Very cool to see the stepwise progression of this. Inspirational!

Adrian

I like the way this is progressing, great work so far.

Malc

They’re a challenge to be sure - which I think is what makes them fun. The arms tend to be less of a challenge - but I’m also aware that could be famous last words - watch this space.

Carabinier update: Lots of progress but it’s been a very steep learning curve; I don’t think I’ve ever done anything with so much scratch-building before.
The left leg has been remodelled twice as I wasn’t happy with it but I seem to have nailed it this time round - although the boot top and overalls still need doing.
Lots still to do as well as plenty of general refining and tidying but, in general, getting there.

Am inrigued by the Detaille picture which you use as reference. I've never seen this one. It's almost the same as the famous picture of General Lepic and the Horse Grenadiers of the Guard at Eylau (copy below). Same composition, the main difference is with the stance of the principal figure's horse. Did he try the composition out with the two different regiments, but only work the Lepic painting up fully?

Pure talent, love it!

He's looking the business, one thing if I may suggest is some gentle sanding with a sanding stick for fibre glass pen to smooth the trousers out a bit, I know they are leather and will.need texture. But then again you probably had that task all lined up anyway.

Cheers Simon

Hi Simon, I’m definitely intending to go over the whole thing to get it as polished as I possibly can before priming and painting, although finding adequate materials for micro-sanding has started to seem like a problem. Are there sanding sticks available specifically for that? I don’t even know what a fibre glass pen is - it sounds interesting! In some areas I’ve used a liquid putty to iron out any last scratches and minor abrasions but I’ve found over use can obscure detail and it all ends up looking rather lumpy. Any suggestions for micro sanding/finishing tools would be very welcome.

. . . and considerable sweat and hair pulling. (thank you).

I’m not sure Richard, it’s a lovely pose and I suspect he just like it - and fiendishly difficult to reproduce in a model I’m finding. I think my figure will be more of an approximation by the time he’s finished.

Thanks Nap. I’ve certainly had some ‘fun’ getting him to fit in the saddle correctly - not quite there yet but watch this space.

https://www.snmstuff.co.uk/product/flexifile-1-4-professional-sanding-file-extra-fine/

https://www.snmstuff.co.uk/product/glass-fibre-pencil-4mm/

The above links go to a really good supplier called Sean, unfortunately his website is called S&M Stuff, so careful on Google! The fibre glass pen is really good for getting a really smooth finish in hard to access areas due to detail you don't want to file. The other stuff you could consider would be Mr Surfacer, a Japanese product I believe. It comes in various grades from rough to silky smooth, however I have found getting a matt finish on top of it even with good undercoating is difficult, same can be said for Tamiya filler primer. But have a look around S&M stuff there are lots of goodies there and he's pretty quick turning orders around.

Cheers Simon

Bought ‘em! . . . and some sanding needles which look equally useful. Just what I’ve been looking for - thank you! NB I always delete my search history.

Detaille did 2 different painting, it wasn't unusual to repeat the same pose changing the subject. Detaille did at least 9 painting theme soldiers with a captured flag...

here three example

Just an aside re S&M Stuff, he's local to me and for a short while had a small shop which was brilliant having a local.model shop again. But with rent rises and increased work load he had to go back to on line only crying shame but that's the modern world for you, damn stoopid progress!

Cheers Simon

That’s the trouble with progress - it just went too far. Luckily, in Newark, where I live, we still have that rarest of thing - a real live, high street model shop. I do try and patronise it as much as possible but figure painting is a bit of a niche (and Historex a niche within a niche) that he doesn’t/can’t cater for, but there’s a very wide range of tools and materials - sadly, no micro-sanding bits and pieces so S&M did the trick.

We had one in Aldershot, Concorde Models, for years and he did do figures, that's when I discovered Chota Sahib in the mid 80's. Can't remember when that closed but a long time past now, also had one here in Farnborough who did mainly plastic kits. I remember going in in the 80's and noting the made up large Airfix models in the the window display, 15 years later it was still the same display so covered in dust you could barely see the colours. Ah the good old days!

Cheers Simon

Dusty model aeroplanes with the propellor blades snapped off and shiny cracked decals - happy days indeed! Our model shop has been there since the late ‘70s, although now under new ownership and different premises. I got my model tanks gratis as the official window builder - a very prestigious position (no cracked decals). I remember trying to convince the proprietor that Historex kits were the future. He seemed unconvinced.