Rocky Mountain Trapper

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Mongo Mel

A Fixture
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Messages
862
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Hi,
Just to show that I still will try a figure that isn't a bust, Here's a picture of one I finished last spring. it's S&T's Rocky Mountain Trapper.

normal_Mvc-657f.jpg


This is a beautiful piece and it builds up into a real eye catcher.

I found 2 minor problems with it that were easy to correct.

First, the tangs on the belt and on the satchel were facing the wrong way. Look at your belt and imagine the tang facing in the other direction and you'll know what I mean. I just ground them out, patched with A&B putty and made new ones from brass wire.

Second was that the figure didn't mate well between the tree trunk and his bottom.
Here's a link showing and describing how I fixed this:
link

The only other problem was of my own doing. I'm not happy with the fleshtone on the face. For some reason it came out different looking from the hands. They were done with the same batch of paint, about an hour apart in time. I can't figure this one out

I was happy with how the woodgrain on the rifle came out though.
normal_Mvc-301f.jpg


As always, any and all comments and constructive criticisms are welcome and appreciated.
Thanks,
Craig
 
Well done Craig,

This is my favorite subject matter and I enjoy doing the Mountain Men of the American West. I saw this figure when you entered it into the gallery and brought out my kit from the closet. It's hard to critique a piece that looks so good with out actually being able to hold it and turn it and see the artistry you have achieved. From the Photos you have posted.......well done (y)
 
Hi guys,
You got it exactly right simon, it's done using oil paints and with the techniques you mention..
The muzzleloader was done by painting on streaks of Burnt Sienna and Brown Madder Alizeran oil paints and then streaking them with a wide, soft brush along the length of the stock. After getting the entire stock covered, I went back and used a stippling/dragging motion with the brush that gave it the effect you see here. I kept doing this all over plus a heavy concentration of the BMA in the corners of it.

Guy, did you take a look at the tangs on the belt buckles yet? I'm assuming that they're the same as mine were, unless it's been corrected.

Craig
 
Thanks Craig

I thought as much! I've seen a few different examples of the technique (even tried it myself a while ago - but there's not much call for woodgrain on WW2 german figures - which is what I started out with)
Your's stands out for me though, I'll assume now that it's because of the two-tone streaking - that never occured to me for some reason

If you'll excuse another question, are both colours "streaked" at the same time? or one colour at a time?

Cheers

Simon
 
Hey simon,
I didn't know that this was a technique out there already. I did this by sheer accident!
Hehehe..lucky me

If i remember correctly, the Burnt Sienna was put on first and was still tacky when I added the Brown Madder Alizarin. That way, they didn't completely blend together
on the piece. I'm not sure that I could duplicate this again :(

Craig
 
Originally posted by Mongo Mel@Nov 19 2003, 03:26 PM
Hey simon,
I didn't know that this was a technique out there already. I did this by sheer accident!
Hehehe..lucky me
Yeah, but usually only burnt sienna over a flat "wood" coloured base and dragged (or sometimes burnt sienna (or similar) painted on the whole piece then dragged off, which never seems to work properly - though I'm sure someone has done it to good effect!)

I shall try this out next time I have cause to, as it seems to be a more effective way (judging by your photo)

And I'm sure you could do it again if you needed to - if you can remember it well enough to describe it here, you'll remember even more when you come to do it again I'm sure :)

Cheers

Simon
 
Hi Craig

Although not my subject at all, that is nice work. Is the grain on the stock part of the mould or is it created by the stippling effect. If the latter even better.

Richard
 
REminds me of a near divorce situation some years ago,after just finishing pat birds mountain man i decided that i would love to make a hawken (non working of course we brits ar'nt allowed mother says)armed with old Gunsmithing book and Dixie gun works cataloge Made a perfect stock all hand worked on my bench during lunch breaks took it home to OIL the stock by "stand stock in heated pan on stove swab with linseed oil and pure turpentine untill the wood cannot absorb any further" mixture caught fire ran up the stock black smoke all over kitchen ceiling bad boy image for a long time.
bob
 

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