Schnabeltier
Active Member
Calling this a “work-in-progress” might be stretching the fact, as it reached the state shown in the accompanying photos back in about 1988 and hasn’t seen progress since.
I had been (and still am) a fan of David Grieve’s work, and when he released the 65mm Naval Brigade Officer in 1984-ish, followed with the 65mm Guards Camel Regiment guardsman, I started to research the Sudan conflicts to find a moment in time when both units were represented at one spot. The battle of Abu Klea fit nicely, so with a few modifications to both figures, I created this scene. It shows the mounted Guardsman gawking at a Mahdist flag held aloft by the Naval Brigade officer, who has helped himself to battlefield souvenirs in the form of a Mahdist flag and spear. In truth, I doubt this would have happened, as the surviving troops quickly headed for the Nile in a poor state, desperately low on water. Collecting the discards of the Mahdists probably didn’t rank high on the list of priorities. Fortunately, my artistic license is still valid.
I have to thank Ratty, who posted this thread -- http://www.planetfigure.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40174 -- that led to my discovery that Grieve’s figures are still to be had from www.bonapartes.uk.com. I’ve painted a number of them, and it was those happy memories that prompted me to recover the dusty box that has served as home for this scene for over two decades.
It’s obviously far from done, and though I started it exclusively in oils, I am going to try using acrylics for base colors, and reserve the oils for shadowing and highlights. The uniforms are somewhat colorful – compared to the sea of khaki that was the British Army then – and the Mahdist flags will add a bit of brilliance in an otherwise largely monochromatic scene.
Wish me luck.
I had been (and still am) a fan of David Grieve’s work, and when he released the 65mm Naval Brigade Officer in 1984-ish, followed with the 65mm Guards Camel Regiment guardsman, I started to research the Sudan conflicts to find a moment in time when both units were represented at one spot. The battle of Abu Klea fit nicely, so with a few modifications to both figures, I created this scene. It shows the mounted Guardsman gawking at a Mahdist flag held aloft by the Naval Brigade officer, who has helped himself to battlefield souvenirs in the form of a Mahdist flag and spear. In truth, I doubt this would have happened, as the surviving troops quickly headed for the Nile in a poor state, desperately low on water. Collecting the discards of the Mahdists probably didn’t rank high on the list of priorities. Fortunately, my artistic license is still valid.
I have to thank Ratty, who posted this thread -- http://www.planetfigure.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40174 -- that led to my discovery that Grieve’s figures are still to be had from www.bonapartes.uk.com. I’ve painted a number of them, and it was those happy memories that prompted me to recover the dusty box that has served as home for this scene for over two decades.
It’s obviously far from done, and though I started it exclusively in oils, I am going to try using acrylics for base colors, and reserve the oils for shadowing and highlights. The uniforms are somewhat colorful – compared to the sea of khaki that was the British Army then – and the Mahdist flags will add a bit of brilliance in an otherwise largely monochromatic scene.
Wish me luck.
