Highland Warrior, Kirin 1/16th scale

Greetings once again and welcome to my latest SBS.

My new subject is a favourite old kit of mine, Kirin's Scottish Highlander, Culloden in 1/16th scale resin.

I picked up the pine base for $4 at my local hardware warehouse and the DAS terracota modelling clay provides the base groundwork.

I want lots of snow, which means most of the small details in the groundwork will be covered. The frozen grasses give the wind a sense of prevailing direction, and build up small flurries along the wall.

The figure has been modified to make it fit more naturally on the base. I've cut his left arm off at the elbow, and will reposition the arm and withg the hand clutching a flag pole. I want to convey a sense that he's pulling himself up on the flagpole as he prepares to charge.

Using the grasses, I got an idea to do hair with artificial grass fibres. I'll give it a go and top him off with a bandage around his head from a recent battle wound. I want to see his hair flying in the strong wind and see snow on his hair.

The 600 pound gorilla in the room is the tartan. I haven't chosen which tartan I'll paint yet, but I know I want a strong red element in the pattern.

The choice of tartan colour will determine the colour of the shirt. I had thought to paint it a neutral off-white colour, but I'm also looking to use bolder colour to contrast with the white snow.

It took a lot of courage to strip this figure of its original paint job (c.1988), but this figure is too beautiful to look at and I had to have a "do-over" on him.

I haven't painted the base but I have done a heavy wash of Vallejo Black mixed with Acrylic Gloss Varnish and water. This helps define the mud patches and areas of disturbed snow.

The snow is from Gale Force Nine Hobby Scenics. I only bought it yesterday, and I like what I can do with it and some white glue.

I try to take some more pics as I go. Comments welcome.

Tony,
are you trying the Mitsutaka school of figures and ground work?! You know, one of those that suddenly appears, and paints itself when we aren't looking!

Great start, I think Quang of Pili Pili did an article on Tartan
Yep, just found it
http://www.pilipili-miniatures.com/pilipili_whatsnew.html

Good start, now I am off to google Gale Force Nine Hobby Scenics, look what other great stuff I cant justify dollars on yet....

Cheers

Lucky you Tony to have this beauty i envy you

You're off to a great start and I'm sure you'll do this great sculpture more then justice!!

Ray

Tony,

Great start, looking forward to seeing how this develops.

How did you achieve the frozen grass ?

Cheers Ken

Hi Tony

Do you know how rare this kit is now, its a beauty. Glad someone has the bottle to have a go at it, good start

Dave

Hello Tony

Nice scenery.
Keep us updated!

Regards from Portugal
Pedro

Thanks guys,

Jamie, I've just been reading Quang's excellent "How to paint tartan" SBS. Great stuff.

Ray, I hope I can make the most of this magnificent figure.

Hi Ken, the frozen grass is first glued in the ground then painted with Clear Gloss acrylic varnish and white glue and the snow is blown and sprinkled onto it.

Hi Dave, yes I know its as rare as hen's teeth now, which is why I wanted to do a decent job on him. The previous version was OK, but I know it can be better.

Thanks Pedro, I'll keep posting pics as I go. Hope you'll follow my SBS through to the end.

Tony,
I think you are on creating something special with this classical.

Marc

Excellent start Tony. I have this kit squirreled away in the gray army. It has fantastic detail I am sure you will bring out in yours. I look forward to seeing your next step.

Good stuff Tony, like your setting already, can't wait to see further progress.

Regards, RobH.

Tony - I've never seen this kit before and - Wow! - I can see the many attractions it would hold for the painter. I like the setting and the snowy scene you are creating very much. Great stuff!

All the best,
Dan

Hello, Tony.
Excellent start and nice ground work.
I'm looking forward to future's progress of this figure.
There was a lot of something wonderful for a figure of KIRIN.
That I should have bought up those while being young, it's regretted.

Thank you to all your encouraging comments my friends. I hope this SBS inspires a few Planeteers to dust off this gem of a sculpt from their Grey Army and have a go themselves.

Now that I have established the basic groundwork layout, I've repositioned the left arm and introduced the flag pole. The arm is held together with brass pins and blu-tak at present so I can adjust it and find a natural pose.

Forgive me if I start to sound a bit Jedi Master about this next bit, but bare with me.....The key visual elements of this figure represent a tryptic of natural forces; earth, water and wind.

The upward slope of the earth rises in harmony with the Highland warrior in his struggle to hoist the colours for the next charge. These elements draw your eye up and to the right. These earthly elements are opposed by wind and water.

Wind plays a major visual role in this scene, although in static form,it howls from right to left. The Highlander faces a strong head wind, blasting his frozen, bloodied face. He grips the shredded bloodied flag, and prepares to charge headlong into a Scottish blizzard. The land around him is frozen in fresh white snow and his tracks will be easy to follow.

Water binds earth and wind together to freeze this scene and bring balance to the tryptic. English blood on fresh white snow is a powerful visual and patriotic element that binds water to earth, and the Highlander to his land. I plan to add a few surprises on the other side of the stone wall.

Much still to do.

I've cut off half the right foot. I'll glue on some toes and re-make the shoe so it looks more battle worn. The flag pole will carry an old worn tattered banner of the St Andrews Cross, made from paper.

Painting and weathering choices (yet to be made) will bring this trypitc of natural forces: earth, wind and water, together. As always, I'm aiming to capture realism, but I want to be artistic and colourful as well.

I'll continue posting pics at key stages. Hope you like where I'm going with this.

Nice start Tony, really like what you have done with the groundwork.I had this figure in my grey army, but foolishly sold it at a bring and buy!!

David

Love what you are planning and doing with this one mate,im sure youlll do a top job on it.

Steve

Tony,
Great story line and wonderful rendition of the story. Looks very dynamic.
Cheers
John

Man i really wish someone would start selling this figure again ..

I didn't get to get one when the first came out .
Your a lucky Dog to have one .

David, Steve, John and Doug thank you very much for your comments.

Hairy McLeary

Hi guys,

The latest pics show my session at making long flowing hair using static grass. I first made the pony tail and worked my way up the scalp layer on layer. I'm using a strand-by-strand and super glue method for all you bald modellers thinking of trying this method on yourself.

I've also added a layer of texture to the shirt by wetting a single ply of toilet paper over the surface and adding a drop of white glue. I want the shirt to look as if the wind is tearing at it.

The flag pole is now positioned with the Highlander anchoring the pole on his leg while holding it firmly in the left hand. The top half of the pole has been bent to show the force of the wind once the flag is attached and flapping wildly.

The bandage around the head is a strip of masking tape. I've tied it into a ribbon on the left hand side of his head. It too is being blown off the head by the wind.

Don't stress out about the hair, I intend to give my Highlander a wild "do".

The figure is now base pinned and ready for final sculpting corrections, pinning arm joints etc. before priming and painting can begin.

Tony,

I'm liking this more and more.
What you're doing with the hair ,I know it's experimental and it looks like it might work but what if you mixed in Deer hair ,which a lot of modellers use for tall grass. It might be easier to work with.

Very interesting thread, will keep watching.

Cheers Ken