Wee Friends 120mm Celtic Warrior

[Guest]

I'm a bit scared of this one as I've failed with it once before. However, that was a bout three years ago, so I'm hoping I have gained a bit more experience.

Lots of parts:



And lots of clean up and construction required. Note the two severed Roman heads, which I won't be using.

[Guest]

I have been looking at some of your figures and they are very inspiring.

[Jim R]

Hi Peter
I seem to remember this the first time around - it was the severed heads that jogged my memory. I must confess I'm with you in not using them.
Jim

[Lee Drennen]

Peter. I’m seated

[Guest]

Eddy - Many thanks and welcome to the forum.

Jim - I think the severed head issue last cropped up with a Verlinden Hun warrior.

Lee - Make yourself comfortable.

[Neil Merryweather]

I'm here as always, Peter.
looks very nice ,I'm sure you will do it full justice

[Guest]

Neil - Take a seat. Lots of tricky bits - acres of flesh, body paint, possibly stripy trousers.

He's ready to go:



There was quite a lot of cleaning up required, especially the heavy mould lines on either side of the body. The rings where the arms join the torso were very delicate, and as they were partially damaged by their proximity to the casting blocks, I decided to remove them and add new ones made from plastic wire insulation. The suspension straps for the scabbard were also too delicate to survive cutting from the casting armatures, so again I made new ones from wire and metal foil.

As for the sculpt, he bears a striking resemblance to Vercingetorix as depicted on this Roman commemorative coin:



Julius Caesar describes the Celts (Gauls) as going into battle with their entire bodies shaved except for their heads and upper lips, where they grew long moustaches. It was also known that they stiffened their hair into spikes, as shown on the coin. Caesar also mentions that they painted their bodies with woad, which is usually interpreted as meaning something like this:



I personally doubt that there would have been enough skilled artists around to paint whole armies with such intricate designs and imagine that the use of woad was more slap-dash, like this:



The trouble is, that if I did the looser style on this figure it would just look amateurish, so I think I'll try something between the two.

[SteveH]

Morning Peter

Looks like a colourful change of pace away from the grey.

I take it you wont be tempted to try tartan trousers like the well dressed reference photo?

The spare heads might come in useful one day?

Another grey day but an orange horizon just under the cloud cover.

Have a good day with all that flesh and woad

Regards

Steve H

[Guest]

Morning Steve

The Gandalf bust was a failure unfortunately - tried and tried with it, but just couldn't paint it into a decent state. I certainly won't do tartan, but may attempt stripes = we'll see how I feel. The spare heads are pretty gruesome - lolling tongues and bulging eyes, so only fit as zombies really. Poor light here today.

[Guest]

This has gone back in the box for a while I'm afraid. I now remember why I failed the first time and that was because of the roughly finished head. I've ordered a batch of 1/16 spares from Reedees, and will see what I can do once they arrive.

[JR]

Damn, just got in the door ! Going to hang around for the next. Is there a refund offered on cancelled performances Peter ?

[Guest]

Hi John - No refund - entertainment will resume shortly.

[Richard48]

Think i have some indoor fireworks that i could let John loose with.They are rather fragrant and house guaranteed to smell like a veggies fart after lighting.
Rich.

[Guest]

Richard - We're well used to indoor fireworks in this house - bit of a post Christmas Dinner {veggie) tradition.

So, back to this one and progress with the head:

[ATTACH alt="100_8673.JPG"]402581[/ATTACH]

The heads I'd ordered turned out to be too small, so a rummage in the spares box turned up this offering by Moz Corry. I removed a very nice 1940s style hairdo, and then scribed in some new texture pulled back towards a ponytail. The ponytail and moustache were then added using Milliput.

Once painted, I decided to mount it on the body, only to find that the join behind the torc was very messy and that the finish on the torc itself left something to be desired. I therefore decided to risk removing it and filling the gap created. That went better than I was expecting and any messiness will be covered by a new torc, which I'll make twisted wire..

[Richard48]

Doing a grand job so far Gromit.Your surgery work and head look tickety boo to me mate.
Rich.