Bobs Place for Historical Miniatures

DAK Bust 1941

2012-01-01T18:48:00.004-06:00

This was originally a Wehrmacht infantryman bust that I painted to represent a soldier of the DAK in 1941. The 1/9 scale kit is by SK Miniatures sculpted by Carl Reid. Painted in oils over acrylics. Main uniform color is Gold/Ochre mixed with Burnt/Umber. Helmet was painted Grey then painted Yellow in acrylics. Distressed with something from my workbench to give it a worn look.

Sir Thomas Wentworth

2011-06-25T17:05:00.004-05:00

Sir Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, 1593 - 1641. This is a 1/10 scale resin bust sculpted by Aaron Brown and produced by Michael Miniatures. Casting and fit is superb with minimal cleanup. Not many parts to this kit however. He had a unique Black armor which required me to use my airbrush for something other than Dullcote. I used Testors Gloss Black then applied a thin coat of Dullcote in the recesses of the armor to create some depth. I then applied several coats of Future floor wax to areas of the armor for a higher gloss finish. Hinges and rivets are printers inks mixed with Liquin.

1st Bavarian Chevaulegers Major, 1914

2011-04-22T22:18:00.004-05:00

A bust from Michael Miniatures of a Bavarian Chevaulegers Major circa 1914. Another great release from Mike Cramer sculpted by Carl Reid. Casting was precise with minimal cleanup. Oils over acrylic as usual. Printers inks were used for all metal surfaces. Instead of an enamel carrier I used Liquin for the inks. Afterward a gloss coat of Future floor wax was applied. The Crimson facings were a mixture of Crimson with Titanium White. Green tunic was a mix of Prussian Green and Blue/Black. Highlighted with Naples Yellow. All oils were Winsor Newton.

And yes, the medals were a pain in the a..

Saxon Garde-Reiter Officer 1821-27

2010-12-19T07:33:00.005-06:00

Painted in oils over acrylics. This is a 1/10 scale resin bust of a Saxon Garde-Reiter Officer Rittmeister 2nd Regt by Michael Miniatures.Color scheme is very simple. The most difficult being the White. I airbrushed acrylic White to avoid brushstrokes showing through the White oil. Raw Umber was used to dull the base color. Raw Umber and Black were used to shade. After the oils were dried I used White acrylic to highlight. All Gold are printers inks applied with an enamel carrier. The Kaiserblau is a mix of Winsor Blue, Titanium White, Blue/Black and a very small amount of Gold/Ochre. then shaded with Black. The Yellow is a mix of Gold/Ochre, Bright Yellow and Titanium White. Shaded with Burnt Umber. Flesh is my normal mix of Burnt Sienna, Gold/Ochre and Titanium White. There was no texture on the leather portions of the helmet so I added it by "dabbing" oil paint after most of the oil was wicked out. It took about three applications before the texture was noticeable.

Rev War Officer, 1778

2010-06-20T10:09:00.004-05:00

This is a 54mm white metal figure by Art Girona of an American officer during the American Revolution. Painted in oils over acrylic. Very basic color scheme of Dark Blue and Buff. The Dark Blue is Winsor Newton Blue/Black with Winsor Blue added. The Buff is Gold Ochre with Titanium White to lighten. Shaded with Burnt Umber. Overall figure was airbrushed with Dullcote and buttuns painted with Gold printers inks.

Gladiator

2010-04-10T12:42:00.002-05:00

This Gladiator bust is by Young Miniatures. It can be assembled with or without the helmet on his face. The owner decided to have me place the helmet on his right side to suggest he's carrying it. I was worried it might dominate the figure due to it's size but I think it works.
Painted entirely in oils with the exception of the helmet which was painted with Gunze Sangyo Dark Iron metalized paint. The brass in done in printers inks.

