WIP 71st Fraser Highlander

[mmcalc]

Hello everyone. I thought I would pose this question to the forum. Dose anyone else feel the need to rework figures?

I bought The FeR 71st Highlander figure. It is really well detailed and well proportioned. But...

I wanted to model a rifleman in the light company. I am converting the Land pattern musket to a P1776 Infantry Rifle, so it will be shortened.

This figure is a good starting point but I thought that the way that the figure was carrying his weapon was rather odd.
https://ferminiatures.com/shop/revo...grenadier-71st-foot-frasers-highlanders-1780/

I thought I would try a repose. I thought that a simple cradle carry of his rifle would be more appropriate. Here is the mock up, with the partially converted rifle, still awaiting shortening.

I have found that I almost always repose figures. Does anyone else have this compulsion?

Mike

 

[Martin64]

Your conversion is a vast improvement and yes I repose figures quite often.

 

[Nap]

Hi Mike

It’s a great Figure sculpt but the weapon position could be thought a little different , so I agree with your option looks very natural

As for reposing I change/add things on busts but that’s probably as far as I dare to go !

Following this with much interest

If you wish I will move this to V bench so you can keep the updates running

Looking forward to seeing more

Have fun at the bench

Nap

 

[valiant]

I used to do it all the time. So much so, that I started to sculpt my own figures from scratch to cut out all the reworking necessary!!

 

[mmcalc]

Hi Mike

It’s a great Figure sculpt but the weapon position could be thought a little different , so I agree with your option looks very natural

As for reposing I change/add things on busts but that’s probably as far as I dare to go !

Following this with much interest

If you wish I will move this to V bench so you can keep the updates running

Looking forward to seeing more

Have fun at the bench

Nap

Thanks all!

Nap, Yes please move the thread. I would like to post progress.

I am contemplating sculpting a new head. The kit's head is fine (I don't think the box art did it justice), but I saw this picture

https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/british-soldier-northern-ireland-1980-ish.55423/page-2

And his expression struck me as appropriate for a soldier who just survived Cowpens and is rather bitter at the whole situation, particularly Tarleton, who wasted the whole battalion there. Plus, I like his hat jammed down over his eyes.

Mike

 

[Nap]

Hi Mike

Thread moved to V Bench as requested

Liking the thoughts you have on the face and headwear position

Looking forward to seeing more

Have fun @ the bench

Nap

 

[clubcat]

I like what you are doing and going on this. I think the head needs to tilt down a tad to get him to look up (glare) as in the photo.
Melanie

 

[Mac1966]

Fantastic! I'll copy your simple but fantastic idea!

 

[mmcalc]

Melanie,
I thought the same thing. From what I have read, Scots soldiers, at least 20th century ones, liked to wear their bonnets pulled forward over their eyes. That may not truly reflect 18th affectations, but it is practical in that it hides to eyes from the sun and it would certainly add to a glowering expression.
Mike

 

[Richard Baxter]

The soldier in the photo wears a modern Glengarry, which did not become widely worn in the British Army until the 1850s, and was adopted for wear by pipers before the infantrymen. It may not even have been invented as an item of civilian headgear until the 1790s, sources differ on this.

Your figure is sculpted with the Balmoral bonnet, also known as the Kilmarnock bonnet, which was adopted into the British Army in the 1740's. This was an evolution of the common civilian blue bonnet, of which there are records as far back as the 16th century. It featured a ribbon cockade and a small toorie, and sometimes a short hackle also.

 

[mmcalc]

I was really just going to copy the expression, but planned to keep the proper period headgear, just worn differently. This is a quick sketch of what I had in mind.
Mike

Mike

 

[Briggsy]

Great conversion Mike, totally agree the original is odd, I have done several French Army figures carrying that way but all have huge backpacks.

As for reworking figures, I have done my fair share over the years and now make my own, not to the extent of Valient, mine are more reworked Historex, to the extent there isn't much Historex left.

I tend to do stock figures as they come these days as I like to keep the painting going while resculpting my own.

Cheers Simon

 

[David Spencer]

That re-posing has really improved the figure. It looks like an interesting one to work on.

 

[F Troop]

Hello everyone. I thought I would pose this question to the forum. Dose anyone else feel the need to rework figures?

I bought The FeR 71st Highlander figure. It is really well detailed and well proportioned. But...

I wanted to model a rifleman in the light company. I am converting the Land pattern musket to a P1776 Infantry Rifle, so it will be shortened.

This figure is a good starting point but I thought that the way that the figure was carrying his weapon was rather odd.
https://ferminiatures.com/shop/revo...grenadier-71st-foot-frasers-highlanders-1780/

View attachment 498281​

I thought I would try a repose. I thought that a simple cradle carry of his rifle would be more appropriate. Here is the mock up, with the partially converted rifle, still awaiting shortening.

View attachment 498284View attachment 498285

I have found that I almost always repose figures. Does anyone else have this compulsion?

Mike

Yes. I've been guilty of that on more than one occasion and as far as I know there is no cure for it.

 

[Ferris]

Very nice conversion. Better than the original.

Cheers
Adrian

 

[Nap]

Hi Mike

Liking the sketch , the change of the headwear position will look good and add more interest along with the weapon location

Looking forward to seeing more on this

Have fun @ Bench

Nap

 

[MalcC]

Great conversion, this pose looks far more natural.
Following with interest.

Malc

 

[Babelfish]

I agree with the other comments that your pose is a vast improvement.

I'm also not a fan if that particular sculptor's faces. He did a lot of work for FeR (not sure if he still does) and all his figures have more of less the same face, which on many I think looks a tad doll-like to the point that it's put me off a number of otherwise very nice pieces from that company's range.

- Steve

 

[mmcalc]

Hello everyone,

I have been sidetracked making a 3d model of the Pattern 1776 Rifle. I decided that I didn't like the Brown Bess conversion, so down the rabbit hole I went. I figured I may as well, as I intend on doing a series of figures representing British rifle armed light infantrymen of the American Revolution. I can also jump to 90mm, 120mm, or even 1/32 if I want to with a printed weapon. I will wind up making a Baker rifle eventually as I have ideas for a series of Napoleonic British, Hanover, and Brunswick riflemen.

If that wasn't bad enough, I also modeled a dirk. I figured that this character would be carrying a Scottish weapon he would be familiar with as a ghillie rather than a hatchet.

This is where a 3d printer comes in handy. The organic stuff is really difficult for me to 3d model. Anyhow, I get more satisfaction doing that by hand. The mechanical stuff with crazy detail is better digitally modeled and printed in my opinion. At least, I can get it to look better than trying to do it by hand.I might try a shako for the 1800 figures, or at least the basic shape and brim too.

Ciao,

Mike

 

[Briggsy]

Excellent use of technology, I really do need to sort my 3D printer out, only had it 2 years so far.

Cheers Simon