Von Mackensen - Research on a Real Tight Budget!

So there you are with a new figure or bust and you want to do it up right but you've got nothing much on the shelf to offer in the reference department. Where do you turn?

That is the subject of post number two on my nice little bust here from SK Miniatures. This could be the case really with any kit out there. Most have a nice photograph on the box and a little reference sheet listing color choices inside, that's all. Many people rely on the quality of what they get but if you are like me you want more information, more choices, more details, more accuracy.

Now if you are like I was ten years ago, you have a library of stuff acquired over years of being in the hobby. I would be willing to bet that most are like me now. I have a small but carefully selected research library that focuses on my specific areas of interest. In my case, Roman, Greek, Medieval and Asian subjects. For this bust that is worthless. Ten years ago I could have popped a few books and magazines off the shelf and had everything I needed.

What I rely on most these days is primarily multiple sourcing on the Internet. Anything can be found if you just look. A warning however, like in books, you can't always trust what you find. Many simply repeat old outdated info so the "Multiple Sourcing" can be very important. I start with Google. In this case my search started with specifics related to Von Mackensen, from there I searched on the specifics of his awards and various uniform and regimental links. I keep a file full of saved pictures broken down by era and within that specific to the project. So everything I find is dropped in the file. Right now the file for Von Mackensen has 86 images and I'm still looking. I started with the photo posted in my last blog post. A quick check of Wiki found linked photos of his awards. I then did Google searches on his various uniform items, saving pictures of original equipment and replica equipment, anything that gave me details that might come in handy later. A few phone calls/e-mails to buddies gave me some more details that I couldn't verify on line. (Now if Shep just responds to my last e-mail.......). If anyone out there is planning on doing this bust, here are a few little gems that I found:

Uniform:
http://www.derrittmeister.com/home.htm#indextop
specifically the following page for Attila details:
http://www.derrittmeister.com/productpages/20145.htm  
Also: http://www.kaisersbunker.com/feldgrau/tunics/fgt03.htm

Shoulder Boards: Although primarily WWII, this page has "prewar" boards for the rank of generalfeldmarschall halfway down the page. Not specific to Von Mackensen but enough reference to apply the details needed.
http://www.themarshalsbaton.com/GFM%20and%20High%20Ranks.htm

Leib-hussaren Fur Busby:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeo7abf/id61.html reproduction but nice examples.

Aiguilette:
http://www.derrittmeister.com/productpages/15534.htm
Cool site for references on the Pour le Merite:
http://www.pourlemerite.org/
Order of the Black Eagle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Black_Eagle
Grand Cross of the Iron Cross:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Cross_of_the_Iron_Cross

So there you have a few interesting sites for reference on this subject. Once I gather enough info I use Microsoft Publisher to create a quick reference sheet to remind me of the highlights of my research. You could do the same with Word. This is what I created for this figure. If I need more detail or close-ups, I simply turn around and look at my computer files.

I even used a color swatch created by making a rectangle and setting the fill to the R:G:B: listing I found on a site for "feld-grau". I'm not convinced, as I've seen this uniform material for real before, but I also know that no two uniforms look alike in person or in photos so that will be where "artistic license" come in handy. I hope this post has been helpful for a few of the newer members of the hobby, maybe even for a few old hands like me. Now let's pick up the brushes, mix paint and have some fun! Next post, the face!

And Now For Something Completely Different!!

I have a few side projects going at the moment as the weather changes. Along with the previous posts that everyone has been following I am painting two subjects that may seem a bit different from what you all have begun to expect from me. Both will be subjects of regular posts here and my desire is to use them to focus on areas of our hobby that I haven't spent a lot of time discussing in the past.

The first piece is this nice little bust from SK Miniatures, sculpted by my friend Matt Springer. I'm not sure the age of this piece but I believe it to be one of SK's earliest releases. WWI has always interested me, especially the German transformation from a colorful Imperial force to the Feld-Grau Army that typified the Great War period. I have especially harbored a deep love for German WWI Aviation. So, that being said a piece like this is of great interest to me.