Pirate Girl

2010-01-30T18:07:00.005-06:00

Another Pirate figure here. This one is a bit more appealing than the last one I painted. Fairly clean resin casting by Nemrod in 54mm. Oils over acrylics as per my usual style. It was fun kit to paint.
I never painted a female figure let alone with this much flesh showing. My buddy Mike Cobb suggested not going so dark on the shadows as I normally do. I think he was right.
Feedback welcome as long as it's positive :)

Anthony Du Puis, Quartermaster, 167

2009-12-19T11:15:00.007-06:00

My latest finished piece is a Quartermaster by Romeo models. It's a metal figure in 75mm scale. Went together very well with minimal cleanup. Painted in oils over acrylic. The stairpost and platform (decking) are painted all in acrylics.
Jacket is Burnt Umber. Highlighted with Naples Yellow and shaded with Lamp Black. Trousers are Bright Red with Lamp Black to darken, Highlighted with Naples Yellow and shaded with Lamp Black.

Saxon Garde Reiter Officer 1910

2009-10-09T23:28:00.003-05:00

This bust depicts an officer of the Saxon Cavalry in Parade uniform. It's manufactured by Michael Miniature in 1/10 scale resin. Sculpted by Yury Serebryakov. The sculpting is superb. The detail of the helmet and lion are something needed to be seen to really appreciate.

Ernst I Grand Duke Saxe-Altenburg 1860

2009-09-06T11:14:00.009-05:00

This is a bust of Ernst I Grand Duke Saxe-Altenburg. It's produced by Michael Miniatures in 1/10th scale. Sculpted by Aaron Brown and cast in resin. He is dressed in the Uniform of the 2nd Hannoverian Jagerbataillon. Painted in oils over acrylics. The uniform is dark green with black collar, cuffs and piping. Sash is dark red and the waist sash is yellow and gold.
The casting was crisp and required little effort to clean.

5th Alabama Battle Flag

2009-08-11T20:28:00.003-05:00

For those unable to be in Gettysburg this past weekend here is a photo of the 5th Alabama battle flag at "The Angle" where it was taken 146 years ago. It was truly an honor to witness this historic event. The last time this flag was here was in 1863. The APG (Artists Preservation Group) raised the money for it's restoration.

Lucky Jack

2009-07-12T12:12:00.005-05:00

This is the Lucky Jack Aubrey bust by Young Miniatures. The bust is made of resin and is cast in three pieces. Those being the hat, head and torso. Cleanup was minimal and the casting was very clean and crisp. The bust is painted entirely in oils with an acrylic base. The jacket was painted with a mix of Blue/Black and Winsor Blue. Titanium White added to the base mix for highlighting. The waistcoat was painted using Raw Umber with Titanium White added. The entire piece was sprayed with Dullcote shot through an airbrush to flatten the oils. Shoulder boards were painted with Gold printers inks and toned down when dullcoted. The highlights were picked out with more printers ink afterwards. The leather hat trim was done with a gloss acrylic thinned down for control and applied after the dullcote.

Wellington

2009-06-06T18:51:00.004-05:00

This is a resin bust of The Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley that was originally produced by D F Grieve and now produced by Debra Raymond Military Figures. The kit is flawless in it's casting and a real treat to paint. All oils over acrylic and Dullcoted afterwards. The Gold HL's were added after the dullcote was applied. I had to look up the decorations and medals on-line to get a better look at them prior to painting.

Hancock

2009-04-30T13:16:00.006-05:00

This is my version of General Winfield Scott Hancock. It was sculpted by Matt Springer and will be auctioned at the APG show in Gettysburg this August. Painted entirely in oils this bust depicts Hancock at Gettysburg. I have to say due to Matt's superb sculpting this bust was a real joy to paint.

Frederick The Great, 1760

2009-04-11T15:11:00.003-05:00

This is a 54mm metal casting by Andrea. This was a commision piece I completed a few weeks ago. The advantage for me doing commision work is that I am able to paint things I would not normally paint. I enjoyed painting this figure but never would have looked at it otherwise.
Painted in oils over a base of acrylics. Painting was pretty straight-forward. Blue was a mix of Winsor & Newton Blue/Black and Winsor Blue. Reds were a base of Bright Red and Cadmium Red. Kit went together well without the need for any any major cleanup.

44th Regt. of Foot, Gandamak 1842

2009-02-08T18:26:00.003-06:00

Finished this just in time for the Atlanta show in two weeks. It's a Latorre 54mm figure of a 44th regt. foot soldier from Gandamak in 1842. It's painted entirely in oils and over sprayed with Dullcote lacquer. The Brass colors are printers inks mixed with the clear carrier from Testors Gold enamel.

