Manos
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- Mar 3, 2014
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‘Memories, figures, busts, and the most wonderful hobby in the world’
Rainy Mountain Charlie by Lamb&Flag Miniatures
Review
This is my first post as I am new to this community. I'd like to introduce myself with a review of one of my favourites and some thoughts on what we all live to love ... our hobby.
It is hard to believe, but this year marks my 25th anniversary in the hobby. Since I first started doing scale military vehicles, as well as cars, aircrafts, and motorbikes, I have seen a lot of changes in the business. Technology still advances the way we craft and paint while local hobby-shops come and go. In a constantly changing environment, I have never been faithful to a particular subject. Whatever the scale or the theme, it was something about the metal/resin figures that violated the innocence of my early years as a modeller. However, I needed to crawl before I could attempt to walk in this path.
It was almost twenty years ago when I first heard about scale figure modelling. Until then, figures were to me just the antidote to a lifeless military vehicle or the solution to a boring and monotonous WWII aircraft diorama. Scale modelling was thus all about a large and impressive kit with numerous parts well fitted into a neat box; figures were certainly not part of such an experience. I would not even believe that there were modellers all around the world that would spend a lifetime in building and painting scale figures. However, I still remember the day that was about to change my hobby forever. It was a hot summer morning in July 1994 when Military Modelling’s front issue with Poste Militaire’s new Pawnee North American Indian bust captured my eye. I grabbed the issue instantly, and with a dictionary in my hand, I began reading it. The excitement I felt was new to myself. The next thing I remember was that I started saving money to buy the 1:10 scale Indian bust which was beautifully designed by Julian Lamb, the first in what was to be a gorgeous range of North American Indian busts; these were to change the modelling world forever. The years passed, and like many modellers, I was always looking for a new release from PM (or at least from those who used to run this brand), even after it ceased trading.
When I heard that J.L. launched L&F Miniatures recently, I was thrilled because I knew what to expect. With the same enthusiasm as when I was a young boy I ordered the Rainy Mountain Charlie and a bright smile lightened up my face while I was waiting for the package to arrive. Figure modellers, like most hobbyists, usually have a certain criterion for what they build and paint, such as scale, theme, period, etc. Specifically with an eye to modellers-collectors, there are always in the industry model figures that can be considered ‘classic’ and they do have market value – long after their initial production. Comparable to the rest of the industry, a ‘classic’ figure is also a model figure that is appealing to a large number of people. Needless to say, the standard of both moulding and sculpting should also be superb. What does a ‘classic’ figure mean to the modeller after all? It generates a powerful need to buy that figure, whatever the cost. Of course the subject-matter is very important. North American Indians, medieval knights, Romans, and WWII have all been all-time favourites and are still enjoying a popular run. In their need to collect such ‘classic’ items, enthusiasts – such as myself – may do whatever it takes to get hold of them. However, the PM busts were not just that. With them, PM had gone a step further by offering an interesting line of three-dimensional ‘portraits’ that could actually breathe. For the serious modellers, this opened a new realm of possibilities in capturing the essence of the figure: the character of the person itself. It was also a great addition for those of us who would desperately seek to find accuracy and realism in the same package. Until then, for most sculptors and manufacturers, a figure could hardly be as accurate as humanly possible. Unfortunately, this is still the case…
The Bust
Mainly sculpted in cream resin, Rainy Mountain Charlie comes in a small hard-pressed paper black round box with the well-known painted artwork on the side. Colours are the same as it used to be 20 years ago on PM’s original box. The parts inside are well-fitted for transport and the bubble wrap saw the bust arrive with no trouble at all. Following PM’s usual style, a small black-and-white leaflet gives all the information that is required to paint the piece; nonetheless, it does not fill in any historical background on the subject; to be honest, you don’t need that at all unless you are more of a scholar-modeller who seeks study before assembling and painting.
The bust assembles from ten parts, which include a one-piece plinth for the base. Four are cast in resin (i.e. torso, plinth, hat, blanket – the latter, a beautiful large one-piece of its own), the remainder in white metal. There’s much superb casting – a hallmark of PM back in the day. Detail is crisp and the resin surface is satin smooth. Everything is just right; harmony between the torso, the head, the hat, and the blanket is spot-on. The fit of parts is also excellent, just watch how they all ‘click’ together. No filling needed here. I looked hard and found that this 1/10 scale bust has no bubble at all. No casting block pouring connectors. What a kit! Overall, it is what we have come to expect from both a legendary brand and J. Lamb. There doesn’t have to be anything else, but something about that bust, that subject, just arrests you.This is one of the things that makes exceptional sculpting so hard to do, and J.L. had an excellent line in it.
The enjoyment of this kit is, of course, the painting. Just take your time with that, it is too good to rush. When painting, the bust is full of character and life presenting an elderly Indian wearing his blanket and smoking his pipe. The exceptionally sculpted wrinkles make the expression of the face so vivid and lively – bound to be a winner in the hands of a talented painter. However, the fine detail makes the bust beautiful even without paint. Assembly is a breeze and when looking at Charlie’s face, I could only think of him as a handsome, brave, wise, calm, happy, sensible, mature, outgoing, spirited, dubious, satisfied, diligent, thorough, cautious, austere, and frugal little man.
It certainly isn’t a kit for the complete beginner, requiring care to paint. Leaving that aside, it is a first-class bust, suitable both for the experienced and the novice modeller as well as for those who always seek a chance to travel back in time!
I couldn’t wait to start painting this one and recommend it without any reservation!
And remember … this is just a hobby. How well you perform is not as important as how much pleasure and delight you derive from it. This is why we all passionately love it … this is why it is the most wonderful hobby in the world!
