Saxon Vignette Update

It has been quite a while since I last updated (or even really worked on) this little vignette but there has been progress of a sort so I thought I would start off the new year with an brief update. I did do more work on the groundwork as well as a bit of color work on the figures. Trying to find a color palette for three figures that unifies the scene without looking like it was a planned thing can be difficult. I want to go for an earthy tonal value throughout and so I have begun with various greens and browns. There will be splashes of brighter colors such as red and golden yellow to add interest and definition. I hope to spend some time on this once I finish my current Roman subject.

Saxon Warlord Vignette - Update #4 The Figures

After the figures were fully prepped I used a liquid masking agent on all of the armor and primed the exposed surfaces with automotive primer. Each figure is on a wood working base with one of the figures left in two parts for ease of access.

Saxon Warlords Vignette - Groundwork Update #3

The final preparation for the groundwork on this piece was completed a few weeks ago and is outlined here in this post. Fine sandy dirt was glued to the putty surface with a thinned mixture of waterproof Elmer's Wood Glue and water. 

After this dried I applied a thin sealing coat of the same glue mixture and sprinkled model railroad static grass in patches that will stay glued by absorbing that sealing coat. Once dry I was able to mask the wood and spray the entire structure with white automotive primer.

Once the primer coat was dry I removed the masking tape from the wood and began applying washes of brown and black oils. The picture below shows the base after the first initial wash of Burnt Umber with Black shadows in a few small spots. Further washes of various colors and tones will be added before I began to drybrush the weathering tones on the wood.

Saxon Warlords Vignette - Groundwork Part 2

This past weekend I completed the basic groundwork for my Saxon Warlord Vignette. Now that the balsa core had been completed I was able to begin creating the rock and dirt of the hillside using A+B Epoxy Putty. The next three pictures show my progress in the first batch of putty. I worked the putty into the rough shape using a large dental spatula and then worked the surface texture in using a broken piece of balsa wood. This has always given a very random texture that works well for me in the initial stages. The toothpicks are inserted in the holes previously created for the pinned figures.

The following photo shows the base once the putty was completed. The groundwork has not been glued to the wooden base. I like to leave it loose to minimize contact with the finished wood. Once the putty had cured I sanded the transition between the plastic shell and the edges of the putty to create a smooth surface. The next steps will be to refine the details with a Dremel tool and small grinding bits. After that is done I will add fine dirt on the flat surfaces, grass in a few spots, some plant life and prepare to paint the base. I have also noted a few areas on the wall that need some more weathering and attention. The woodwork will be stained using oils on the raw wood and the groundwork will be painted with the usual techniques (oils and oil washes).

Prior to going any further however I wanted to once again test fit the figures to check their stance and again review their staging. It was at this point that I realized I wasn't happy with the placement of the figure on the right of the photo. I re-drilled the holes, ground out a bit of area so that he would stand where I wanted and will re-putty the old holes. It always pays to check and recheck your work. Nothing is worse than realizing there is a problem after the thing has been painted.

Saxon Warlords Vignette - Creating the groundwork Part 1

For scenes like this I like to build a solid cored base that will be created separately from the decorative wood base. To that end I created a paper template that would mimic the cylindrical shape of the base and used it to cut layers of balsa that I used for the back of the core. To the front of this I attached pieces of basswood to create the outside face of the hill fort. All of the basswood was distressed using a steel wire brush. this gives an aged rough hewn look to the wood that will weather well under the painting process.

Once the wall face was complete I began to use scrap pieces of balsa to build up the core of the groundwork. This will save me a lot of putty in the long run and help me build up the groundwork to properly stage the figures as I had originally envisioned. I also trimmed the sides of the wall straight and softly rounded the edges to conform to the cylindrical shape I am working with.

I periodically placed the figures on the balsa core to test for the best placement. This is a very important step in keeping the staging under control.

I began to skin the balsa and basswood core at this stage in plastic sheet. I started by using my paper template to cut out a plastic circle that would fit in the hollow of the oak base. This sheet was glued to the bottom of the core with 5-minute epoxy. I then wrapped the core with a sheet of paper and marked out the outline of the core, cutting a template that was used to mark out a sheet of plastic to wrap the back and sides. Once cut and test fit, this sheet was curled around a wooden dowel until it held the cylindrical shape of the core. This wrap was now glued to the core, again with 5-minute epoxy. Once the glue cured, I trimmed the plastic around the outline of the wall. Please note that I left the area around the rocks and earth untrimmed. This will be completed once the groundwork is sculpted.

Now I created a walkway on the back of the base with strips of basswood and sanded the edges to conform to the shape of the plastic cylinder.

In the next post I will begin to create the groundwork on the front of the base using A+B Epoxy Putty. I will also continue to add details to the walls and walkway.

Saxon Warlords Vignette - Visualizing A Setting

     I am starting to do the prep work on a vignette that I have wanted to do for a while. I had read the Bernard Cornwell "Saxon Stories" series of novels and had developed a vision of a group of warriors standing in front of a wooden hill fort palisade. These three 54mm figures from Romeo fit the bill nicely with their strong yet simple posing and seemed to belong together on the same base. My initial reaction when I opened the kits was a happy surprise because the details are actually stronger on the sculpting than initially appeared on the box art.

     I always start any project by putting a lot of thought into the staging of figure and this is especially true when more than one figure will be on the same base. Typically for vignettes I will create a few simple line drawings as studies for the project. This helps me visualize and flesh out my ideas. My vision is to have a gentle sloping hillside going up to the outer face of the wooden hill fort walls. I will be positioning the figures as shown in the photos, with the figure on the right being slightly behind the other two. I see them as looking off in the distance at some Northern Raiders (Northumbrians or Norse Raiders).

     After trying out various base choices I settled on this round oak base from Ken Thomas that I have had around for about ten years now. It's simplicity, color and wood species fit the setting well. The paper template that you see on the base will be used to cut out Balsa wood pieces that will be layered to build the core of the hill. This saves on putty and gives a solid structure to build the wall on. For the wall I have pieces of Basswood that will be weathered with a steel wire brush prior to cutting and assembling the structure.

     My goal is to use this project as part of the basis for a seminar I am giving in March at the Three Rivers IPMS Regional Convention in Pittsburgh PA. I will post photo updates as I progress, so stay tuned.