This is one of several Latorre figures I've painted. His kits are amongst my favorite kits to paint.

8th Hussar

2008-10-28T09:06:00.003-05:00

This is an old Poste-Militaire kit I found in Atlanta a couple of years ago. I painted a few of these in the 80's when they were popular and always wanted to do another. They're getting difficult to find so I was fortunate to find this one. It's painted in the colors of the 8th Regt of French Hussars. Painted in oils over acrylic.

Frank Perconte

2008-06-07T22:52:00.003-05:00

I guess I don't have to just post photos of figures on my site so here's something a little different. This is a photo of Frank Perconte and myself taken at a book signing back in 2001. As most of you know Frank is an original member of E Co/506th PIR of the 101st Airborne Division. It was an honor to be able to meet this man in person after having read about and seeing him portrayed in Band of Brothers. Frank was a very good speaker and talked about his experiences in the war as well as talking about his fellow troopers. I brought along a couple of my airborne figures and Frank was nice enough to sign the bases for me.

6th Hussars

2008-05-13T00:04:00.008-05:00

This is the Andrea French Hussar Officer 1812 bust. Initially I thought I might have taken on more than I intended when I started this kit. However, after some planning it all worked out just fine. The bust was painted without the right arm in place because of all the detail that would have been inaccessible if it were on. That’s probably better because it was easier to paint the Gold lace on the sleeve this way. The colors of the 6th are Blue and Scarlet. The Blue was Winsor Newton Blue/Black with just a touch of Winsor Blue added. The Scarlet was a base of WN Cad Red shaded with basic Red and highlighted with WN Cad Scarlet. The Gold lace was my biggest hurdle. I read Lou Masses article in HM and thought I’d give it a go. I just couldn’t get it to look as good as Lou’s so I improvised by using his technique and my own which was not much more than using Gold printers inks and streaking it on in the highlighted areas. The braiding was done with Lou’s method and I thought it worked well. Flesh tone was my basic mix of Burnt Sienna, Gold Ochre and Titanium White. Some Red was added to the eyelids to make him look a bit tired. I also added some Red under the nose for some color. The shirt collars were made from some sheet lead as the ones supplied were rather thick. Earings were made of brass wire because the ones supplies were a bit too thick. The buttons had some nasty mold marks on them that needed to be cut and sanded. This left them a bit flat so I used two part epoxy and dropped a dollop on each button that covered this up and left a nice round button. All in all the kit is very well done and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s interested in French Napoleonic’s.

Prussian General, 1870

2008-02-11T22:10:00.000-06:00

As promised......a figure with legs. It's been a while since I painted a full figure after painting four busts in a row. This one is a 54mm Prussian General, 1870. It's a resin figure by M-Models out of Poland. This is the first figure by this company I painted and it's really quite nice. Very clean casting with a minimum amount of cleaning required. All pieces fit together without any trouble. Painted in oils over acrylics and matted out with Dullcote using an airbrush. The Grey dried really glossy I think because of all the oil in the Black I used. I bought a fresh tube of Lamp Black and I probably should have pulled some of the oil out. Oh well, it all worked out. It's difficult to tell from the photo but he's holding a monacle to his right eye. This was filled in with 5 min. epoxy to create the lens.

S-Boat Captain

2008-01-20T23:01:00.000-06:00

This is the Young Miniatures WWII S-Boat Captain bust. This one was painted for Dutch Allen. All done in oils over acrylics of course. The jacket color is a mix of Gold/Ochre, Burnt Umber and Titanium White. The Blues are Blue/Black and Winsor Blue with Titanium White. A final application of Dullcote was applied to flatten some of the sheen of the oils. The figure is made of metal and is fairly heavy once the head is attached. The wiring for the comm set is solder that was primed and painted. The wire supplied in the kit was brass or copper but was not as pliable as solder and didn't lay right. The Young miniatures kits are very well done and go together with no problems. The nose was damaged during pkg. and had to be sculpted using A&B putty.

