Blaster Collection (1 Viewer)

[blaster]

Hello John,

Thanks for posting those great looking pictures here. I am familiar with MHSP figures (not cheap) but the ATS figures look reasonably priced! But I love that Lelivepvre painting. He was a great artist.

Rgds Victor

 

[blaster]

Thanks for posting

Thanks for your comment. Rgds Victor

 

[blaster]

Hi All,

This was my reference book by Frederic Masson (die-hard Napoleonophile) which covers the Sacre ceremony in great detail. It includes 7 illustrations in b/w by Felicien Myrbach which I include here for your delectation.

Rgds Victor



Lippincott pub (no date)


Napoleon takes the constitutional oath



The frontispiece of the book of the coronation


The proclamation of the emperor

 

[blaster]

Rest of illustrations:



The military procession to the Invalides for the distribution of the stars of the Legion of Honour


The regalia borne by the Marshals of France


The emperor descending from the throne at the termination of the ceremony


Napoleon visits David in his studio and congratulates him on the picture of the coronation

 

[blaster]

Just dusting off part of my collection and these 5 pieces represent my modest WWI thematic collection. I realise that I've never shown them in all-round pics which will show other details and, never together as a thematic collection.

Only TE Lawrence was from a commercial kit. The rest of the pieces were scratchbuilt with some Airfix/Scalelink parts/ordnance.

Lawrence of Arabia was made from an Andrea metal figure kit.

 

[blaster]

The German Machine gunner is carrying the heavy Maxim gun, normally manhandled by two men. The gun is an excellent Scalelink kit. I built a small sight adjuster from plastic and attach it to the gun. The helmet is Scalelink and the rest are some Airfix parts added to a wire armature. This was the only way to achieve a naturally burly build for the gunner.

 

[blaster]

This piece represents a stretcher bearer of the Seaforth Highlanders. The figure was based on a book from Windrow and Greene on the Somme.
I had obtained details of the stretcher from Dan Morton, a very keen modeller and great WWI resource person. This was made from plastic rods, brass strips and putty. Helmet, kilt and legs from Airfix. Rest was scratchbuilt. the khaki coverall was made from rolled out epoxy putty.

 

[blaster]

This piece represents Bill Coltman VC holder. He was featured in a Mil Illustrated mag article on his heroic exploits. The helmets, heads,hands and upper torsos were taken from Airfix and Preiser. The metal legs were from Scalelink. It's easier to work with plastic. The rest was wire armature. The two figures were modelled with epoxy putty, test-fitted by pressing them together.
As can be seen, khaki is an interesting colour to play with. I obviously had fun with this piece.

 

[blaster]

This piece represents a gunner wearing the rare pannier jacket. The gas respirator was fully scratchbuilt. I was kindly advised by John OBrien (ex-gunner) on the shells which would have been too heavy for a gunner to carry. However, I won't be changing this piece as it has a great atmospheric feel to it.

 

[nmrocks]

Beautiful sculpting and presentation Victor!
Ray

 

[johnnybach]

This piece represents a gunner wearing the rare pannier jacket. The gas respirator was fully scratchbuilt. I was kindly advised by John OBrien (ex-gunner) on the shells which would have been too heavy for a gunner to carry. However, I won't be changing this piece as it has a great atmospheric feel to it.

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He might be picking up "empties"???? jb???

 

[blaster]

Beautiful sculpting and presentation Victor!
Ray

Hello Ray,

thanks for your very kind comments.

Rgds Victor

 

[blaster]

He might be picking up "empties"???? jb???

Hello JB,

Thanks for your interesting rationalisation. Never thought of that myself. However, the spent cartridge shells should sit deeper in the pockets then.

I was trying to represent this magnificent sculpture by Jagger.

Rgds Victor

 

[Obee]

He might be picking up "empties"???? jb???

JB,

don't think so .... the empties would have to moved, but only after a bombardment, and then probably by a team of navvies doing a clean up of the battlefield. Interestingly Britain used a lot of colonial troops, Asian and African as a labour force in WW1 and that was part of their job.

The gunners may have shifted, or thrown the empty carts away from the gun platform, into heap, but wouldn't have used this form of carriage to dispose of them.

John

 

[johnnybach]

Hi both - thanks for that John. Got me to thinking on that use of Colonial labour by the Allies in WW1 - so had a look around online - and found this rather interesting article.

Nice idea - that figure. I can see where it came from - by the pic of that Bronze figure. jb

http://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles/colonial-troops

 

[blaster]

Hi JB,

Thanks for that interesting website. I have just bought a book by David Ologusa and am looking forward to reading it. Currently going through a WWI immersion phase here.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Worlds-War-David-Olusoga/dp/1781858977

Rgds Victor

 

[johnnybach]

Hi JB,

Thanks for that interesting website. I have just bought a book by David Ologusa and am looking forward to reading it. Currently going through a WWI immersion phase here.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Worlds-War-David-Olusoga/dp/1781858977

Rgds Victor

I was given that book last year Vic. Haven't read it yet - due to house moves etc - but plan to give it a go when I get back to UK this winter. jb

 

[blaster]

Hi JB and all,

I started reading Ologusa's book and then got side-tracked by Max Hastings "Catastrophe" which I got very cheaply. Hastings has a very engaging style of writing and I am now enjoying the first chapter.

Anyway, over the Xmas hols, I got nostalgic and relooked at some of my more forelorn pieces.

My first figure conversion was this Diana The Huntress piece. It was made from a Historex academy nude, based on a famous painting by the school of Fontainbleau. I had carved the hunting dog out of melted plastic sprue. Bow and string were all made from carved plastic and stretched sprue. I placed the whole scene in a plastic food container, with the base created on the lid. The container has never been opened since it was first made over 30 years ago.

 

[blaster]

Following my Diana The Huntress figure, I made various other conversions many of which have not stood the test of time. I eventually started to focus on military subject conversions.

These two figures were made one after the other. I was inspired by a couple of illustrations in an old P Kannik book.

The conversions were done without any wire armatures. Figure parts were just pressed against a blob of epoxy putty and the figures were shaped accordingly. When I was satisfied with the overall structure, I added more details. I minimised any drapery as my skills were limited. The bases were made from old electric socket bulbs.

The King's Troop Officer was made with Airfix Cuirassier boots converted, and a Verlinden head. The scene is that of a haughty officer polishing the dirt off his riding boots after a battle and he spies a battlefield trophy.

 

[blaster]

The other related figure represented the Carignan-Salieres regiment which served in Canada. I gave the ensign a bear mascot. Flag staff and sash from Historex, head from Scalelink, legs from Airfix Civil War figure. Flag was made from plastic vinyl sheet.

With more updated references, I may redo these figures in the near future.