For your perusal, here is my latest figure, La Forteza’s 54mm white metal Continental Sailor of 1776. He is painted primarily in Vallejo acrylics.
I was intrigued by the outfit on the cover art, in particular the pantaloons. Researching US Navy uniforms, I discovered the Continental Navy did not provide much in the way of uniforms at all for its enlisted men. In fact, the navy itself was something of an afterthought and was disbanded for several years after the revolution.
In painting the figure, I wanted to extend myself with shading on the white pantaloons> I started with a medium gray and added highlights with some pure white on the highest folds. Reading up on navy traditions, I saw there was regular use of a black kerchief, so he got one. He’s curiously armed with sable, cutting knife and bayonet for the musket resting on the anchor buoy behind him.
Since he’s posed on a wharf end, I wanted to add water to the base. I started with layer of regular 5 minute epoxy to lock in the tape barrier. Next, came the first of a couple layers of Envirotex. Apparently, mine has gone beyond its shelf life and would not dry. More 5 minute epoxy sealed this and the final layer is Woodland Scenics Water Effects.
The block hanging from the beam was a separate part. Unfortunately, the “rope” loop was too small for the beam. I removed the loop and replaced it with braided wire. I also replaced the attachment rope on the buoy the same way, allowing some to hang down. The ring on the edge of the wharf would have been exposed to salt air and so I painted this with a rusty mix of ModelMaster burnt iron metalizer and brown chalk shavings.
I had picked up a set of Plus Model rats from Military Miniatures Warehouse (who also sold me this figure) and added a couple of these petite resin castings. I saw, and recently reviewed on Armorama a set of “Seagulls” from Hardcorps. I painted the seated one up as a ubiquitous herring gull. I removed the resin plug and drilled two holes for wire legs and two more corresponding holes in the beam. The feet are leaves from a set of Seil PE leaves that came with their Vietnam Sniper. I painted a few gull calling cards on the beam, since where gulls go, they are notorious for leaving calling cards.
Here’s a [tup] to Mike (Renarts) who dropped me an e-mail correcting me on mis-labeling the cutlass as a saber and giving me a lot of good info on sailors of the period…Thanks, Mike.
Beautiful work! [tup] Don’t we all love bird poo… I am glad you shared the information where you got the animals from. I have been looking for a bunch of scared ducks or geeses for a while for my diorama I have in mind. Bingo! It was listed in the website you mentioned. Now you have made me wonder if 54mm is close enough to 1/35 scale?
Again, nice job… it is usually a pleasure looking at your work.
With the scale differences, 54mm (ABOUT 1/32) v 1/35, you’d have at most a 10% differences. Additionally, technically 54mm is not a scale but but the height of a figure either at the eyes or top of the head. And different sculptors/manufacturers may have different interpretations of this. Anyway, given that individual ducks and geese may vary in size to some degree, the ones listed would be usable. I believe the ones you are talking about are from Doug’s Originals. If you remember back to Doog’s “ghost” diorama, the kids running away from the spectral panzer crew are from the same manufacturer and worked out well with the slightly smaller scale figures and tank.
nice to see something different again. well done a.j. of course you do alot of “different” stuff dont you? that is if my memory hasnt gone completely! [:D]
I just love this one and, to be honest, it’s not the sailor I’ve been staring at… no offense meant there, just maveling at the detail on the dock. Very well done.
Steve, not a problem. IMHO, the presentation of a figure is almost as important as the figure. To be clear, most of what’s there was in the box. I added the animals, water and lengthened the rope on the bouy.
