JJD Highlanders - All bright & shiny (2 Viewers)

[Dragoon]

Why did ypu repaint the faces?
Mark

Mark, I repaint the faces because I'm going after more of a TOY soldier look, like that of Trophy and Imperial. Just a personal preference.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Infidel! Nah, just kidding, Ken...these look great. After the facial repaint, they look completely different. John's sculpts are distinctive, but you have given them a completely new look. I always love to see creative conversions/modifications. I must admit I felt a bit guilty matt coating some Trophy and Ani figures a while back but too was happy with the results. Now...I dare you to saw an arm off and create a new pose!

 

[Dragoon]

Infidel! Nah, just kidding, Ken...these look great. After the facial repaint, they look completely different. John's sculpts are distinctive, but you have given them a completely new look. I always love to see creative conversions/modifications. I must admit I felt a bit guilty matt coating some Trophy and Ani figures a while back but too was happy with the results. Now...I dare you to saw an arm off and create a new pose!

The bone saws are ready. But John J. has produced so many great figures in such wide variety of poses that I've yet to find the need.

 

[aujj65]

Ken,

Sorry, but I just had to enlarge your photo's to show just how wonderful these look.



Jeff

It's got me thinking about JJD's Sudan figures!

 

[Dragoon]

Ken,

Sorry, but I just had to enlarge your photo's to show just how wonderful these look.



Jeff

It's got me thinking about JJD's Sudan figures!

Thanks Jeff, glad you like them. That's about the size they appear when I work on them. I use a visor which has a magnifying lense attached making everything bigger and easy to see. Do you use one of these also?

I think JJD's Sudan series is just screaming to be glossy! Go for it.

 

[aujj65]

Thanks Jeff, glad you like them. That's about the size they appear when I work on them. I use a visor which has a magnifying lense attached making everything bigger and easy to see. Do you use one of these also?

I think JJD's Sudan series is just screaming to be glossy! Go for it.

Ken, yes I use a "Optivisor" for the fine detail.

You first!

Jeff

 

[VIRIATO]

This reminds that it would probably be a good idea if JJ had his figures also available as castings, but who am I to say it. Guess there is a thread somewhere on this one...

Paulo

 

[Obee]

This reminds that it would probably be a good idea if JJ had his figures also available as castings, but who am I to say it. Guess there is a thread somewhere on this one...

Paulo

Paulo,

the problems many makers have in releasing castings as well as painted figures is that other people will pirate or copy the castings, becuse of its relative cheap cost, and then reproduce them in mass, and even sell them. Therefore they won't make castings availiabe on the market. If you want to reproduce a copy from a painted figure, you therefore pay more and risk damaging it too, but you have paid more for them. When I spoke with Errol Pace of Errol John at the London Show in June last year, he said he was no longer selling castings because copies of his wonderful work had eneded up on EBay with inferior cast copies, and so he go nothing for his work in sculpting and casting.

I have been fortunate to be given a few of John's resin masters so I can paint them and show off his figures in a different painting style, and also, in the case of the new Black Watch Grenadiers, to show the figures even before he releases them onto the market.

There are only a few companies that do sell both painted and castings, Tradition of London is one, Alma Figures with the Crimean range, and Wilson Edwads Toy Soldiers, Shenandoah Miniatures are a couple of others I know of.

regards,

John

 

[VIRIATO]

Paulo,

the problems many makers have in releasing castings as well as painted figures is that other people will pirate or copy the castings, becuse of its relative cheap cost, and then reproduce them in mass, and even sell them. Therefore they won't make castings availiabe on the market. If you want to reproduce a copy from a painted figure, you therefore pay more and risk damaging it too, but you have paid more for them. When I spoke with Errol Pace of Errol John at the London Show in June last year, he said he was no longer selling castings because copies of his wonderful work had eneded up on EBay with inferior cast copies, and so he go nothing for his work in sculpting and casting.

I have been fortunate to be given a few of John's resin masters so I can paint them and show off his figures in a different painting style, and also, in the case of the new Black Watch Grenadiers, to show the figures even before he releases them onto the market.

There are only a few companies that do sell both painted and castings, Tradition of London is one, Alma Figures with the Crimean range, and Wilson Edwads Toy Soldiers, Shenandoah Miniatures are a couple of others I know of.

regards,

John

Yes I see, thanks for your comments. Fusilier/Tommy Atkins also do sell castings.

Paulo

 

[johnnybach]

Dear John,

Thanks for the information on why manufacturers don't release castings of their work. However, if you look at that statement closely, there appears to be a fault in that logic.

For example, say I wanted desperately to copy a figure ( not that I would, I don't cast my own - "The Commandante" forbids me making any more mess!). What would stop me purchasing a painted figure - stripping it back - and then making up my own new mould from the stripped figure?

Incidentally, you can add Dorset Soldiers and Fusilier (which includes Hussar and Tommy Atkins) and Mountford Miniatures to the names of enlightened manufacturers/ suppliers who do both painted versions and castings. Apparently, they don't seem to be worried about people ripping THEM off!

