A Few 54mm Historex Conversions.

[Mike S.]

I suppose that I have been a member long enough that I am bound to start displaying a few of my works. Here are some recent Historex conversions (Yes, I still love those old "war horse" kits) that I have finished. My photographic equipment and skills leave a lot to be desired, so bear with me:

Chasseur a cheval de la line:

And a French Line Voltigeur bugler:

More to follow, including original sculpts.

Cheers.

 

[megroot]

Nice work on this oldies.

Marc

 

[Guy]

Excellent work. I have never built and painted a Historex kit but do enjoy seeing them painted.

 

[tonydawe]

Nice work Mike. Can you show us any more??

 

[Mike S.]

I have hundreds to photograph, but here is another Napoleonic:

This one was scratch built, using a few Historex spare parts in the mix:

 

[Mike S.]

Here are a couple of older, larger scale figures. The Scottish figure is a Verlinden 120mm Waterloo Cameron Highlander heavily converted to a Crimean War 93rd Sutherland Highlander:

The other is a 120mm resin figure of Confederate Col. John B. Gordon by a maker I can't recall. He needed a good 5mm removed from his legs to make him proportionate:

 

[mil-mart]

Mike,
Nice collection, I particularily like the scratch built french guard.
Thanks for showing.

Cheers Ken

 

[Mike S.]

A few more. I'll start an album as soon as I figure out how that works on this forum. It's obvious that I REALLY need to learn how to photograph my figures pronto, alas. My skills, or lack of in that department, really short change my figures in the pictures.

Never the less:

 

[tonydawe]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for posting so many great pics. Very impressive.

I'm no expert on photography, but I would recommend you don't use the flash when photographing your figures. It has a tendency to "wash out" the colours and the contrasts, making everything appear monochromatic.

My suggestion to improve your photographic skills is to lose the flash and use two directional light sources, such as a desk lamps on moveable arms, to light your figures.

Having said all that, these photos clearly show your skill as a painter and a sculptor.

 

[Mike S.]

Thanks for the advice Tony, I believe that you are correct. I'm doing many things wrong, because these look a hell of a lot better in person than my pitiful photos, if I do say so myself.

I will create an album instead posting in one thread, add more photos, and replace these with clearer pictures as I experiment with my digital camera.

Cheers for the complements and advice.

 

[Marcel]

Michael,

Some great looking figure you are showing here!

regards,
Marcel.

 

[Mike S.]

Many thanks Marcel.

 

[mil-mart]

Hi Mike,
Before you post any more pics go into Pf support forum and request to join
v-Bench , that way every time you post anything to v-Bench( not sculpting or painting) it will create a gallery as such. Hope this makes sense.
Great painting of Himmler, is that a commercial piece.

Cheers Ken

 

[Mike S.]

Thank you for the heads up Ken, I will do just that.

The Himmler figure was an old Ron Hinote Little Generals piece. Sadly, I can't seem to find too many of these old kits on the used market, as he sculpted some real gems. I added the lenses of his spectacles from punched out clear plastic styrene, a much better alternative to even photo etched frames in my opinion.

I posted a WANTED ad in the Marketplace for any Little Generals figures should anyone have some they wish to unload.

Cheers.

 

[davidmitchell]

Very nice work Mike on all fronts, took me a while to get the photos right and am still working on it.Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

Cheers David

 

[Jamie Stokes]

Good work on your figures.

good colours, sharp painting, nicely based.

re; photos - already a lot of good advice. I would add that changing to a neutral grey background will help in the results. too great a difference between background and subject means the camera comprises over too great a span of difference (hope that made sense)[ think photographing a black cat on a white sheet- a black blob with eyes and a tail is the usual result]


great results so far!

cheers

PS I thought the Himmler figure was very well done. Its creepy to think that such a dull looking fellow was responsible for so much evil. The odd part is that while he wrote up the standards for Aryan perfection, he didn't match them himself enough of the history- good painting on all your figures

 

[Mike S.]

Thanks for the excellent advice Jamie. I see most figures photographed against a slightly grayed, pale blue backdrop which confirms your suspicions. I will rig one of these up as you suggest, and get a tripod as well.

There was no logic behind the Third Reich's racial purity laws or philosophy as you say. Reinhardt Heydrich (Creditable deathbed confession that he was Jewish), Rudolph Hess (half Greek), Hitler (partially Jewish), General Erhard Milch (half Jewish) the list goes on and on, did not technically "qualify" according to those arbitrary laws. Additionally, of all the Germanic peoples, the Germans/Deutsche proper actually have the most Slavic in their make up, a race that Hitler and Himmler despised.

I myself am half German (Father's family is from Berlin. Alsace, and Schleswig-Holstein), and half Welsh/Scottish on my mother's side. As a matter of fact I had relatives fighting on both sides of that insanity. Fortunately for the world, the latter half won.

 

[Dan Morton]

Very, very nice figures! I liked several of them - but the Himmler and the Scots figure - really well done!

It would also pay to get to know Photoshop a little. You don't have to be any kind of an expert...and what you need to know is fairly easy to figure out. Cropping, color control, a little lighting and contrast, not much more. Just a suggestion...

All the best,
Dan