WIP Critique "Pinned Like Rats" - The defence of Rorke's Drift

[Richie]

Hi Mark,
Thanks mate, yes it's busy and a lot tighter than the photo's suggest when you look at it in person. I plan to finish the 4 four Zulu's, then the 3/4 defenders and then get these undercoated. After that I think I will work on the base/groundwork as there is so much to do and paint on there first, then on to painting the figures.

Hi Roger,
Thanks, you now know why I did not bring it on Friday, could not agree more luckily we have Ray.

cheers
Richie

 

[badger]

looking great, keep at it,cant wait to see the end result./badger

 

[Helm]

Looking good Richie!!...... You need to work on your photography though mate.

Roger.

I'll give him some tips (P.G. natch) on it Rog Looks great Richie
Steve

 

[Wings5797]

Gob smacked Mate.
They look incredible.
Well done you,
All the best,
Keith

 

[Dr Force]

Richie

Bloody hell mate, i know its late but i am so sorry to hear Dads passing. I lost my Dad 15 years ago aged 26 and ive never filled the gap.......much love to you and your family.

As for the Dio, well what a brilliant scene! I love how dynamic the figures look and you have created such a natural looking close combat without it looking staged. I dont know if you will be adding to the back of the wall but it would look better being a bit thicker IMO, the bags are brilliantly done and the figure work is superb.

Im following matey and so sorry i have not been around a while, just no mojo and still my large Dio to finish!

Ill raise a glass for your Dad tonight.

Dave

 

[Ray Welshman]

This looks really good, lots of work there. Looking forward to the finish.

Cheers

Ray

 

[mil-mart]

Richie great interaction between the figures mate , this looks amazing now and can't wait to see this painted. Following

Cheers Ken

 

[ChaosCossack]

WOW
That's quite the mosh pit you have going on there.... I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep on keeping on my brother

Colin

 

[Blind Pew]

Wow! Top stuff, it's patently clear you're having a ball with this.......

 

[Richie]

Hi Bill, Steve, Keith, Dave, Ray, Ken, Colin & Anthony,
Thanks lads, I am quite pleased with the conversions so far, converting figures without clothes is a lot harder and trying to make them diffrent and unique has proved a challenge on a number of levels, still some tweaking to do. I'll keep pushing this as I am eager to get some base colours down. Still thorougly enjoying working on this, so off to the bench as I'm off work again today.
cheers
Richie

Richie

Bloody hell mate, i know its late but i am so sorry to hear Dads passing. I lost my Dad 15 years ago aged 26 and ive never filled the gap.......much love to you and your family.

As for the Dio, well what a brilliant scene! I love how dynamic the figures look and you have created such a natural looking close combat without it looking staged. I dont know if you will be adding to the back of the wall but it would look better being a bit thicker IMO, the bags are brilliantly done and the figure work is superb.

Im following matey and so sorry i have not been around a while, just no mojo and still my large Dio to finish!

Ill raise a glass for your Dad tonight.

Dave

Hello Dave,
Mate, so glad you have taken time to drop in. Thank you so much for your condolences, he would have given you a nod of approval for raising a glass to him.

Yes it's a Dave Forsey style build epic - except you are premier league when it comes to these. I could not agree more about the back wall, you and others have picked this up straight away and so I need to modify this. All my major constraints around this piece are around the size of my display cabinet shelves. The wall was initially there to give an impression of "backs to the wall" scenario, I will come up with something, it seems to be impacting on the overall look!!!!!

Mate I know what it is like when your enthusiam goes, I've had a few spells for months on end, but something has always kick started me again. It will with you again you know that, just leave your epic piece alone, too much work has gone into that, so don't try and tackle it if your not in the zone.

Glad you like my effort so far mate, keep jumping in with the rest and throwing ideas at me.

cheers
Richie

 

[smudger1960]

Its looking better every time I see it,they're is so much going on within the scene that it keeps the viewer interested,it looks great Richie,

Brian

 

[Funky50]

Wow...simply stunning .....also about 50 years of painting for me ...don't know how you do it Richie but Kudos to you.......Kevin

 

[Mark Dollery]

Wow...simply stunning .....also about 50 years of painting for me ...don't know how you do it Richie but Kudos to you.......Kevin

Kevin, painting won't be a problem to Richie, he just takes them down to his local spray shop & finishs them at home
Mark D

 

[Richie]

Hi Brian, Kevin, Mark,
Thanks, you are right about the painting, I think some practise with the air brush is in order. Or we'll have a paintathon. Brian I have ear marked Chaplain Smith for you and all the Zulu's, Kevin you can have Chard and Mark I will send you the Natal Mounted Policeman.

ADVICE - I have moved the shot figure of the Zulu on the right hand side closer to the wall so he is not overhanging the base so much. I don't think I can get the figures much closer or in a better position due to my constraints, opinions on the scene, do you think the interaction and figure placement looks OK?????
Also I have quickly faced of the wall section with some balsa - does it look too thick now???? or will half the width suffice???? Help please!

While you all have a think and chip in again, I will start converting my last figure.

cheers
Richie

 

[billyturnip]

In my opinion the wall looks much better.

Roger.

 

[Funky50]

In my opinion the wall looks much better.

Roger.

Ditto That....Kevin

 

[Mark S]

In my opinion the wall looks much better.

Roger.

I'm with Roger and Kevin on that one Richie........and I'd still like to see the bottom of a wooden shuttered window on the top end of the wall.
Just to give you something else to do........

 

[billyturnip]

I'd still like to see the bottom of a wooden shuttered window on the top end of the wall.
Just to give you something else to do........

Yeah me too and for that very reason.

 

[1969]

just catching up with things Richie, looking very good mate, I like the compacted look of the scene with no spare floor space, scenery and figures are coming along nicely now, soon be time for the paint roller and the 10Ltr of emulsion.
Steve

 

[Richie]

Hi Roger, Kevin, Mark,
Thanks for the input and the extra jobs

Hi Steve,
Long way off painting yet mate with all these extra jobs coming in. Anyway the wife has the roller she's doing the bairns bedroom, me I was excused duty.

Hi All,
I have tweaked the defenders around again and have dropped the other wounded figure in, this is were the impression was in the ground, he needs some work putting in yet. I have started on the next defender who is N.N.C. he is also on the wall, this one took a bit to get to this stage as there was a lot of detail to cut back, again the trigger hand was sculpted on the Martini first as he is in the firing position. I have added a couple of bayonets just for effect on two of the Martini's. I've also remade and fitted the spike to the N.M.P. and snake belt fitting, so a lot a fiddley work done this afternoon.

I have lots of small tricky jobs to do on some like Austrian knots on cuffs etc, so this will be the last update for quite a while, but the full compliment of figures are now on display.
Thank you to everyone who has helped out so far with ideas and suggestions and kept me going especially with the humour, will be back posting in a couple of weeks.
cheers
Richie