Next up........a figure with legs.

Mandan

2007-12-21T18:14:00.000-06:00

I just completed this bust for a client and I have to say it was a real joy to paint. Being a Poste-Militaire piece that shouldn't be too surprising. I have yet to paint one of their figures and not enjoy doing so. Like always it was painted in acrylics (undercoat) and oils. The coat was done with Winsor/Newton Cadmium Red and highlighted with Cadmium Scarlet. Shading was done with Lamp Black. I use Lamp Black for mostly all my shadind as I like lots of contrast in my figures. The Gold was all done with printers inks. The Gold braiding and epaulets were all sprayed over with dullcote and I added touches of Gold to highlight certain areas. Flesh tones were my basic mix of Gold Ochre, Burnt Sienna and Titanium White. I added just a touch of Venetian Red to this mix to bring it to a more natural skintone for Indians from this region.

Imperial Germany Kurassier Officer

2007-09-06T22:49:00.000-05:00

This is my latest figure. a 1:10 scale bust by Amati. The figure was underpainted in acrylics and finished in oils. I tried using different metalizer paints on the cuirras but couldn't get rid of the brush strokes. I decided to try something I did several years ago on a viking helmet. Metal foil. I cut small pieces of aluminum foil to fit slightly larger than the area I needed to cover. I applied epoxy to the edges of these areas and place the foil in place. I used one of those rubber tipped "color shaper" tools to press the foil into the edges of the cuirass then used a toothpick to get into the smaller areas. I had to be very careful with the toothpick because the foil could easily tear. Once these were all in place I trimmed the excess with a razor knife then used Black oils to "edge" in shadows around the details. The cuirass straps were painted with Gold printers inks.

Lancer Girl

2007-06-25T20:31:00.001-05:00

This is my latest kit. It's a stock kit by ?? and painted entirely in oils (surprise). There wasn't a painting guide included so I didn't know if she was a Dutch Lancer or Polish Lancer. I painted her up as a Polish Lancer (I think). I never painted a nude before or a woman for that matter so I wanted to keep the Flesh tones a bit softer and less contrasty. The chin strap that was included in the kit was trash so I made my own with some small solder wrapped around a toothpick then flattened out. An old technique but one that still looks good. I said earlier she was painted all in oils but thats not true. Her hair was done in acrylics. I'm a big fan of Matt Springer and love the way he does hair and fur in acrylics so I thought I would make an attempt. I was happy with it but can still improve. The photo at right shows a good view of the hair.

Eric Topp Completed

2007-05-17T10:23:00.000-05:00

Here is my final version of the Eric Topp bust. Painted (of course) entirely in oils. Well, all except the beard. The beard was painted with acrylics. The photo is a composite of other graphic elements incorporated into the final image using Adobe Photoshop CS2. The Red Devil seen in the background was Topp's personal boat emblem and was painted on all his U-Boats during the war.

Eric Topp

2007-03-18T07:59:00.000-05:00

My next figure will be of Eric Topp the German WWII U-Boat Captain. It's actually a bust that includes his left arm draped over a periscope. I wanted to get the most accurate replication of the scope I could so I started to do some research on the web. I found a few images that helped but I wasn't satisfied yet. Then I thought about the U-505 exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry right here in Chicago. I pass it every day on my way home from work so I thought I would drop in to see it. First I contacted my cousin John who works at the museum to see if the scope was on display. He confirmed it was and offered to take some detailed shots for me. The photo shows the scope at about 90% complete. I still have to paint the tags and do some tuning up of the eyepiece. Other than that I am really happy with the way it's turning out.

6th Wisconsin, Iron Brigade

2007-02-13T16:01:00.000-06:00

This is the figure I'm contributing to the APG for their latest project. The restoration and conservation of the vest and kepi that was worn by Lucius Fairchild when, as Colonel of the Iron Brigade's 2nd Wisconsin, he was severely wounded during the battle of Gettysburg.
I painted this figure in 1993. It's a 100mm Michael Roberts figure cast in resin. Like all my figures it is painted in oils over acrylics.

