10th Bavarian Infantry Rgt Machine-gunner

[Dan Morton]

This little project has taken about six days - a few hours in the evenings and all day Saturday and today. When I began, I thought it might be interesting to take photos at various stages - something I've not done before.

I used the excellent bust of Eddie Rickenbacker as a starting point - mainly because of his face. I think it's a good likeness, but what I found intriguing was that when I compared the Bavarian's face and Eddie's - there were similarities I could use. The Rickenbacker bust is, 1/12th scale, I think. I used Magic-Sculpt by itself and combinations of M-S and Kneadatite.

The photos are not terrific - most of them were shot pretty quickly.

Hope you like it!

All the best,
Dan

 

[gordy]

Cool

 

[megroot]

Good work Dan.
He has one badge to much in the front I believe

Marc

 

[Dan Morton]

Thanks Gordy!

Marc - the feldmutze normally had two cocardes in front, one on top of the other. One was the national or Imperial one and the other the state, in this case Bavaria. Like this one. In the photo of the soldat, maybe the exposure and/or shadows prevent us from seeing it or possibly the soldier himself may have removed it or lost it.

The other badges on the side of the mutze are meant to be Austrian in origin - possibly from a cousin or something.

After I posted this, I went back to the face, added some more frown lines around the mouth and shaved a bit from the top of the lip. I hadn't noticed before I took the photos how much the top lip had pushed out, particularly at the bottom, making a more chimp-like mouth. The mouth is supposed to be pursed and harsh, even angry, but not look like a chimpanzee.

Why is it you (I) never see these things until after you post the photos?

All the best,
Dan

 

[tonydawe]

Very nice work Dan. I love to see how you realise your projects and the SBS is very helpful, thanks.

 

[Dan Morton]

Cheers Tony!

All the best,
Dan

 

[Dan Morton]

FYI - I'm lookin' for painters for this one, the Japanese Military Advisor and the Frontschwein. Any takers?

Drop me a line at [email protected].

All the best,
Dan

 

[captfue]

Nice converstion

 

[billyturnip]

I like this one a lot Dan, is it your first bust?

Roger.

 

[Dan Morton]

Anthony and Roger - Many thanks! Yes, Roger, it's my first. I think I still prefer full figures to busts, although I begin to see the attraction.

All the best,
Dan

 

[Ulrich]

Good idea to change a bust. But it would for me mean a great overcome to "destroy" another bust to make a new one

Ulrich

 

[1969]

Interesting conversion Dan, looks like you are tackling it well and I will be following mate, good to see you take a bust on mate.

Steve

 

[housecarl]

You've been itching to do him for a while Dan, great start.
Carl.

 

[DaveCox]

I like that Dan - a lot!

 

[theBaron]

Very nice conversion, Dan! I like your detail on the non-reg badges on the side of the Mütze. I didn't know they wore anything like that. Sort of a forerunner of the unofficial traditional formation badges worn a generation later. When will you be ready for some color?

Prost!
Brad

 

[mil-mart]

Dan, nice work and congratulations on your first bust, looks great.

Cheers Ken

 

[fmargem]

Great expression and likeness! Congratulations!

 

[Dan Morton]

Thanks to all! Sorry for the mass reply.

Ulrich: I know what you mean. The Rickenbacker bust is excellent sculpting, but after all it is a casting, not the original. I didn't buy it with the intention of re-working it into this Bavarian. Just kinda worked out that way...

Steve: I did some revising to the mouth to try to bring out more of the pursed lips and the lines beside the mouth that normally show up when you do that. I have some cleaning to do, but otherwise I think I'm done. The likeness is not perfect but it's (I think) as good as I'm going to achieve. Thanks for your comments!

Carl: Can't say I've been eagerly anticipating sculpting a Bavarian machine-gunner per se, but the photo definitely got under my skin. I'm sure everybody has photos, paintings, certain songs, etc., that affect them in different ways. Usually photos don't give me the creeps like this guy did/does. Cheers! Thanks for the comment!

Dave: Cheers! Thanks!

Brad: Thanks very much! I've only seen a few other photos that show Germans with the Austrian badges on caps. Lots of the German, Austrian, and Italian ski and mountain troops put edelweiss badges and other things on their caps in the Great War. Ready for painting in about a week. I still need to clean the bust. Interested? Drop me an e-mail.

Ken: Cheers! Yes this is my first bust conversion. Many thanks!

Felipe: Thanks! Glad you liked it!

 

[renarts]

Nicley done Dan. I like that you captured the tension in the face as it is in the photo. For a first time bust I expect great things in your future projects.
I have to ask though, you've done an excellent conversion, and given the amount that you've done overall, why not just do a 100% scratch?

 

[Dan Morton]

Mike - Thanks for the comment! Most kind! I suppose if i had planned this project instead of it kinda evolving, i would have sculpted the head. But that's not what happened. I bought the Rickenbacker casting to study the sculpting - very good incidentally. When i carefully looked at the face, i saw several similarities to the Bavarian, started playing around and...

The Bavarian is an excursion from my larger "Gassed" project. Probably enough diversions and time to get back to figure four of Gassed.