August Von Mackensen (6 December 1849 to 8 November 1945) was an interesting figure, coming from the heart of Imperial Germany, beginning his military career in the Franco-Prussian War and surviving to the end of WWII. He was a true German war hero who became a supporter of conservative monarchist political groups in the twenties. After Hitler's election, Von Mackensen became a symbolic figurehead for the Nazi party despite his monarchist beliefs. He was never truly trusted by party leadership however because of his past support of Hindenburg. One of his last highly visible public appearances was in full uniform at Kaiser Wilhelm II's 1941 funeral. Quite the dichotomy I must say.

The bust is cast in two resin parts, headgear and torso/head with two white metal castings for the Blue Max/Iron Cross and Peltzmutze cockade. The photos above show the kit assembled and primed, ready to begin. Assembly was simple and straightforward with just a small amount of clean up, typical of most resin kits. A round rosewood base from Thomas Art Bases was selected to offset the color tones of the finished bust.

The subject that I will focus on first is reference. This is possibly the single most important aspect to our hobby prior to ever exercising the artistic side of things. I take a lot of joy in the research as I am an avid reader and a bit of a fuss about getting things as close to "right" as possible. Instruction sheets and painted figure photos in kits are great but I NEVER rely solely on their use. In the case of this bust my research began on the Internet as I no longer have the wealth of research materials in my library that I used to own. This will be the focus of my next post but in the meantime here is the photo that I believe was used as Matt's reference for this sculpt.

What I found so fascinating about this picture and what draws me to this bust is just what I referenced in the beginning about my interest in this period. He is wearing a great mixture of old and new, with the fur busby of the 1st or 2nd Leib-Hussaren Regt. of which he had been a part, and the Attila or Hussar jacket being in the Feld-grau of the period. This won't qualify as an extremely colorful piece but it will be a mixture of tones and textures that I find visually appealing and historically important. I would like to think that was why Matt chose the subject, but that may be presumptuous of me.

Soldiers SR-59 Vexillarius - Update 2

I completed the face last night. Having said that I might make a few tweeks here and there as the figure progresses but I am happy with the results. When you are looking at the photo all blown up, remember we are talking 54mm here so all in all a decent result.

I have also started the trousers. Off-white is the direction I am headed here. so this is a good start. More to follow.......

Romeo 54-035 Teutonic Knight mid XIII Cent.

So here is the figure that goes with my little groundwork demo piece. This is a Knight of the Teutonic Order, mid 13th Century. The kit is a 54mm Romeo casting and once complete, will be resting on his shield and holding a lance. These first few photos show fitment testing as the painting began on the base. As you can see I masked the mail areas and used my usual white automotive primer.

Painting began with the face as always. Typical mix and technique. Once done I used a bit of lacquer thinner to clean the paint from the mail before it dried and began to apply.............

................washes of Mars Black to the mail to begin pulling out the detail. The mail here is not as diminutive as I am used to with some figures so I'm not getting the strong crisp details that I am used to. My plan is to use a thicker coat of Mars Black rubbed into the deeper shadow areas to further darken and delineate the mail. A brush dipped in thinner and drawn over the higher details after the black sits for awhile will pull the natural metal highlights back out. That will be for a later post.

Shadows were applied to the face and Burnt Sienna/Titanium White oils used to paint the lining around the opening of the mail as well as the horizontal lacing around the upper head. This is really nothing more than a base coat as their is visible lacing detail that will need to be carefully picked out with various colors once the face and mail are complete.

Here you can see that I have begun the shoes as well as the initial work on the white tunic. The base color is a mix of Titanium White, Raw Umber and a hint of Lamp Black. Over this I worked a few mid level highlights wet-on-wet, applied a thinned capillary wash of Mars Black around belts and laces to pop out the detail and set aside to dry. The shoes are Burnt Umber with a bit of Mars Brown added for warmth and after drying, initial washes of Mars Black. Worn edges and further highlighting have not yet been completed. I will paint the straps and spurs while the figure is on the working base but final highlights may well be left until the figure is mounted to the groundwork so that I can unify the colors.

These last three pictures are the finished face. Leather and mail remain unfinished and I may well work a bit more on the color of the moustache. If the lights had been lowered you would see that yes, there are eyes under there somewhere!

Soldiers SR-59 Vexillarius of Constantine The Great - Update 1

I have been working on this figure off and on over the past two weeks, trying to formalize the color palette in my mind. There will be various reds involved and each one needs to be a separate tone, richness and warmth. I've started the face as can be seen in the two photos below. Usual mixture of oils involved, nothing new. The first photo is basic flesh mixture with first highlights completed wet-on-wet. The second photo is with the shadows roughed in.