Pirate Figure Completed

2007-01-20T12:40:00.000-06:00

Well, here it is. The completed figure at last. I have to say this one was a real joy to paint. Sometimes it was a pain due to all the detail Alan sculpted into the figure but well worth the effort.The Gold used for the buttons and hand guard was printers ink mixed with the clear carrier from Testors Gold enamel.
The figure is mounted to the resin hull by means of two very small pins. One in the toe of the left food and the other in the heel of the right. I epoxied the feet into the hull then used the wire rope Alan provided to secure the figure even more. The rope is secured to the hull in back of the rail and glued onto the hand. The whole thing is quite strong. I must admit I was a bit worried about this at first but now feel very confident it will hold up. The hull was painted with acrylics.

Pirate Figure in progress (side by side)

2007-01-08T06:50:00.000-06:00

The sash and the trousers have been painted in this photo. The paint used for the trousers also dried very glossy. I decided to apply my dullcoat a bit early since I was going to photograph this figure for the purpose of these updates. The photo shows a side by side comparison between the glossy (left) figure and the figure with the dullcoat (right) applied. There is a big difference in the two. It's much easier to see where the highlights and shadows are in the dullcoated figure. The sash was painted with Winsor Newton Basic Red. Highlighted with Cadmium Red and top HL's with Cadmium Scarlet. The trousers were painted with Winsor Newton Venetian Red shaded with Burnt Umber and highlighted with Naples Yellow. The bright lights washed out some of the contrast in the sash and trousers.

Pirate Figure in progress (Oils applied)

2006-12-30T14:49:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been a while since my last update so you'll notice a bit more progress from the last photo. I've painted the face and coat with their final colors in oils as well as the hat and coat cuffs. The sheen on the coat is evident even though the paint is dry. This is because the colors used have a tendency to dry shiny. The base color is Blue/Black mixed with Winsor Blue. This will pose no problems for me because I will apply dullcoat (airbrushed) after all the painting is completed. You'll also notice the right arm is now attached because I painted all I needed to paint before the arm was in place so I would have no obstructions. Alan Ball is an exceptional sculptor and this is evident in all the fine detail he's sculpted in. I'm referring to all the little trim pieces that surround the buttons and buttonholes. These proved to be quite time consuming but patience will reward you when they're painted with care.

Pirate Figure in progress (Flesh underpaint)

2006-12-10T18:09:00.000-06:00

I applied a thin coat of testors Light Tan enamel to the face and hands. This will have to dry and cure a minimum of one week before I apply the oils to avoid the enamels from being reactivated by the mineral spirits used in thinning the oils. I can cut in around the face and hands with my acryllics at this point and start to paint other parts while I wait my one week.

Pirate Figure in progress

2006-12-08T21:13:00.000-06:00

This is my latest project. A commision piece that is an original Alan Ball sculpt. It's 75mm in scale and as usual very well done. I've always wanted to paint one of Alans figures so thats why I took this on. The photo shows the piece in it's primed stage except for the right arm which will be removed while painting the bulk of the figure. It's in the way of the face and is rather dangerous because of the brass blade. Alan also included a portion of the ship which can be seen in the background. The figure is posed holding some rigging in his left hand while stepping down some steps mounted on the ships hull. I'm not decided on the color scheme yet though I do want a dark blue coat trimmed in yellow. I think the contrast will work well with this piece.
The next step will be to undercoat the face with Testors Lt. Tan enamel applied with my airbrush.

The Buccaneer

2006-12-01T23:10:00.000-06:00

This is a 54mm metal kit by Pegaso painted in my usual oils over acrylic style. It went together well with minimal cleanup. It was my first pirate figure. It was painted as a commission so I probably wouldn't have painted it had it not been for that reason. Not because of the subject matter but because it was something out of my normal realm. He's armed with the usual pirate weaponry for the period. Sword in the right hand and blunderbuss in the left. He also has a dagger and pistol stuffed in his belt for added punch.

