Captain Killick's patrol

[Barke02]

Greetings to all on the sculpting forum, thought it was about time for my first post. I've been following the planet for many a moon, and picked up many a tip so it's about time i put something back!

This is my latest project- a 1/16th diorama depicting paras at Arnhem. It's taken from Sem Presser's photograph showing Captain Killick's patrol moving westwards from the bridge at noon on Monday 18th September 1944. There's a long way to go yet, and I work VERY slowly, so don't expect to see this finished soon!

(Photo p.89 'B Company Arrived' David G.van Buggennum)

Any feedback would be appreciated,
Thanks,
Jon.

Blimey, I didn't realize the pics had to be so small! - I promise to post some better ones soon!

 

[Dan Morton]

Jon - Cool diorama and a big project! I like the fact that you are using a well-documented historical incident. Eight 120mm figures! That's a lot of work! You have a lot more patience than me!!!

All the best,
Dan

 

[Sambaman]

COOL! Welcome to the Planet Jon! Great dio, looking forward to seeing this one come together! Are you a painter as well? Will you be laying in the color on this one?

Jay H.
OKC

 

[gorgosaurus]

This´ll be one to watch.

Spike.

 

[Barke02]

Hi Dan, yes it's going to be a long drawn out project, the fact that it is so well documented really helps hold my interest; research is 80% of the enjoyment!

Hi Jay, I'm not much of a figure painter. I graduated with a degree in illustration, painting in oils on canvas, but cannot as yet produce a satisfactory result with miniatures. But hey, there is always the painting forum....

Here are a couple more photos.

 

[garyjd]

Quite an ambitious project. My only negative comment is that the heads look a little large. It might be because you seem to be fleshing out your armature as you do each section.I would think this could make for some difficulties in getting the proportions right. Anyway, your rendering of folds and other drapery effects is well done.~Gary

 

[Stephen Ward]

Great stuff man. It's incredibly ambitious of you to go at a project this big ( I have one of my own in 120mm with four figs and it's time-consuming as you well know ) and my hat is off to you for going at it with so much enthusiasm, especially recreating from a pic. Looking forward to seeing it complete.

 

[vergilius]

The master quality is showing already.
This is going to be top !
Love the german in between them. I guess he took the para's prisoner?

 

[eissteban]

hi jonathan
beautiful start and it's a pleasure to see a person who "work VERY slowly" like me (i'm not alone, it's cool )
The scale is a big challenge and i'll have the time to follow your project.

Seb.

 

[Barke02]

Hi Gary, yes the heads did start to go a bit 'Mekon'. They've been cut down in size a bit now. I think the problem arose because at the end of a sculpting session all the excess putty would be rolled into 'head blanks', and this being done by eye rather than measuring resulted in them creeping up into larger sizes. I take a bit more care in forming the basic head shape now, rather than just trying not to waste putty.

As for fleshing out the armatures in sections - you're right, it does make getting the proportions accurate more difficult. I'm making the dio in sections to give me the option to cast at a later date. I understand that commercial sculptors find it more awkward and time consuming this way, but the moulding process demands it. One of the threads I have followed was posted by Tom Sollers (microsulpt- creator of the STUNNING figure of Guynemer) about whether to model in sections or cut apart the finished figure. I tried the cutting apart method, and for me this was a no goer. Modelling in sections is proving just as frustrating, in particular supporting the arms, but I'm still listening and learning from the best.....you guys on the planet!

 

[Jeff]

If this is a stand alone piece just make the bodies a little larger. You should be able to do that pretty easily at this point. But if you go much further it might get harder. The figures are looking really great so far the head size is about the only thing that seems off about them.

Best
Jeff

 

[Squeakyclean]

Jon

A fantastic project of a subject I'm very interested in as I'm working on my own Arnhem dio at the moment - all be it 1:35th - and I also work slowly, it usually pays of in the end.

Will you be scratch building the weapons?

Keep us posted.

Matt

 

[Barke02]

Hi Matt, the weapons.....I've kind of been putting that off. Not my strong point. I had a chat with Maurice Corry at Euromilitaire last weekend (hi Maurice!) about how he creates his firearms (which are SOOO cool), but I still haven't plucked up the courage to bite the bullet and pile in. I'm hoping technology will come to the rescue, by designing the firearms in a computer program like solidworks and then having them rendered in a 3d printer. The afv crowd seem to be up and running with this technology - prehaps I could commision one of them!

 

[Rommel]

Great work!!!I much like this!