Scythian King

[DaddyO]

Looking good so far.All you modifications and additions are blended smoothly to the existing figure.Very good start.

Oda.

You've really aced that horse, Paul. I really enjoy seeing some of the conversion work done to Historex (& Airfix) horses, comes from reading Bill Ottinger's book & some of the incredible work Sid Horton did with Airfix horses in his Charge of the Light Brigade series for Airfix Magazine in the 1970s.

Thanks both
I remember Sid's figures Chris (although I can't believe that they were really that long ago!) and I often refer to Bill Ottinger's book (which is an inspiring read for any figure modeller with lots of useful information and descriptions - well worth picking up if you get the chance even for a non-Napoleonic modeller)

Hi Oh Leggy one

You are a little clever fellow ........as Oda says nice putty blending there

Think I read somewhere about the Historex horses being thin generally

Carry on young 'un

Look forward to more ....this is going to be good ...even with the legs ...lol

Happy benchtime

Nap

Cheers Busty - You're right and your memory isn't failing you. The Historex steeds are very slim and elegant and usually need a bit of beefing up (All described in Bill O's book which Chris refers to) Generally I prefer the Airfix horses which look, to my eyes at least, nearer to 'real' horses.

Managed to get some more time in yesterday and hopefully make a bit more progress later on a few of the legs so you may wish to avert your eyes for the next post or two

Toodlepip
Leggy

 

[Blind Pew]

Top stuff, you're obviously having a ball with this project, great to see.

 

[Nap]

Hi Leggy

I have the Bill O book ...great to look through and lots of detail

Thought I'd seen it about the historex ..."slim and elegant" .....sounds like me .....lol

Thanks for the "force 4" leg warning I will view from a safe distance

Happy benchtime

Busty

 

[DaddyO]

Hi Leggy

I have the Bill O book ...great to look through and lots of detail

Thought I'd seen it about the historex ..."slim and elegant" .....sounds like me .....lol

Thanks for the "force 4" leg warning I will view from a safe distance

Happy benchtime

Busty

Funny chap K (Stay behind the sofa for the next bit and I'll tell you when we get onto less leggy stuff)

Okay onto the horse -
Most early war horses were much smaller than the usual sculpted horses and Asiatic steeds were typically only 13 -14 hands (what we might think of as pony sized) They were also very nimble and strong and the Scythians apparently used to castrate their horses to make them easier to manage (There is also something I read which described how they bred selectively encourage certain characteristics to make them better suited for war)
There is however burial evidence for a second type of horse which was quite different and appeared to have been used primarily by nobles. These apparently were closer to the modern day 'Akhal-Teke' (which is a very odd looking horse - In fact it's such a strange looking horse that I decided if I made a horse like that it would be dismissed as poor sculpting) So I decided to give 'my Scythian noble horse some of the breed characteristics reasoning that it would have the right feel and the breed must have developed over the intervening 2000 odd years.
I've incorporated the long neck set almost vertically to the body and the head angled at about 45 degrees to this. The shoulders are sloping and the hips narrow at the back (It would be a nightmare in a show class) The feet are small and the tail is rather sparse and highly set. I also decided to keep some of the slightly 'stockier' characteristics of the steppes pony shown in an earlier photograph

Most of these changes were achieved with a scalpel and plenty of sanding although the legs needed shortening by approximately 3mm and joined with paper clip wire. I'll add the Duro tail and mane a bit later, but here's where we are.

That's all for the moment - I'm off to clean up the desk ready for the next bit
Stay safe
Paul

 

[Nap]

Hi Paul,

Fear not ..not behind the sofa but viewing from a safe distance



Onto the horsey leggy thing ....great info and that's a dashed fine piece of modelling

Thanks for update

Look forward to more

Happy cleaning the bench

Nap

 

[Airkid]

Hi Paul

That looks to me like a typical Asiatic horse. Excellent work so far mate - I'm on this one for sure

Phil

 

[DaddyO]

Right a few updates on where we are with this one

Been a frustrating period of modelling - I seem to be taking 2 steps back for every one forward, but hey sometimes you just have to keep plugging away not thinking too far ahead just concentrating on the bit you are working one. having got the horse part established it was on to the 'fiddly bits'. I made up the bridle in my usual thick paper glued on with PVA and added the tail and mane from a duro/magic sculpt mix.

Whilst this was drying I started on the decorations. Since there were 4 similar 'lions head' decorations on the bridle and I wasn't convinced I could get them all looking the same I decided to use a simple 'crash moulding' technique.
First of all I sculpted one that I was happy with in some putty and when it was dry I sliced it off (The Duro means it's a bit flexible so this isn't too much of a problem) and glued it onto a plastic rod with superglue. I then mixed up some fresh putty and dusted the surface with talc and pushed the rod end into the putty to make a crude mould (I actually 8 by repeating the process in the same piece of putty) Once the putty was dry mix up some fresh duro, dust the mould with talc and press the blob into the mould. Once it had dried you can slice off the disc of putty with the lions head and glue it into position

Having done all that it was onto the bit ends which were bent from some thin wire (again due to the size I made a dozen and picked two that matched from these). The cheek pieces were obviously the same design, but handed so I made these as a pair in a blob of duro. when dry they were carefully sliced off and glued in place. Sadly they looked way too thick so I stomped off for a sulk

 

[DaddyO]

After a couple of days fiddling about with other things I took a fresh look at the work so far and decided to remove all the bridle work and start again.

