre modern pieces. All of it was very inspirational.

Here's my latest. I could fiddle with this scene 'til I'm blue. This was one of the most fun projects I've ever done. It will be staying in my own collection.

This past weekend I attended a small charity model building contest in nearby Joplin. There is a terrific little shop down there that has a decent amount of items that would interest me. I stocked up on some Plastruct while I was there. The contest itself was much more diverse than anything I am used to. It was also a 1st, 2nd, 3rd type of affair. I don't really care for that format, but for such a diverse exhibit it makes a certain amount of sense. I enjoyed seeing some of the car and truck models that I don't normally get to see. These guys are very good at painting. The diorama section was pretty well populated. The group I've started visiting in Branson was well represented. I especially liked Nate's "Willy and Joe" inspired vignettes.

When I got back from Atlanta I was turned on to Facebook by some friends at church. I went ahead and registered and immediately was contacted by some folks I hadn't talked to in years. It has turned into one of my favorite places on the web. Social Networking indeed.

I've been on building stuff from plastic stock nearly to the point of obsession. I bought about fifty dollars worth over the last month. I knocked out a couple of muskets for my good friend Anders Heintz at HeLo. I'll be doing some more in the near future, including a shotgun for the Confederate Guerilla I'm doing for Thunderbird.