Or my newest French ADC (finished) see previous Posts… IMPERIAL MINIATURES (Thanks to Antony Spencer).
Curiously the idea come to me “in the making”, I was an ADC short in my collection, but the idea of using the character Charles Saganne (from the French film epic FORT SAGANNE) was not in my head at all… and then after priming the figure and consulting book of uniforms… Officer of Tirailleurs Algeriens if you please… the jigsaw pieces in my mind falled in place.
Enjoy!
Final shot varnished in gloss etc.Lateral view.Another view.Back view.
I must be boorish today talking about me projects… you see I am still “squaring” units, so while DORSET SOLDIERS does the last 16 soldiers to complete ny British Army (Khaki)… I am doing some odds and ends because of some old horses I got (do not remember why at all)… First I did Young Winston (see elsewhere in this Blog)… now I am working on Charles Saganne (Depardieu) as a French ADC (mounted) … he is already primed for paint… and his horse has got a new “rouleau” just for the fun of it! (I am getting better with plasticine or milliput)
More to the point a couple of dismounted ADC’s for the British Army (see pic).
And what is even much more fun a couple of motorcycle riders! Full circle I guess (they were my first toys those kind of chaps!)…
So … try to Enjoy!
This is the chap my ADC’s are based on…The Horse with “rouleau”.Primed and prepared for painting (see horseman on the left)On a more sunny job I corrected the medals on my French General! Count that as a bonus against boredom.
It was a poor attempt to “model with miliput” because it is never been “my thing”… but I was tempted to try to do a “Toy Soldier piece unique” (as I can not match the “true” Bill Horan’s in our miniature world).
It all started simply enough, I had a redundant arm with pistol… a couple of horses (Empty Horses David Niven would say in his memoirs) with no rider… and I asked Antony Spencer from DORSET SOLDIERS to send me a British Colonial Rider without right arm. Still planning to do a French ADC (mounted) for the other horse…
Once I got it… I decided to try my hand at what Antony Stevens does effortlessly, meaning adding binocular case and a haversack to a rather “plain figure”… I also worked a bit on the horse (which was already painted since many years ago) adding valise and equipment… I showed all that to you in a Post not so long ago (about end of December 2022).
Well here it is the result of my job in some pics… and YES he is standing on the stirrups!… not at a 100% satisfied but not bad for a first try since God knows when… Never thought “minimalist” Toy Soldiers would be so difficult to do!
Enjoy! (not so easy today!)
Do you remember?End result!Lateral view!The other side…
A nearly forgotten pastime… (by yours truly)… painting your own figures… meaning buying the casts naked of paint… and DIY job… it was fun (again)… the toy Soldier style is much uncomplicated.
Thanks to Antony Spencer from DORSET SOLDIERS who understood perfectly what I needed and took the trouble to assemble the kits for me.
Curiously enough they mix very well with my old figures (they have decades in real time difference).
Thought you would like to see some of mine for a change!
Enjoy!
54mm DORSET figures (some painted by me)Kneeling Officers done by me.Detail before painting bases green (Front row are “new”… back row “old”)The whole new additions waiting Varnish…(Yes there is Young Winston too! more tomorrow about him)I gave some medals yesterday… LOL
Vaguely 54mm, all in rubber/cautxuc… more than 65 years old (the figure… me going on 71… so it probably is nearly 70!… lol)… Original state and paint… paint that obviously peeled off from a non rigid material… played with by at least three generations consecutively and rescued before going to the bin… I used to make him run obstacles and tracks on the sheets of my bed… do not know how he survived so many crashes!… I remember having at least two of them… but also French Gendarmes by Norev (rubber too) and one in Aluminium (Quiralu?) the last two were with sidecar and had very “funny” figures on them.
A nostalgic way to close a forgettable year… hope the next is best!
Policeman on a BikeAnother view…the tie was a nice touch.
OMG! getting out of lead to paint again!… UK Postal Strikes!… yipee!… what else can go wrong I ask?
REPLICA figures painted by Andrew Stevens (much better painter than me) used as “models”… sometimes I think I am a silly ass and should have concentrated in other model like Brigitte Bardot if you know what I mean… my only consolation is that my collection of models do not age up…
Will add pics this afternoon of the job finished.
Enjoy!
That was an early pic… 54mm by Dorset castings.A bit more of progress…REPLICA (Andrew Stevens) Originals used as “info”…All new additions in place!Rear view (my painting efforts on the left)Frontal view (mine on the left)The other set of flags…Lateral view of the Colours… my painting on the far right.The last Gordons…
I have a lot of ideas and pics to post this days… but those arrived yesterday and have got priority no matter what… My FFL order to complete an Army is underway and in good hands… simply ask Antony!… he will deliver… this is as silly as commending a good Restaurant… afterwards no way to book a table for you!… but he deserves it in spades… ask Scott Lesch if in doubt!
Hope you enjoy the pics as much as I do.
FFL bugler charging!Another view of the same figure!FFL ensign or standard bearer charging!FFL Officer charging on foot!
Sometimes perfection needs a bit of variety… meaning that the REPLICA set was great but strangely enough the 4 gunners where a bit repetitive… 4 gunners in the same instance or attitude made 8 for a battery… so… with the passing of time I become obsessed by their looks and finally decided to add ramroads and bullets to them… see second pic. It was just a matter of ordering some bits&pieces to IMPERIAL/DORSET miniatures… and glue them on.
Now they look much better in my collection I guess… same to be done to an Indian Raj Battery (Only the bullets). There, now you know what obsessive collecting is… at least mine!
Enjoy!
Royal Artillery Set by Replica (Original)Same set with “improved” gunners.See what I mean?