French Officer of the line, 1806

2006-10-08T20:40:00.000-05:00

This is my latest figure. It's a French Officer of the line, 1806. A 54mm, metal Latorre kit painted in oils. This will be part of the MMSI auction for 2006.
The oils used were all Winsor/Newton applied over Vallejo acrylic basecoat. Being a metal kit I applied a primer prior to the application of any type of paint. I used Krylon metal primer in the large spray can. The basecoat of White was applied using an airbrush to avoid brushstrokes showing through to the oils. A good, solid basecoat of White is required for good coverage of the oils. I mixed my White color adding a bit of Raw Umber to tone it down to a warm very light Grey. Shadows are a combination of more Raw Umber in the medium areas and Lamp Black in the deeper areas. Highlights were added after the basecoat of Grey was completely dry. Some outlining was done on the uniform using White acrylics. The Green was mixed using Bright Yellow and Lamp Black. The majority being Yellow. This was highlighted with more Yellow. Flesh was my basic mix of Gold/Ochre, Burnt/Sienna and Titanium White. I added a touch of Flesh Tint to warm it up a bit.

Third Reich in Ruins website

2006-10-08T08:22:00.000-05:00

This website (Third Reich in Ruins) consists of many pages showing photos of locations during WWII Germany along with a matching photo of the area today. It was started by Geoff Walden whose father was stationed in Germany in 1945 and took many photographs while there. I became intrigued with this site after my first visit to Germany in 2003. Among the cities I visited were Munich, Nurenburg and Berchtesgaden where I went up to Hitlers Eagles Nest. These areas are rich in history even though Nazi party history but history nonetheless and are fascinating to me. I love history and learned quite a bit about the places I visited. This website proved very useful in my research. I recommended checking it out especially if you've traveled to Germany. You'll probably recognize locations you've been to. I've included a couple of photos that show the content of this site. The top photo is in Nurenburg and shows the level of destruction inflicted on this historic city. The bottom photo is of the 101st Airborne in Berchtesgaden.

WWII Encampment May, 2006

2006-09-23T20:25:00.000-05:00

The following pics are from the WWII encampment held this past May at the Buckley Homestead in Lowell, IN. It usually takes place on the first weekend of May. I've been here before several years ago but it coincides with the MFCA show and that's where I've been going instead. I opted not to go to MFCA this year and decided to take in the reenactment. I'm glad I did. There are four camps that hold American, German, Bristish and Polish troops. I did see some Russian soldiers so there might have been five camps. They live in authentic WWII encampments and use the same gear soldiers used 60 years ago. The weather was great and provided me with ample amounts of sunshine to get some really great photos. I could only post a few here for obvious reasons. If you'd like a CD that includes all 150 photos taken at high res, 8 MP drop me a request at mailto:mrsarnowski@comcast.net

Bloody Knife

2006-09-19T07:44:00.000-05:00

This is a resin bust by Harton. It's somewhat larger than a conventional bust because it includes a complete upper torso. I painted this piece in January of 2006. Bloody Knife was in fact an actual person. He was George Custers favorite Indian scout.

The kit was painted in oils and like all my figures was airbrushed with Testors Dullcoat to get rid of the shine from the oils. The flesh tone was my basic mix of Gold/Ochre, Brnt/Sienna and Titanium White. However, I added some Venetian Red to take the overall tone to a Reddish/Flesh color associated with the Plains Indians. Other additions are the neckerchief and brass studding on the rifle butt. These were signature items related to Bloody Knife.
For more on Bloody Knife select the following link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Knife

Citizen Clouseau

2006-09-18T11:09:00.000-05:00

This is a bust I completed this past June. It's an Andrea resin kit painted entirely in oils. The name of the kit is "Le Sans Coulotte" which roughly translates into "He without pants." I have no idea why it's called this but oh well. This is the explanation listed on the Wikipedia website. The sans-culottes are the characters emblematic of the French revolution; it is the name which the partisans of the Revolution since 1791 give each other, mainly in Paris.
I attempted a new shading technique on the face with this figure. Normally I would have shaded with Burnt/Umber or Burnt/Sienna. This time I used Blue/Black. I was quite happy with the results. I'm not sure how this combination would work on a small scale figure such as 54mm but for a large bust like this one I'm quite satisfied. The face on this piece is one of the best I've ever painted. It has so many details sculpted into it that it was a complete joy to paint. I don't usually paint a kit more than one time but I would certainly make an exception on this one.