Conversion Moz + Reid + Gordon Mitchell + Mike...

[Inaki]

Dear Friends,

What if, we use a great face sculpted (if I am right by Carl Reid), a bearskin added by Mike and we try to fix it in a figure I think was made by Moz?
I'll better start from the beginning. I love anything related to the British Army, specially from AWI to the Crimean War, and much more if there is a bearskin on top. I almost buy any Guard, Greys, Fusilier that are released. I am also an admirer of Moz and Carl's work.
Add to this equation Victory Miniatures and a great figure - in my humble opinion - ruined by a strange face and a very poor bearskin.
When I recently bought the new Welsh Guardsman bust, by Mitches, I immediatly thought "what if" the large 150mm scale from Victory could work with the stunning head just received.
For me, it perfectly fits and it mades an impressive Grenadier Guard in Crimea.
I attach some pictures with the figure mounted, but please note that I have not built the correct feather yet and I have not "sanded", soften, polished or added putty anywhere. It is simply "glued" to show you the idea.
I would appreciate any painting/picture or reference about the Grenadiers at that time, as I just have a limited Osprey book + google.
Probably the bearskin is too big, or maybe not, but in my opinion, the result is stunning.
Thank you, Moz, Carl, Mike, Gordon... and anyone involved in this proccess.
I hope you'll find this interesting.
Kind regards,

Iñaki

 

[ellie]

hi that looks great well done indeed love to see it painted.

ian

 

[Ferris]

Looks right to me from a proportions point of view, although I have little knowledge of the subject and cannot comment on bearskin size.
Base figure looks nice as well by the way.

Cheers,
Adrian

 

[Mike S.]

I like the modifications. The pose is just right too.

 

[MCPWilk]

It looks very good. I suppose I should offer to 'upgrade' Victory's bearskins. They take a fair bit of Milliput and it is bit tedious to get the fur right, but I think I have captured the effect of that particular head-dress. The shape of the bearskins on today's Guards varies quite considerably, and I'm sure the same was true of Guardsmen in the Crimean war. A grenadier of the period would have a horsehair plume on the left, feather plumes being confined to SNCOs and officers.

Mike

 

[Inaki]

Hi, Mike!

As a bearskin fanatic (since very young, don't ask me why) and owner of a fair one from the 30's, I can confirm that very seldom I see a bearskin sculpted that realistically simulates the hair texture. Sometimes Moz and Carl approaches to this quite well, but always "gathering locks of hair". For me, Grieve was very good achieving the "inflated" impression of the hair and, in this case, you did the same. Excellent!!!

Regarding Victory, I have a double feeling with this company. On one hand, the sculpts are pretty good, the price is cheap compared with any other maker and I feel a sort of very good liking for them (excuse my English). On the other hand, I have had issues with the resin they use and I cannot help thinking on a great charging Scots Grey, beautifully painted whose horse's legs exploded at the very moment I completed it. I install wires in the horse's legs and it happened again exactly the same. Now, the poor thing is sleeping in a box. I can also say that the sailors were great and the Coldstream Ensign is one of the best options to buy ever: http://www.victoryminiatures.co.uk/?id=models&pid=36
I do recommend this nice maker, though my previous negative comments.

Now, I have to remake the bearskin to dig a bit in the plume area. I wish I achieved what Grieves did in his 100mm guardsman, with a plume which which was deeply instered into the fur.
By the way, anyone can offer any information or source about the back pack and other equipment?

Thank you, Mike for your good job!

Iñaki

 

[MCPWilk]

I'm sure Keith will be disappointed to hear of your shattered horse leg. I normally try to drill right up into the horse's body. The alternative is to scrape a trough down the inside of the leg, insert a steel wire and the infill and tidy up with Milliput or similar. Good luck with the plume.

Mike

 

[Inaki]

Thanks, Mike!
I drilled as much as I could, and I did it in at least two legs... the internal tension was too much, so I'll have to rebuild the legs and that requires time and skills.
Probably, it's partially my fault, though I was not truly happy with the resin itself.
On the other hand, Keith should be very proud of the overall quality and very good prices.