I have also been painting the shoes and groundwork. The groundwork was done with washes of Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Mars Black and Greenish Umber. I will start working some highlight tones in as I begin to paint his trousers (White/Off-White).

Painting Groundwork With Oils

I know that in the past I have always treated the groundwork step-by-step as part of the overall figure, making references to my methods as I go. I thought it might be nice to separate the groundwork out as a specific focus for an article. This would give me the chance to solidify my techniques.

This is a simple groundwork base for a single 54mm figure. I utilized a Walnut base, an Armand Bayardi resin tree stump, epoxy putty, static grass, dirt and White Birch seeds from my front yard (basically the same thing you get in a Hudson & Allen bag but I get them for free every two years.).

I shape the groundwork in it's basic form using the epoxy putty, after placing the stump in it's desired location. I use a few pieces of broken balsa wood to work a stone like texture in the putty. Balsa snaps unevenly and gives a nice varied tool surface for this task. The figure's feet are weted with water and pressed into location, lifted and the base is set aside to dry. Once cured the base is coated with thinned wood glue (I use one that dries waterproof to withstand the washes of color I use). Over the glue I apply light varied sand sparsely and then the static grass in patches. Later I glued down some of the seeds to resemble fallen leaves. Once everything was dry I masked the base and sprayed everything in white automotive primer.

The pictures above show the groundwork after two initial wash coats of Burnt Umber Oil Paints. I applied the wash to everything to unify the tonal values. As you will see in the following pictures the colors separate down the line in the process. I do apply the color heavier in some areas than others to pop out details (See how the leaves are lighter than the tree trunk above?).

In the photo above I applied a wash of Greenish Umber and Chrome Green Deep to the grassy areas. This was allowed to dry and an overall wash of Greenish Umber and Burnt Umber was applied to blend the two (below).

I used touches of Cad Yellow Medium, Cad Red Light, Yellow Ochre and Burnt Sienna to paint the leaves. This mix was thinned like a glaze (not as thin as a wash). Once dry a further wash of Burnt Umber was applied in certain areas to further define the ground, tone down the leaves and shadow where the figure will be standing.

Burnt Umber, Mars Black and Titanium White were mixed in various shades of grayish brown and applied to pop out the tree bark and lighten the exposed tree trunk where it has split. This mix was yellowed out a bit with Ochre and used to brighten the grass and the edges of the leaves.

Now the base is ready to accept the figure once he is completed. This will be shown in a few upcoming posts. Stay tuned and Keep Painting!!

Soldiers SR-59 Vexillarius of Constantine The Great

Well as if on cue, the weather has begun to change. One day it is in the 80's and sunny, the next it is in the 60's and wet. I never like it when it changes this quickly but it does signal the time to start focusing more time at the workbench and less time on the bike. I'll still have another month or so before I'm forced to completely give up but in the meantime it has given me a chance to start planning the winter projects.

I am back on my other earlier projects but I couldn't help starting something new as well. This fine figure from Soldiers is a very nice Vexillarius carrying the "Labarum" of Constantine the Great, early fourth century AD. Story has it that on the eve of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, Constantine had a dream that led him to convert to Christianity. The reality is more along the lines of his conversion happening on his deathbed but the story remains and this standard is the documented item carried to battle against the Emperor Maxentius. To many this figure may seem familiar. You would not be mistaken in thinking this as the body is for the most part the same exact figure as my previous Soldiers kit from this time period (SR50). Enough is different however to make this an acceptable use of a previous kit by Soldiers in my opinion.

As you can see in the pictures below, I have assembled the kit almost entirely except for the cloak. This will allow me to paint the piece unimpeded and attach the cloak later as I did with the earlier kit. Groundwork is the usual A+B putty with sheet plastic backing on a very nice Ken Thomas round rosewood base. I will apply some plant life, mask the armor and prime prior to beginning the paint.

To give an idea of the direction this piece will go, I have included a photo of the kit box art as reference. The standard will most likely be copied as seen in the photo but I will play with the clothing colors a tad as I proceed. I have read conflicting descriptions of the labarum but I would expect my interpretation to be very similar.