Hi Folks,
I would like to share with you the early stages of my latest mixed media effort.
It represents a Grenadier Guardsman at the Crimean War as seen in the Roll Call painting by Lady Elizabeth Butler.

This famous painting shows the ordinary soldiers after the battle, bedraggled and exhausted being counted as survivors, as one falls dead at their feet. As with most art created after the event it has many inaccuracies but has the emotion of the event but in reality it is not repesenting a specific battle.




At the Royal Academy it caused a sensation and had to be protected from the crowds by the Police. On tour in Liverpool, 20,000 people came to see it. 250,000 postcards were sold within a week and though it had been commissioned for £100 by a Manchester Industralist - Charles Galloway - Queen Victoria insisted upon buying it, though she agreed to sign six of the artists proofs for the engraving - though in the end this didn't happen.
I hope that you can see where this is going and enjoy how it is evolving. You will notice that the shoulders are slightly enlarged to support the greatcoat that will be draped around his shoulders.
A long way to go but I will get there.
Cheers,
Keith

Keith - Very cool. Developing nicely. Love the subject matter and you are off to a flying start. Great backgrounder too.

Colin

Thank you for your comment Colin,
The Elizabeth Butler story is very interesting too. Allthough she was a great painter, for years She was shunned by the Royal Academy simply because she was a woman painting war based paintings. It was only Queen Victoria's iinterest in Her work that She was granted membership to the RA.
All the very best,
Keith

Keith,

A great painting and a really nice looking start on this figure. As you say there are a number of inaccuracies in the picture (not least the snow on the ground) but it's still one of my favourites. The mounted officer in the painting represents George Higginson, who was adjutant of the 3rd Bn Grenadiers at Inkerman, and ultimately finished his career as a general.

Is this going to be a full figure or a bust? Also, what materials are you using for the sculpt?

Pete

When I was in m y 20's I picked up a complete set of Kinglake and a complete Nolan too. About twenty pounds each at Hay-on-Wye in Wales (the whole village was one big used bookstore). Kinglake's volume on Inkerman has always stayed with me, particularly the Guards' actions at the Sandbag Battery and elsewhere. This model will be great.

Colin

Hi Pete,
Thanks for looking in on this one Mate.I often see this painting listed as post Inkerman and I know that some of the surviving Grenadiers help with the research and indeed modeled for the artist. I believe that a lot of the uniforms and accesories tha Lady Butler had loaned to her were of the later pattern of tunic etc.
The bust is quite a big boy weighing in at just about 1:3.8. This would make him 400mm scale approx. So for ease of handling he is a bust.I do have a small madness in the back of my head that says go for it but what to do with it afterwards is the question. I know that the Guard Museum will take it off of me and I would be pleased to give it. But the they will press me for another 30 or so to make up the ensemble.
I have mostly used milliput throughout with a different French epoxy resin for the head.
Anything you add to assist my quest here would be most welcome Mate.
All the very best Pete,
Cheers,
Keith

Hi Keith, looks like your well and truly bitten by the sculpting bug! He's coming along mate,I like his Victorian looking face, I don't know if it's the angle of the camera but I think his shoulders look a little to far forward IMO, but it'll be bit of a bugger to alter now ( if it needs it) also the middle finger on his right hand looks broken as it's dropping to the right from the middle knuckle, hope you don't mind me saying so,
Keep at it Keith it's a nice subject to do,
Cheers
Jim

Hi Jim,
As always advice and help are welcome, espcially from anyone who knows the ropes.
I have to say that I really struggled to get all of the fingers holding pencil in the right place.
The blooming middle peg sort of ended up finding it's own space. Noting is fixed so I can brake it and remodel.
With the shoulders; I was trying to get both the pose of the guy, head lifted and turned looking for the Guardsman that didn't answer, and make the allowance to support the draped greatcoat on his shoulders. there may be a little bit of camera angle factor as I was a slight ange off of square but not too much. I will try the mirror idear and try to see it through your eyes, if that makes any logic to you......I think I know what I am trying to say?
Always good to hear from you mate even more so when you come with advice.
Cheers,
Keith

I know about ropes!
Now I'm off before I get lynched, be back later.

Yeh I know Richie
Ropes and scafolding. Spare a thought for those poor French monkeys mate.
Speak soon,
Keith

Your welcome Keith, not sure though about knowing the ropes mate, it's an ever on-going learning curve, stick at it as each one you do you'll get better at it...bit like saying "Yes dear your always right & I'm just a stupid halfwit!"...(did I really just say that?)
Cheers
Jim

Hi Keith,
Nice project, I really like the look you captured on that face. The whole piece will look different again once you have the coat draped around the shoulders. I agree about the middle finger needs to be positioned back into it's natural place.
You might just want to check the position of the thumb nail too, I know it's easy to critique but trying to make hands is hard work, I've had a couple of failed attempts.
Good luck with this, looking forward to the coat going on.
cheers
Richie

Great stuff Keith. Nice 'character' in the face. As Ritchie says the whole piece will really come together when the greatcoat is fitted.
Not a bad job on the hands and once you re-position the middle finger that should do the trick.
Cheers
Derek

Looking well Keith more power to you mate big project in more ways than one.
Steve

Hello Mate,
In life I have found that critique is the best tool to use when you are trying to progress in what ever you do. I wrongly imagined that the finger would be close to the pad but it didn't look right with Him looking at his battalion. This led to me setting the hand in the dithering position. I have now straightened the finger and just have to make provision for the pencil. once completed I will post a photograph later today.
I am not sure which thumb nail you are talking about. On the hand in question the nail is facing and close to the cross belt and on the hand holding the pad it is in the same plane as the pad. Give me a little more detail Mate and I will work on it.
Thanks for the positive input Richie,
Speak soon,
Keith

Hi Derek,
Thanks for looking in at my effort and taking the time to comment.
With the face I was looking for a sad looking typically bearded Victorian Soldier in the Crimea. I did not find exactly what I wanted through the normal reference channels and move to a more general search on Google, sad blokes with beards. This one fitted the bill and is in fact based on Hippocrates. Like you I thought he fitted the bill.
I have worked on the fickle finger with still a little bit of fitting to do and I would value you thoughts once finished.
All the very best,
Keith

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your kind comments Mate.
A big piece but lifting and juggling this lump around is the only exercize I get (want).
Pleased that you like it and hope that you will like it as it progresses.
All the best,
Keith

Hi Keith,
Sorry mate I've misled you on the thumb nail, I had a snap shot look at it this morning before going to work and now I have studied it, I'm wrong Keith. I thought this was the line of the nail marked with the arrow. Keep up the good work mate.
cheers
Richie

Hello Mate,
You had me worried for a moment. I knew you had a keen eye and for the life of me I couldn't see where you meant.(sigh of relief!)
I worked on the fickle finger and changed the grip on the pencil. I am still not 100% satisfied with it but it's not too bad.
Will post a picture a little bit later.
All the very best Mate,
Keith

Hello one and all,
Just a quick snap of the reset finger. As I said to Richie I am still not totally happy with it.
See what you think Guys.
So the fickle finger remains a WIP and fickle.
Cheers,
Keith