The main aim of this post is to highlight how good is (and how difficult must be) to standarize the scales and see how we can combine parts of excellent sculptors.
Normally, we cannot mix different makers/sculptors in a vignette because the scales and style do not match correctly.
This is an exception and a pleasure mixing your talents, guys!

Iñaki

 

[MCPWilk]

I suspect that GSM Mott is to 1/10 rather than 1/9 scale, which puts his head and bearskin nearer 1/12 (150mm) for your conversion.

Mike

 

[Inaki]

Hi, Mike!
My first impression was that the 1/10 was going to be too big for the Victory's 150mm. However, Victory is quite humble (or the rest of the world a bit too exaggerated) as they matched perfectly.
I compared the torsos, arms, hands... and for me it's quite Ok. Reid's face is not that big and the bearskin could seem too big, but in my opinion it is due to the "inflated" fur appearance, which is almost perfect when we look at real ones or pictures.
Maybe the hands are the main difference.
Now, I own a beautifully built torso, arms... and a spare head.
I suggest you offer the Welsh Guard head apart!

Iñaki

 

[MCPWilk]

It's Gordon's, not mine, to offer!

Mike

 

[DEL]

And so we come to an end of this first episode of Dr Moreau and the Military Modeller
Watch this space for the next gripping chapter where themes of moral responsibility are explored through paint and glue.
Proper thoughtful modelling
Cheers
Derek

 

[peedee]

I hate to spoil a good thing, and it looks fine too me as it is, really it does but it is an officers bearskin on a soldier.
My understanding is, (but I don't know how far back it goes), Officers bearskins are taller and fuller in th rear, whilst those of
private soldiers were always lower and more rounded?
I now hope I'm wrong
Paul

 

[Inaki]

Hi, Paul!

You are right, in fact, but then, I wonder what were the real dimensions used on each type.
In fact, I read somewhere that the battle ones were shortened for practical reasons.
However, and you British guys have an advantage there, if we look at the Guards nowadays, the Officers have a very high cylindric shape.
Most probably, the Crimean War Grenadiers wore something much shorter than my figure, though I still believe the general appearance is well achieved.
So... question: anyone knows which was the height of the battlefield model bearskin for Officers and soldiers?

Apart of the historical accuracy (and I don't want to enter into the "rivet-counting" debate), I always liked a bit of dramatic caricature on Victorian subjects, a bit, not histrionic.

Thank you!

 

[peedee]

If anyone asks, cause there's only you me and Del looking, and he doesn't tell tales try this.

"Your man had his bearskin shot through by a small cannon ball mate, and so that he would not feell too cold with the force of the wind blowing through the hole and out again,
he borrowed this one from of a wounded officer who was in a generous mood and had a thumping headache anyway."
See problem caused and solved !

Paul

 

[Inaki]

Soo funny comments, DEL.
Apologize me if the post is somewhat silly, just putting a head on top of a figure.
I was just so impressed about the quality of Mike's bearskin... and I thought what a good combination is Moz and Carl "work together".
In Santander, in the 80's I grew up watching Fernando Garrido (who won several gold medals at Euro) modelling from scratch and you all are used to impressive modelling.
I promise any future chapter will offer more substance.

Iñaki

 

[MCPWilk]

Keith (Victory Miniatures) thinks the figure was actually sculpted by the late Pete Morton..............

Mike

 

[Inaki]

I see... my mistake then!
I thought it was a Moz one.
Correction:

- Face: Carl Reid (?)
- Bearskin: Mike
- Figure: Pete Morton
- Doc Moreau: Iñaki

 

[DEL]

Apologize me if the post is somewhat silly, just putting a head on top of a figure.
I promise any future chapter will offer more substance.

Iñaki

Nothing silly about it, this is what modelling is all about.

 

[Helm]

Nothing silly about it, this is what modelling is all about.

Well that and being silly.. Oh and rivet counting....... allegedly
While not knowing anything about the subject or period, think it looks well, odd how it's all gone together like that nice one
Steve