Schnabeltier
Active Member
Like many other PF forumites, I think Carl Reid's French Cuirassier bust is a wonderful sculpt that could only be improved upon by giving it legs and a horse. So, for the last few weeks, I have been practicing my meager sculpting skills in an attempt to do just that. The attached photos show the result of my efforts. It's not even close to finished, but far enough along that I can invite suggestions and recommendations from those of you who know more about sculpting than me (which means just about everyone).
I was incredibly lucky to find a suitable charger on which to base my additions. The horse is a model of Secretariat, the Triple Crown winner, and is made by an American company called Breyer. It was a bit of a gamble in terms of scale, but once it arrived I knew it would work well. In fact, it's almost like it was made for the purpose . . . look at the way the cuirassier's criniere flows and then look at the horse's tail -- the loft of the hair is virtually identical! The horse will need repainting as the factory job falls a bit short in terms of quality and definition (hey, it's a kid's toy). Also, the detail on the mane is poor and it was getting in the way of the saddle and shabraque, so I ground most of it off, leaving just enough to provide a base on which to sculpt a new mane when the time comes. The manufacturer wisely inserted a metal rod in the one leg that touches ground, so it should be pretty stable over time. Even so, the finished cuirassier, accoutrements and saddle will be fairly heavy, so I plan to create a base that shows him charging through tall grass, and will add several support rods suitably disguised to make sure the horse doesn't bite the dust over time.
The horse has just completed the suspended portion of its gait and is beginning to gather its legs for another stride, so I sculpted the various elements -- the saddle cloth, shabraque, portmanteau and cape -- to show them in a complementary, semi-suspended state. The rider himself is standing slightly in the stirrups to minimize the effects of the horse's movement on his body position. His legs, which in a less-active state would normally grip the horse's rib cage, are somewhat splayed as happens in this phase of the horse's stride.
These photos are crap, but they give you an idea of where I'm at with the sculpt. The next steps will focus on adding a bit more muscle to the rider's thighs; adding more of his tunic under the cuirasse, which is pushed up by the extension of the right arm; completing the carbine bayonet and scabbard; and adding scabbard slings so that the scabbard is bouncing wildly in the charge. Then I'll further define and refine the folds in the drapery and uniform, etc. and smooth all the surfaces to eliminate fingerprints and excess material. After that, I'll need to make the girth, bridle, reins and other bits of horse harness. Lots of work to do before assembly and painting begins.
Thanks, Carl, for sculpting a great (and, needless to say, inspirational) bust . . . and thanks also to Graham for casting it up and making it available.
S.
I was incredibly lucky to find a suitable charger on which to base my additions. The horse is a model of Secretariat, the Triple Crown winner, and is made by an American company called Breyer. It was a bit of a gamble in terms of scale, but once it arrived I knew it would work well. In fact, it's almost like it was made for the purpose . . . look at the way the cuirassier's criniere flows and then look at the horse's tail -- the loft of the hair is virtually identical! The horse will need repainting as the factory job falls a bit short in terms of quality and definition (hey, it's a kid's toy). Also, the detail on the mane is poor and it was getting in the way of the saddle and shabraque, so I ground most of it off, leaving just enough to provide a base on which to sculpt a new mane when the time comes. The manufacturer wisely inserted a metal rod in the one leg that touches ground, so it should be pretty stable over time. Even so, the finished cuirassier, accoutrements and saddle will be fairly heavy, so I plan to create a base that shows him charging through tall grass, and will add several support rods suitably disguised to make sure the horse doesn't bite the dust over time.
The horse has just completed the suspended portion of its gait and is beginning to gather its legs for another stride, so I sculpted the various elements -- the saddle cloth, shabraque, portmanteau and cape -- to show them in a complementary, semi-suspended state. The rider himself is standing slightly in the stirrups to minimize the effects of the horse's movement on his body position. His legs, which in a less-active state would normally grip the horse's rib cage, are somewhat splayed as happens in this phase of the horse's stride.
These photos are crap, but they give you an idea of where I'm at with the sculpt. The next steps will focus on adding a bit more muscle to the rider's thighs; adding more of his tunic under the cuirasse, which is pushed up by the extension of the right arm; completing the carbine bayonet and scabbard; and adding scabbard slings so that the scabbard is bouncing wildly in the charge. Then I'll further define and refine the folds in the drapery and uniform, etc. and smooth all the surfaces to eliminate fingerprints and excess material. After that, I'll need to make the girth, bridle, reins and other bits of horse harness. Lots of work to do before assembly and painting begins.
Thanks, Carl, for sculpting a great (and, needless to say, inspirational) bust . . . and thanks also to Graham for casting it up and making it available.
S.