It is also more fun to see something by people who DON'T do castings - and work out how you can get some that sorta look like them, by converting other, perhaps more enlightened people's castings.

As to profit - I can tell you that one particular manufacturer that I know, has told me that he makes MORE profit from his unpainted castings, than he does from his painted versions. Apparently the cost of hiring painters, sending and collecting the pieces out to paint etcetera, means that he makes LESS per item when they are painted, than their unpainted bretheren, which he justs post off to his customers, straight from the mould. Mind you - his painted versions are significantly cheaper than some I could mention!

To my mind, the information that you have been given is a smoke screen - behind which certain manufacturers seek to protect their main incentive - profit.

Very fortunately, there are enough enlightened producers out there (for me), who don't want to rip off their customers by producing nice looking products and only selling them painted only, at around the £30 mark (or so) - and sell reasonable enough products to folks like me who just like painting their own! I also would never dream of pirating something that someone worked hard at producing - or sell stuff for profit. I just don't wanna do that!!

There - I feel better now, thanks for letting me get that off my chest John.

 

[johnnybach]

Oh yes John, I almost forgot - add Asset to the list of manufacturers who will supply castings as well as painted. (How could I have forgotten those lovely people!). See - the list is growing.

How about it painters - got any more? - You have got me on my favouriote hobby-horse now!! - johnnybach

 

[Obee]

Johnny,

thanks for your comments, and for the other makers names. Yes I paint a lot of Dorset and Asset, but the ones I listed were the first that came to my mind..... it was about 10 am at work on a Friday morning, and I was having my morning coffe break and thought I'd check the forum

As far using the painted figures for making copies, yes go for it, you they have paid for a good figure if it get riuned, that their problem.

Good to hear some postive feedback from you and others on this subject, and keep on painting

John

 

[johnnybach]

Okay - I've had a couple of e-mails

to add to the list of British suppliers who do unpainted castings - as well as painted figures:

John Eden Studios
Langley Miniature Models
Sarum Soldiiers - yes folks, Patrick is back

So I make that eight so far - in the UK.

Zinnfiguren Berlin in Germany MOSTLY do flats - but also some 54mm castings can be purchased.

John mentioned our very own Alba - available - I think from Belgium - though Maddicus will doubtless advise if they can be purchased in the UK.

Any more out there? Regards - johnnybach

 

[johnnybach]

Hi Obee

I ifully intend to keep on painting - and I'm sorry if I have "kicked off" on this one a bit! As I have mentioned to you before - you, amongst others, have been the inspiration for me to get started in this hobby of mine - which is painting. Yes - I display my stuff in cabinets - for my own amusement, so I s'pose I'm a collector in that regard. BUT - I only own one box (for a very special Britain's commem set - to remember my Grandad) - so I guess I'm not typical. Collecting is a by-product of my real love - bringing to life long departed soldiers in their so-varied uniforms.

Just for fun, I sometimes ring up suppliers who don't mention the dreaded "c-word" (NO castings, silly!) - and try to buy a few naked specimens!

"Don't make me larff sunshine"

As my lists show - there are PLENTY of vendors out there in the UK (and no doubt down under) who can supply us with toys. YES TOYS folks - I'm not trying to buy jewelery!

There - I feel better all over again now - I think I'll take my lead from you John, and have a nice cup of coffee with the Commandante!

Hope your weather cheers up soon John I'll keep taking the tablets! - johnnybach

 

[Fraxinus]

Simply outstanding work and those Jacobites really pop out in gloss. I have been slowly warming to gloss over the 6-8 months, after viewing the London Show Pics and the variety of figures offered, and this conversion just adds to that feeling. Would love to see a conversion of some the Jenkin's Woodland Indian Sets.

 

[kogu]

When Dragoon started this thread and posted his pictures of the Highlanders in a glossy finish, I was very excited about them and sure did like them a lot.
By now I finally made up my mind and decided to get me an own collection of John Jenkins Jacobites in a high gloss finish.
Here are some pics of the first figures I got done.
Really like the effect of detailed painting and high gloss finish.
Konrad

 

[kogu]

And a little closer view.

 

[kogu]

The charging Officer.
My plan is to convert several more figures of the "Jacobite Rebellion" series to a glossy finish in the next coming months.
Konrad

 

[mikemiller1955]

Konrad...I'm not used to seeing such highly detailed figures done in gloss...I gotta say...they are delightful...looks like you did a nice job...they look like they came straight from the factory...they are attractive and have a certain "lure" to them...can you explain your process in doing them and what you used please...was it a paint on or spray on...

 

[kogu]

Hi Michael,
this glossy thing "lures" me very much right now ^&grin
The gloss varnish was applied with a brush in two sessions, about 2 hours apart, allowing the first application to get dry to the touch.
Did not want to use a spray, since I was afraid due to the physics of the figures, that some areas would receive way too much coverage by trying to get to every corner and crease.
With the paint brush I can get everywhere, assuring an even coverage.
For me the converting of matte figures to this high gloss is most tempting currently and I have to be careful not to gloss anything that can't escape fast enough :wink2: ^&grin
Konrad