Tuesday 11 February 2014

Conversion day

The last two days I had varnshied or quickshaded some figures so I didn't have too much to paint and so I seized some older plans of figures I wanted to convert. Here are my humble results:

1.) Major Baring, take 1:
I've been deeply impressed by the defense of La Haye Sainte during the battle of Waterloo ever since I soaked myself into the happenings there. Especially those heroic men of the 2nd Light Battalion KGL impressed me. So one part of my Waterloo army had to be Major Baring and his brave companions. 
What has been inspiring me most is Adolph Northens well known pictures of him:

Major Baring in detail:

Therefore my goal was to create a conversion paying him homage.

I went for Perry Miniatures set of British / KGL mounted light infanry officers and wanted to a simple head swap and some adjustments with green stuff. Eagerly I started yesterday and after I finished the conversion I realized that I chose the wrong miniature. Having taking the officer with the pelisse and the dress of the 95th / 60th rifles I was completely on the wrong track.

So I chopped off the bicorne hat again and gave him a simple bare head:
Actually I didn't want this guy but I'm rather happy with him. He looks somehow daring and so he'll command a detachment of 60th Rifles one day. Or 95th... Actually I didn't plan to paint this regiment but he resembles a well known officer from this regiment I think:

 2.) Major Baring. take 2:
Anyway for Major Baring I had to make a second try. Correct figure chosen, beheaded, details of the busby cord removed, jacket resculpted, mustache added... Here we go:
Never ever would I call me a good or talented sculptor but I like the way Baring turned out very much. To be honest it worked much better than I feared when I took green stuff and sculpting tools. As you see I chose a head with a covered bicorne because I didn't have one with a plume and I thought it might be reasonable that Baring wore a cover during the battle because of the bad weather. Anyway I think he's recognizable. As you see I didn't dare to reposition his arm, but I didn't want to press my luck too much.

3.) A sleigh, a sleight, my kingdom for a sleigh!
Tactica is coming nearer and so it didn't leave me even today. During the past weeks I've been working on many retreaters and from time to time on Westfalia's excellent sleigh. Today I prepared the load for it:
Sometime this will represent a French soldier fighting for the last supplies of his company. After priming I'll a blanket and a tarpaulin over his legs and partly the barrels so the sculpting hadn't to be too good thanfully. I'll make the blankets out of soaked tissues so I want the potential gaps black in advance.
I hope to have it finished until Tactica and maybe some of you will see the sleigh there. I would be happy to welcome you at our table.

7 comments:

  1. Very cool. Always satisfying to make an effective conversion.

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  2. Very nice indeed. This will look great painted up!

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  3. That is a very cool conversion - and the painting evokes a lot of emotions!

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  4. Very very nice conversion work!

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  5. I must say you're a braver (and more talented) man than I am.
    I quite liked the look of your first conversion with the bare head - I thought he looked rather familiar, scrolled down, and saw Sean Bean. Bravo.

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  6. The unpainted Rifle officer looks alot like Elvis Presley.

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