Completed Verlinden 1/5 English Archer Bust

[Peter Day]

I fancied a break from 120mm figures, so I dug our this Verlinden bust. It's a whopping 1/5 and is a classic Derek Holmes sculpt, depicting an English archer on the receiving end of a French crossbow bolt c.1450.

The kit was a bit damaged when I opened it and I had to rebuild part of the helmet rim and trim down the fletch for the bolt. It was also quite a messy casting, with a faur bit of debris around the neck and chin.

However, I managed to get it cleaned up to a reasonable standard and have now more-or-less painted the face:



There is still a bit of refining to do, but the basic work is done. This is the rest of the kit:



The crest is for the Talbots, earls of Shrewsbury, and the figure may be intended to depict a soldier at the battle of Formigny, fought during the 100 Years War, where the French defeated the last English army in Normandy.

 

[Renato]

More or less painted face?!?!??! Cannot wait for the final version!!!!!!!!!

Can you elaborate on the skin palette and how do you proceed with it? I am about to post the WIP on the 19th Indiana of FeR (75mm.....so not 1/5) and I am struggling with how the face progresses......would love your critical opinion on it.

Love the facial hair effect btw

Ciao
Renato

 

[Peter Day]

Hi Renato

Just a few touches are needed here and there to finish him off. The palette for the face was quite limited - Vallejo Flat Flesh, Dark Red, Dark Vermillion, Magenta, Off White and German Camo Black brown. I started by using thinned dark red to draw in all of the shadows and creases, then built up the flesh tones from there, mainly by adding increasing amounts of white to the flat flesh. At the same time, I worked in the darker tones and shadows by adding the various reds to the mix. I also used English Unifrom for the hair/beard and a little Luftwaffe Uniform for the eyes. I try to blend the tones wet-on-wet.

 

[misfit151]

Wow Peter this brings back memories....in my opinion Derek was a fabulous sculpted and sadly missed.... I've got this one painted up but stashed away in a large cardboard box in the loft.... I'll have to have a reprise of this one if I can make it into the loft...lol. Great start on this one more please and thanks for the memories..... Mike

 

[Peter Day]

Hi Mike - I have painted one of these before, but it's either in the attic or binned, so I thought I'd have another go. Historex still stock a few of Derek Holmes' 1/5 busts for Verlinden at a reasonable price, so I will do more - not such a challenge for the eyesight at this scale. I like Derek's work, though it can be very eccentric at times.

 

[Nap]

Hi Peter

Great to see you painting a bust , as you say a whopping 1/5th ...so plenty of resin to paint

Good start on the flesh and a good piece of rework on the helmet

Following with interest

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Paulo]

Very Good !!
I love that Bust is one of my favourite from Verlinden, very expressive.
Following with interrest

 

[Peter Day]

Cheers Paulo, I'll try and do it justice.

The head is finished:



The helmet was painted with mixes of Vallejo Oily Steel and Matt Black. It still needs a bit of highlighting with silver, but I'm waiting on a paint delivery. I also did a bit more work on the face, adding some detail I missed and smoothing out some of the tones.

Hayfever has got the better of me today, so that's it for now.

 

[Mookie]

Hi Peter,
Ive got an old copy of Military in scale magazine with said bust.Its by Derek Holmes himself describing his process of sculpting this beast.His sculpts are always recognisable.Usually ugly fizzogs,Great start Pierre.
Rich

 

[Peter Day]

Hi Richard

That article must go back a few years. I think the eccentricities of Derek Holmes style really work with this figure, though there's no doubt that others look plain weird. You can see that he was trying to bring a bit of dynamism to his sculpts and that's to be applauded. I've also ordered the 1/5 Redcoat bust, which is similar to this one though harder to pull off.

 

[Peter Day]

Hi Neil - I know you're not a fam and I can understand why. They are very nice to paint though.

I've now got the front of the torso done:



The photography has bleached out the white a bit and lightened the shadows on the reds, but hopefully you get the idea. The white was done with mixes of Vallejo Green Grey and Off White, with a little Camo Black Brown added for the deepest shadows. It was hard to do, as the folds are very shallowly sculpted, giving no real opportunity for greater contrasts.

 

[Henk]

Looks great Peter.

 

[pmfs]

Hi Peter!

good job on wrinkles Peter. Nice red and white.

Cheers,
Pedro.

 

[Airkid]

Blimey - I remember this one (not fondly). Fine job Peter

Phil

 

[Peter Day]

Henk - Thank you. Painted the back this evening but there's not enough light for photos. More tomorrow.

Pedro - Thanks also. I've used half a bottle of white on this so far - it's that big.

Phil - Thanks for looking in. Verlinden and Ken Holmes - the figure painter's equivalent of Marmite.

 

[Stephen Hutchinson]

Morning Peter

Lovely work on the head and the delicate shading on the whites too.

Definitely a marmite sculpt, as you say, quite a unique face, and I have 2 of his cousins on my desk.

Thank you.

Hopefully you have plenty of red paint for the next one.

Have a good day with the paints and your next victim

Regards

Steve

 

[Nap]

Hi Peter

Nice work on the whites and thanks for mixes , it works well , very neat insignia

One ugly face but typical Derek Holmes ...your certainly doing yourself credit with tge painting

Look forward to the next update

Happy benchtime

Nap

PS Hope we see some of his cousins that Stephen has on his bench as well !

 

[Peter Day]

Steve - Morning. I always lose a bit of confidence when people criticise the sculpt - makes me feel that I've made a bad choice. Not to everyone's taste I know, but I'm having fun with this one. Just checked out my reds and they should see me through.

Nap - As above re the sculpt. Certainly enjoying this one.

I got the back done yesterday evening:



I also spent quite a while resolving the folds on the white areas - I think it's the best I can do now. The next job is to paint the arm, hand and crossbow bolt.

 

[Stephen Hutchinson]

Perhaps the sculpt/confidence index should be inverted?

Some of your best work has been on ""marmite"" sculpts.

Not forgetting your recent accolades from the sculptors of some recent busts and figures.

We know you do great work, I am sure it will eventually percolate through.

Have fun with the Redcoat

Regards

Steve H

Peter's versions of "cousins", excuse the poor photography!

 

[Peter Day]

Gruesome close-ups Steve! I was wondering what I'd done with that German as well.

OK, arm on:



Nearly there......