The technique I use is to drill a hole in both the body of the armature and in the removed head. To do this I use a small hand twist trill with bits ranging from 0.5 up to 1.0mm. I can then mount the head onto the body by inserting a short pin to join the two together (whilst working on them the heads can be stuck to a longer peg, or as here to a bent paperclip, which makes a good stand). The neck can then be completed accordingly and the cast made. The advantage of this approach is that I can use both heads and bodies subsequently in other combinations, with only slight alteration/repair to the joint at the neck on removal. I'll illustrate this technique in due course.
One of the advantages of using this type of armature is that they already have a fairly good face on the to start with. This is great as its a really hard thing to do well. In my experience, and its only personal taste, the nose is a little "weak" and needs to be beefed up a bit or its lost in the cast figure. In this photo I've added more material to all three heads on the nose. One head is going to be for a grenadier, so I've added a suitably outrageous moustache, and another is going to be an officer so I've opened the mouth a little and dropped the jawline accordingly (Officers like to think their in charge).
In the next few days I'll build these heads up further by adding tricornes, bearskin and hair.
I've also now completed the musket and grenadiers hanger, I think I'll do a few more items to go along with these, probably a pistol, officers sword and possibly a light officers fusil. The muskets not bad, perhaps a little thicker than it would be in real life, but it needs to be or it wouldn't be robust enough for use on the table. I've modelled with the sling "tightened up", suitable for a marching figure. This bit can be cut off if required and re-modeled for other poses.
Anyway, touch of cold at present so progress slightly delayed, more on head development in next few posts.
4 comments:
Agh! It's happening! You are severely tempting me to try my hand at all of this (must be strong, must be strong, must be strong. . . ).
Best Regards,
Stokes
Stokes,
I know what you mean . . . he's making me think that I might be able to do this . . . no, no, no . . . I can't take it.
-- Jeff
Er, I already bought the dollies, putty and sculpting tools.
The Quuen is dead.
Greg
I already have all the tools and putty, but I know I can't do this. I've tried countless times. That's why I bought in Richard Ansells services and talent :-)
Frank
Post a Comment