Custer etc (Part 2)

Further details were painted on all the figures. The reason why I adopted a loose painting style was to create the chaos that would be present at a last stand. The swirling colours are like an impressionistic vision of the scene. I have added very large pics to show you the simple highlights and shading to achieve this effect.

Custer and The Battle of Little Big Horn

I finally started to work in earnest on this delightful set from Braune. There are numerous figures with multiple poses for which one selects the pose and cuts off the alternative limbs. All figures were given a basic flesh undercoat. I regrouped the pieces to ease painting chores.

                      Red Indians were given a reddish brown wash over the flesh colour.

                                                        The first two pics show the complete set.

 Flesh and off-white highlights were then added to build up the musculature and darker areas were painted with burnt umber. I adopted a loose painting style, alternately applying washes and impasto techniques.

                                     This picture gathers all the troopers for ease of painting.

                Detailed shots of the figures. Note the light blue highlights added to the jackets.

The horses are brilliantly engraved and their musculature is denoted by simple highlights and shading. Note the Custer figure. 

Baby Moses Scene IV

I installed an LED lighting into the box and framed it. This delightful scene is completed.

Baby Moses Scene III

I created rocky cutouts to add interest to the scene. After final painting of the scene and adding a few bullrushes in the river, the figures were bent upright to conform to the gradient and fixed into place. Although I had originally intended to add the river craft to the scene, the larger-scaled craft was not compatible with the smaller-scaled figures in the foreground.

Final scene with painted backdrop and rocky cutouts

 Close up of the figures

The framed scene

Baby Moses Scene II

I made a shadow box from an ikea frame. A basic background of sky and river was painted and the foreground was built up and textured.

Baby Moses Scene

I doodled more on this set, combining some Wilken and Braune figures. Following a wash of burnt umber, flesh highlights were added. The translucent clothing had pure white highlights added. The figures are near finalisation and I hope to create a framed scene soon.

Doodling some Egyptians

I gave most of my Egyptian figures a darker skin colour, except for Cleopatra who was of Ptolemic descent.