WIP Post Militaire Mounted Hussar Trumpeter

[kagemusha]

Well it's been a fair while since I posted...what with the Pandemic and life in general...I really didn't feel like painting. Then...out of the blue...a good friend of mine contacted me to say he had found a kit he had forgotten he had...and would I paint it for him. To be honest...I wasn't interested until he said the words Post Militaire 90 mm Mounted. That got my attention.
I first did this figure about a year after it was originally released...and painted it as a commission piece.
It was entered into that years Euro Militaire...and won a Silver...Bonus!
For those of you that are unfamiliar with this kit...a link to it here...

https://www.bonapartesmilitarymodels.co.uk/fth-1-mounted-trumpeter-hussars-19-p.asp

As well as the kit he also supplied a lovely base...but left it to me to come up with the setting.

Now...rather than my usual 'Step by Step' format...and being a lot slower than I used to be...I thought it would be fun to change the format slightly...and for this piece I am going to do a 'Stage by Stage'.
In doing it this way...it means I can cut out all the intermediate stuff...and show a few pics of the development of each stage...in a kind of episode format. Which leaves people free to ask any questions about how I did it...if they wish to.

Ron

continues in next post.......

 

[kagemusha]

Having the base supplied...and with this being such a colourful figure...I decided to move away from a scenic setting...and set him on a section of a 'Parade Ground'.
Once again...I have to thank Del for allowing me to bounce ideas off him.
First up the base as supplied...



For the chosen setting I needed to create a 'well' for the bricks/slabs to sit in...and for this I used the milling machine...



With this done it was a case of laying out the slabs and bricks to create the ground...



Once dry the layers of colour were added using my usual transparent oils...altogether there are 5 layers of colours on the bricks...and 3 on the slabs...with 2 colours for the gravel between them...



to be continued.......

 

[Oda]

Excellent!Will be following with great interest.

Oda.

 

[Nap]

Hi Ron

Great to have you posting , no wonder your ears pricked up with the mention of Poste Militaire

Like the "Stage by Stage" idea

Lovely work on the base as well , cracking piece of timber .......impressive milling

Following with interest

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[TERRYSOMME1916]

Ah yeah Ron a Poste Militaire, you've got my attention on this one.
TERRY

 

[kagemusha]

Excellent!Will be following with great interest.

Oda.

Glad to have you along for the ride mate

 

[kagemusha]

Hi Ron

Great to have you posting , no wonder your ears pricked up with the mention of Poste Militaire

Like the "Stage by Stage" idea

Lovely work on the base as well , cracking piece of timber .......impressive milling

Following with interest

Happy benchtime

Nap

As good as Bonapartes castings are...and they certainly are from past experience...an original PM is something to get excited about.

Glad you like the new format...have to be honest...it's much easier for me.

It really is a nice piece of 'burr'...mind you...hard as iron...took best part of 4 hours to mill the well.

Nice to have you following mate

 

[kagemusha]

Ah yeah Ron a Poste Militaire, you've got my attention on this one.
TERRY

Glad it's peaked your interest mate

 

[kagemusha]

I decided to create a 'counterpoint' to the figure...in the form of an upturned canon barrel...to serve as a bollard come hitching post.
This is solid turned brass...which I then heated to red hot...and quenched it in cold coffee...once dried...it provides an ideal surface for oil paint to adhere to.
I applied three shades of oil colours in my usual way...scrub...thin back...then gently heated it again...which dries and seals the oil paint.
Left it over night...then set it into the base and added some gravel and colour...Stage 1 complete.....



to be continued.......

 

[Oda]

Getting better and better...

Oda.

 

[TERRYSOMME1916]

Great base, groundwork and the canon barrel is very imaginative.
TERRY

 

[kagemusha]

Getting better and better...

Oda.

Glad you like it mate

 

[kagemusha]

Great base, groundwork and the canon barrel is very imaginative.
TERRY

I have Del to thank for the idea of the canon barrel...and am pleased I used it now.
Pleased you like the base/groundwork

 

[Banjer]

Following this with interest, I have this in my cabinet from, I think, the mid nineties and it's still one of my favourite pieces.

Bill

 

[kagemusha]

Following this with interest, I have this in my cabinet from, I think, the mid nineties and it's still one of my favourite pieces.

Bill

This and the mounted Dragoon were my two favourite pieces from Ray...and a great difference between them in complexity regarding the separate horse furniture/tack...a real challenge to pre-fit etc.

Cheers for comment Bill...and glad to have you following

Ron

 

[1969]

Off to a great start Ron, love the basework.
Steve

 

[kagemusha]

Off to a great start Ron, love the basework.
Steve

Thanks Steve...glad you like it mate

 

[Richie]

Hi Ron,
I really like the techniques you are using, very effective. A 90mm white metal mounted kit must be some weight, I have a 2 figure metal set and it weighs a tonne.
Are you painting the horse like the box art or something original?
cheers
Richie

 

[kagemusha]

It's a very heavy kit indeed Richie...add to that the base...stonework and canon barrel...and you wouldn't want to put it on a glass shelf

There was no box art as such...just a black and white sheet..as per the usual for PM kits...and most I have seen painted are on white horses.
For mine I will be using this as my ref pic.....



Should contrast nicely with the uniform and groundwork.

Cheers for comment as always mate

 

[Nap]

Ron

That base is a work of art .....love the way its been thought out and presented ....isn't Del a clever fellow with the cannon post.

I am sure you will do a great job on the horse .....wanted to do a similar on my very long time at the bench Chasseur conversion .....just was not happy so I wimped out !!!

.......really looking forward to seeing your horse progress

Happy benchtime

Nap