Custer etc (Part 3)

I've cut off half of the figure bases as I wanted to create a very tight footprint and I plan to have grass in the scene. A minimal figure base would allow for easier figure placement in closer proximity.

The figures are placed to represent a battle scene

The view from the top. This shows that the front half of the bases have been removed.

The proposed diorama setting. 

The setting with the foreground built up with modelling paste. The sloping foreground would allow the figures to be placed a different elevations, thus creating more perspective depth to the scene.

Jungle Scene

Also painted a couple of trees. I am doing up a jungle scene with some orang-utans.

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.