This time I used lead from a wine bottle top for the bridle and re-moulded the lions heads and glued them in position. The other decorations were made this time without detail from plastic card (I've an idea for that which I'll add later) To get a matching pair of the cheek pieces two bits of plastic card were tack glued together and then shaped as a pair. Once I was happy with the shape they were split apart to give a perfect pair. (oooer Mrs as they used to say)

I still thought they looked too thick even though the plastic sheet was the thinnest I'd got so I sanded them down very carefully by gluing a sheet of sandpaper to the bench, placing the cheek guard on this and sanded the top with a worn emery board (The sandpaper provides enough friction to stop the piece moving about and being flat on the bench you get a nice flat piece). I managed to damage the point of one so needed to make a second (or I suppose 3rd really) pair which were swiftly glued in place - Hooray The nose piece was made the same way, but obviously I only needed one of them so it wasn't quite as tricky. Once everything was dry I just need to add some putty for the forelock and blend this into the rest of the mane.

For the saddle belts I used a slightly thicker lead sheet and made the joining rings by winding a coil of soft brass wire around a cocktail stick then cutting them off and squeezing the ends together. I decided on this style of saddle straps simply because it looked more interesting visually that the one in the illustration and was shown in several other engravings and illustrations

 

[DaddyO]

Final pictures for the moment

The saddle was first cut from a piece of paper to get the shape right and then I rolled out some of my usual duro/ms putty mix onto a piece of Perspex (or a smooth surface) using a brass tube as a rolling pin and talc to stop it sticking. This was roughly cut to shape and placed in position (with a dusting of talc on the horse to stop it sticking) and left to dry overnight. Next day it was removed and using the paper template as a guide cut to shape with a sharp pair of scissors (The duro mix is flexible enough to do this and can still be sanded to remove any rough bits)
Once I was happy it was glued in place and that as they say was that!

Next up is to add some thickness/padding to the saddle and onto the decorations

Stay safe and feel free to ask any questions
Cheers
Paul

ps - the little decorations which you can just see in the centre of the bit were made by rolling a tiny ball of Duro spotting in place with superglue and then adding the detail with a sharpened pin

 

[Nap]

One thing to say Leggy



Nap

 

[Airkid]

Skillful stuff Paul, and very informative. I haven't modelled anything on horseback for years. Following this has given me all manner of ideas about mounted figures.

Phil

PS - love the bit about stomping off for a sulk. I'm good at that too!

 

[DaddyO]

One thing to say Leggy

View attachment 396938

Nap

Cheers Busty (Got a surprise gift box wrapped up ready to pop in the post to you this week)

Skillful stuff Paul, and very informative. I haven't modelled anything on horseback for years. Following this has given me all manner of ideas about mounted figures.

Phil

PS - love the bit about stomping off for a sulk. I'm good at that too!

So glad it's not just me Phil - Words are sometimes said (In fact my daughter calls it 'loft language' since they are the sort of things I say when I'm in there banging my head on the rafters)
Pleased that my ramblings might be of use; if only to stop someone else making the same mistakes. I'm very taken with mounted figures at the moment and have several idea's roughed out which may never see the light of day, but fill up my head when I should be working or doing something else instead

Cheers for now
Paul

 

[Nap]

Hi Leggy

"Sulking" ...."Loft Language" and now a surprise gift box .........I dread to think what's next ?...lol ......I will warn the PO !!!!

Still my hat stays firmly off to your modelling skills

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Ferris]

Nice work Paul. Fun to read about the journey. The two steps back thing is what keeps happening to me as well and somehow it’s a relief not to be alone on this!

Looking forward to your progress.

Adrian

 

[Oda]

Absolutely top notch!!!!!

Oda.

 

[DaddyO]

Thanks gents

(I suspected I wasn't alone in this Adrian - always reassuring to hear that others go through similar trials and tribulations)

Toodlepip
Paul

 

[arj]

Very nice work Paul.

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[Viking Bob]

Well Paul, I think we have all been there at some time or other. Mine is the carpet monster at the moment, bloody thing lurks beneath the table.
Still like this one you are doing although not my period but I like your SBS.
Hope we catch up soon at some show.

 

[DaddyO]

Thanks Both

I got rid of the carpet monster Bob, but even so i manage to lose things on the laminate floor sometimes - you know the way they ping of into the depths of the room only to turn up months later
Glad you're enjoying it mate. You're right it'll be good to get to some shows next year and catch up in person. It does seem a long time since I chatted to anyone about modelling . . .
Toodlepip
Paul

 

[Nap]

Leggy

That's posh ..laminate flooring .....still loose stuff though ...lol !!!!..paint busts ..less resin to loose nd save paint ..lol

Like all of us Intoo missing talking to folk face to face ..will be so good to catch up

Happy Scythian modelling to you

Busty