Converting standing or lying figures into hanged person

[Hobbyinovator]

I have plans for making a diorama with a hanged person. I havent found any existing figure that suits my plans, so I must convert one or more figures who are either standing or lying on the ground.
Does anyone have any experince or any advice? I think I will use Masterbox figures. I want the legs to be straight and parallell with feets pointing downwards.
If I would use one of the male figures in this set, how should I convert them?
http://www.mbltd.info/3514.htm

 

[btavis]

I did one in a controversial diorama but I made it from scratch. The problem in using an existing figure is that gravity forces the whole body to sag down and a person lying on the ground would not have this. Also the figure I did had his hands tied behind his back.

My rule of thumb about conversions is that it if more than fifty percent of the figure needs to be changed then it is easier to make it from scratch. You end up changing so much and fighting with things not working out right that it is just not worth it.

Here is a shot of the piece I did:

 

[TWOMOONS]

Wow...talk about controversial! Understatement.
Well done...each figure is a unique story unto itself...IMO, it's just as valid to portray the ugly parts of history (even ours) as it is to showcase the glorious.
Did you compete with it?
I agree that if it's that much of a conversion, better and easier to scratchbuild it.
Hobbyinovator: I don't know what Masterbox figures are, or what scale, but Preiser has a set that may get you closer without all the sturm and drang. All separate heads and torsos, hips and legs etc...

 

[btavis]

This was done about five years ago and yes it was in competition at the time. It got both high kudos and extreme criticism. Either people seemed to appreciate it for what it was or hated it for whatever reason.

At Chicago about three years ago a guy did a similar piece except his was about a lynching during the Civil War. Strangely enough both pieces had the same title: "Strange Fruit."

Yeah, the Preiser multipose nude sets are really good for conversions. But still you will need to fuss with them a lot to get them the way you want. I think I used Preiser feet for the above piece.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

As Bob comment upon these poses of dead bodies are hard as there is no muscles in the body holding on. Look at the shoulders of a hanged person for example.

Cheers
Janne Nilsson

 

[Jim]

I agree with Bob's observations regarding conversion/sculpting, particularly for a 'special' pose such as a hanged person. A lot of the 'dead' figures commercially available don't look right to me. I've done a couple of figures for vignettes and they were pretty much sculpted, with the exception of shoes and heads. Even the hands need to be looked at carefully - most commercial hands don't make the grade.

I saw Bob's 'Strange Fruit' at SCAHMS - it is magnificent work. The sculpting/converting and the detail that Bob put into it - let alone the ugly truth he was portraying - was something to behold.

 

[Jeff]

As far as the figure I agree with what every one else is saying sculpt it your self You might be able to use some commercial parts such as hands feet heads but the body and neck need to be sculpted. It is not hard to find photos of hanged men on the net but it is not an easy thing to look at.


Bob is not afraid to show the ugly truth of American history. People may want to shy from it, but the fact is it is right there just under the surface. It was a great diorama of an ugly piece of our history. It was not just black men who were lynched. But they were the main target of it. A famous case of a Jewish man who was lynched. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Frank