Mike Blank Viking

[DaddyO]

Afternoon all
As promised here are a few pics of a figure which has been around on my bench for the last month or so. This one seemed to hang around for longer than usual. It's a 75mm resin figure sold by SK miniatures and makes a nice change from the more dramatic poses we usually see. The figure itself is very simple and can be painted in a wide range of ways, but I decided to go for a subdued tone with simple colours and no decoration aiming for your 'Average Joe' sort of chap.
I added the shield to provide some balance and rather than use the supplied resin base opted for something similar made from blue foam and DAS clay (My base had an odd texture which I thought would be difficult to get rid of) The pendant cord was fuse wire and I sharpened the detail on the 'Thor's hammer pendant' with so Magic Sculpt.
(Although there were some quite bad mould lines and pin hole air bubbles on my kit I assume this was a 'rogue kit' since all the other ones in the series have been better) One gold star must go to Steve for the addition of 'metal' details rather than the more usual resin so for once I managed to build a resin kit without breaking something
Cheers for now
Paul

 

[mortier]

Looks very good,the simple colours are very realistic for a Viking

 

[MoboSchreuder]

looking great nice figure

Mobo

 

[Scott Sheltz]

Great looking paint work!

 

[Viking Bob]

Excellent Paul, really nice. I like the subdued colours.
I'm like you mate, always breaking something, perhaps there is someone out there doing swords, bayonets etc in metal.

 

[DaddyO]

Thanks all - Nice to get him off the bench at last

I'm like you mate, always breaking something, perhaps there is someone out there doing swords, bayonets etc in metal.

Perhaps we're just not young and hip enough for all this resiny stuff Bob

Cheers for now
Paul

 

[Babelfish]

He's turned out very nice Paul. I like the groundwork as well.

I must admit that at one time I considered Mike Blank's commercial sculpts rather hum-drum (verging on the boring). But as time has gone on, I've come to appreciate them much more to the point that I'm definitely a fan now.

There's beauty in their relative simplicity, a simplicity that allows even novice painters to make a decent fist of them while honing their skills, but at the same time their quality is such that they have "stunner" potential in the hands of a skilled paintslinger.

I like vikings, but this is one figure that I don't yet have in my collection. Reckon I might just have to pick one up.

- Steve

 

[DaddyO]

He's turned out very nice Paul. I like the groundwork as well.

I must admit that at one time I considered Mike Blank's commercial sculpts rather hum-drum (verging on the boring). But as time has gone on, I've come to appreciate them much more to the point that I'm definitely a fan now.

There's beauty in their relative simplicity, a simplicity that allows even novice painters to make a decent fist of them while honing their skills, but at the same time their quality is such that they have "stunner" potential in the hands of a skilled paintslinger.

I like vikings, but this is one figure that I don't yet have in my collection. Reckon I might just have to pick one up.

- Steve

Many thanks Steve

My relationship with MB's figures almost mirrors your own. the first couple I bought I was disappointing with compared to others I was painting at the time and I sold all three of them from my grey army (two 54's from the 1700's and a Landsknecht)
Looking back, now having painted a few others, I can see that I missed their potential seeing only the simple details and characteristic sculpting of Mike's figures. Wish I still had them

It's an interesting topic for conversation since I've always been a fan of 'sculpting' rather than 3D printing. I like to have a figure which captures some of the original sculptors style (Not to say that it should subvert accuracy, but perhaps should be instantly recognisable as a particular sculptors work: I'm thinking Bruno L of Metal Modelles, Mike Blank or many others. Each figures 'style' can be easily spotted in a display whereas the possibly more accurate 3D prints seem to lack charisma.

I'm sure you'd enjoy this one if you tried it and are already a fan of Mike's work (My wife says it's one of her favourites)

Cheers for now
Paul

 

[Nap]

Hi Paul

Our might know I only paint busts ....? ........but I can truely appreciate the work that's gone into MB sculpts and all your pieces this one included

You've achieved the aim ...a average Joe .....but not average in presentation

Thanks for sharing

Why not enter a piece into FOTM and our Vignette & Diorama comp

https://www.planetfigure.com/thread...s-fotm-ending-midnight-bst-31-10-2020.277760/

The Vignette thread can be found in the FOTM forum as well

Nap

PS I am sure you and Bob are very " hip"