Hello Everybody...

I finally had time to start the 4th 200mm bust in a series of 5 that I'm painting from YS Masterpieces. For those not familiar with this series of busts, they feature subjects taken from the Greek War of Independence, which roughly took place during the years 1821-1829.

Let's take a look - here are all the pieces in the kit cleaned, prepped and ready for assembly.


This dude is packing 3 guns and 3 swords - he was definitely NOT MESSING AROUND...
The casting itself didn't require a whole lot or prep work (unike some others in the series). However, as usual with all the busts that I've painted in this line, the eyes were a disaster, and had to go through X-Acto knife hell before they were even remotely paintable (and even then it was easier to just freehand parts of the eye sockets). It's a little unfortunate, because everything else is very well done.

Here is the model primed and ready for painting:


(The model is actually just blu-tacked together for the priming stage - otherwise many of the pieces would leave parts of the model very hard to get a brush to).

Unless there is some reason not to, I always start with the face. So, with the exception of a few small tweaks here and there, here is the finished face:







Next steps are to finished the mustache, eyebrows and hair, and then onto the shirt.

Thanks for stopping by,
Phil

Good start Phil, also parked up and looking forward to following your progress.

Loving this phil,looks a real nightmare to paint

Phil,
Good start ,as others look forward to more. Be interested in how you get on with his waist coat . See how the detail turns out , good luck.
Barrie (Newbee)

Looking forward , following with interest

lovely face again phil, will be following with great interest and envy as usual.

tony

One of the most idealistic figures of the Greek revolution.He died very early during the struggle at the battle of Alamana (essentially he was once more defending the pass at Thermoplylae were Alamana is situated) buying valuable time for the forces of the revolution to grow and consolidate some gains in the main theatre of Pelloponesos.Diakos in Greek means novice monk and this is what he was up to the commencement of the revolution.Story has it that one fatefull night an Ottoman Pasha was lodging at the monastery where Athanasios was training to be a monk-the monks being obliged by law to offer lodgings to Turkish officials-when his handsome physique caught the eye of the somewhat over-fond-of boys Pasha who started making overtures towards him.At some point when Athanasios (in Greek this name means immortal) leaned over to pour a coup of water or wine to the Ottoman official,the Pasha actually tried to kiss him!!!!Athanasios repelled him,went back in his cell, returned with a pistol and shot the Turk dead at pont blank.Of course from that moment on he was an outlaw and so he took to the mountains and became member of a warband.At the beginning of the revolution when the Ottoman empire dispatched one of its most capable generals in the face of Omer Bryonis (an Albanian brave and competent soldier) in order to quell the uprising,it fell first to Diakos in Alamana and then to Androutsos in Gravia to stop or delay him before reaching the main theatre of operations in Pelloponesos.That is what Athanasios did by organising an ambitious ambush with his numerical inferior warband in the area of Thermopylae.Like their ancestors they fell to the last man.Athanasios kept on fighting with the blade of his scimitar broken in two until he was captured.The Turks reserved a particularly gruesome fate for him.They impaled him with a roasting spit and laid him over the fire!!!!Athanasios in order to stand the ordeal without loosing dignity kept on singing to his last breath lest he be tempted to cry in anguish.
It is a lovely bust the one you have started Phil.One doubtfull detail which is of course not your fault,is the cape that the sculptor has incorporated.Such an item was never part of Greek traditional men's attire.It is all the more curious because the sculptor has done some serious research as evidenced by his other works in this series.That aside,you are off to a great start and I am looking forward to seeing this completed and in line with the other busts of the series in your collection.

Oda.

Very good start Phil.
Like your painting style Mate
Keith

"Many Weapons" looks great Phil.........Look forward to progress......

Wayne

Thanks so much Nap!

That's a great idea - as soon as he's finished, I'll put the whole crew together for some pics
Regards,
Phil

Thanks Roger, glad you're joining us

Regards,
Phil

Thanks Brian! And yes - between all the lacework/embroidery, the ridiculous amount of weapons, and the coming freehand work - 'nightmare' is the perfect word for it...

Thanks Barrie - the waistcoat is going to be rather um... elaborate, so we'll see how it goes...
Regards,
Phil

Thanks so much Pierre - and you're right... He is definitely armed and dangerous

Regards,
Phil

Thanks

Thanks Mobo

As always Tony - thanks so much, I hope I do the rest of this rather detailed bust justice...