amuro: the green stuff is Kneadatite, another brand of putty. I happened to have some of it left over on my bench so I mixed it with the MS.
Gary and Steven: It appears that there's no self-portrait of Vermeer. So, we'll have to rule out the idea of a bust.
Hopefully, there's plenty of other subjects (and painters).
OK, folks. The wait is over. Time to reveal the subject of the sculpt: a musketeer of the Royal Household under Louis XIII.
Here's a picture of my initial mock-up in clay. For once, there's no great difference between the original idea and the result. But like I already said, things are not as smooth and straightforward as it appears.
I did some 6-7 unsuccessful tries with the cassock. It just didn't hang right until I'd figure out the pattern of a real cassock. Once the pattern's correct, the four panels of the cassock did fall effortlessly with natural folds.
Due to the leaning pose, the front panel of the cassock hung miserably like a limp rag. So I decided to gather it closer to the body with the left hand (originally resting on the hips).
Other adjustments dealt with the tilt of the hat, angle of the head, how the bucket tops of the boots would 'fall',... It's somewhat like arranging flowers in a vase, or the folds on a dress before shooting a portrait. If sculpting miniatures is an art, THIS is where the artistry goes.