Good suggestion, Bob. I've measured the illustration and he's pretty close as is if you assume about 5'11" or 6 ft. even.

Comparing the figure and the illustration - again, pretty close match in proportions, lengths. I cross my fingers on this, but I think I've got the proportions part of the figure OK now.

I've also scaled and printed out Gary Dombroski's mannikin diagram that was part of his Sculpting 101 article. I've printed it several times using Photoshop for the 1/16th vs. actual heights from 5'6" to 5'11". What convinced me to do that was your drawing on the Russian sailor. I had assumed that since I started with a scale figure to use as an armature and just shaved it down that the scale, size and proportions would be OK and I now know that is absolutely not the case! I think I must have had a 1/15th scale figure in the first place also - so obviously that didn't help! The neck being too long on the Russian sailor was a mistake in mounting and I've fixed that. I have 3 other figures (other than the Japanese sapper & Russian sailor) that I started in the same manner (using a resin figure, shaving it, etc.) and have gone back and checked them carefully using the mannikin diagrams and made appropriate changes. Ought to be OK, I think. All future figures I'm going to measure very carefully and use the mannikin diagram to check size and proportions.

Just applied about the same process with some rifles I'm trying to convert for the sapper and other figures and it seems to work pretty well. If you know the actual length of the gun, calc the scale length, then take the flat photo side view of the rifle, cut it till only the rifle is shown in each case and use Photoshop...and so on. Am I making sense? Laying the two types of rifle side by side in Photoshop and printing them out in scale like that is really useful. Specifically what I'm going to do is use a resin cast of an SMLE to make a Long Lee Enfield rifle in one case and to convert a Lebel to an Ariska rifle in another. The SMLE to LLE should be easy. The Lebel to Ariska is going to be a bit of bother, but I think is do-able. All in 1/16th.

As always, thanks for your help!

All the best,
Dan

Dan, Would love to see how you do the weapons. I also would not rule out making them from scratch. I find if a piece requires serious surgery to the point where you just end up with a stock and a barrel, might as well do it yourself and save the other weapon for another project.

Once you nail down armatures and the basic figure construction then turn your attention to doing the folds. You're not shy about approaching a project and it shows. Again, you have a great attitude about what you're doing. You also take the suggestions and advice you are given and actually incorporate them into your work.~Gary

Gary - thanks for the comments! When I get to that stage, I will certainly share some pics and descriptions of the rifles. I need to finish a bit more on the Japanese soldier, sand and correct, etc. before I do more on the rifle. Also will give a breakdown of the equipment and weapons, to the extent that I come up with it from references.

As far as taking suggestions and incorporating them in sculpting, hey, I definitely still have my learners permit here. If a workman wants to become a craftsman and eventually a journeyman - that's the way it's done, right? I thoroughly enjoy the learning process, exchange of ideas and resolution of problems. No matter how skillful [or not] I become, I hope I never stop listening. Mind you, I don't always have to agree nor do I have to follow the advice, but all of us still need to listen, right?

And anyway whatthehey - it's FUN!

All the best,
Dan

Dan, I agree with Bob, you will be surprised by how can help you scaling down and printing a copy of your subject and using it as a background while working with your piece.
A clear example of that is available here:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=18287
Luca

>The Lebel to Ariska is going to be a bit of bother, but I think is do-able. All in 1/16th.

I wouldn't even bother. The two weapons are not that similar and I would do as Gary suggests and scratch it. In the scale you are working in it should be fairly easy to do but a little time consuming. Once again, make an image of the rifle to scale and work from that. If nothing else it is a great experience as a sculptor. You can make it out of plastic card, brass and some putty.

The SMLE to LLE conversion looks not that difficult and I'm up to that. I agree that the conversion of the Lebel to the Ariska won't be easy and the weapons aren't very similar. I'm just not all that sure my skills are up to the task of making the Ariska from scratch. I have one reference on scratchbuilding weapons and I'll take a closer look at that and try to decide. But first I need to finish the figure!

All the best,
Dan

Hello Dan

I've been following your progress on this guy from the beginning, and I admire your dedication in getting it to this stage. It promises to be a very attractive piece when finished.

On the subject of the rifles, your man would probably have carried the Meiji Year 30 rifle, which was first introduced in 1897. If you are thinking of using a Lebel as the basis, there is a fair bit of work to do, particularly on the butt, as the "Arisaka" had a handgrip style butt, where the Lebel butt had a much longer "neck" and no handgrip. The Arisaka action was basically a Mauser-type, so maybe a better starting point might be a Gew 98. There are minor detail differences but overall they are pretty similar, including the general shape of the butt and the open-topped fore-end. I'm sure someone must do a Gew 98 in this scale - maybe VLS?

Just a thought. Mind you, with the amount of work you have put in on this one so far, I shouldn't think converting a pair of bagpipes to an M16 would be beyond your scope :lol:

Best regards

Phil

Here is the Arisaka Type 30.

Here is the Lebel

Phil - Thanks for the 'bagpipes to an M-16' compliment. :lol: It WAS a compliment, right?!! :angry:

Anyway, I went to the parts box where I have like FIVE Mausers in 1/15th and 1/16th - one a good metal casting in 1/16th! It's very similar - you're right. I don't know why I didn't see the resemblance before! THAT should make the conversion do-able. I'm going to go scale a pic of a Mauser and put them side by side!

Bob - I promise to try to do a scratchbuilt weapon later. I agree with you - I should try one! I should also do some faces and hands! Lots to learn! Again, thanks for the mentoring!

Jeez this hobby is fun!
All the best,
Dan

Sure was


[/QUOTE]Jeez this hobby is fun!

I'll be looking forward to it, Phil!

All the best,
Dan

Finally! I finished the conversion of the Mauser to the Ariska rifle yesterday and sculpted the fingers on the hand holding the gun, plus a few other details. To reiterate -

120mm figure of a Private First Class Japanese sapper
1904-1905 Russo-Japanese war
- Red rank stripe on collar cuffs
- 1886 blue cap with khaki cover and sun flap
- 1886 uniform (without epaulettes) in khaki cotton. Tunic and trousers were often in differing shades of khaki. It was also not unusual to see the blue 1886 tunic with white trousers or the khaki tunic with blue winter weight trousers.
- Ariska 6.5mm Type 30 rifle - Apparently this was not a very reliable weapon, suffering from frequent jams and misfires.
- Ariska bayonet in leather frog and sleeve on belt
- Water bottle and bread sack
- Pioneers knapsack with haft of pick fastened to left side and detached head in a leather case
- Knapsack is leather with cow hair left on outer surface
- White canvas gaiters dyed khaki





Conversions - The head is from The Lost Battalion, the Ariska is converted from a Verlinden Mauser, the pick is from Jon Smith Modellbau, the haft of the pick is plastic tube, the bayonet scabbard is converted from a Verlinden.

All the best,
Dan

Dan, Great attention to detail, something that is really lacking in a lot of commercial pieces. keep it up. ~Gary

Thanks Gary! This figure is now on its way to Rafael (Rafa) Gonzalez in Madrid. Rafa has been patiently watching me stumble through the piece. I look forward to seeing how his marvelous painting skills improve the sapper.

All the best,
Dan

Well done, Dan! Gary is right about the details (or lack of) that make or break figures.

I especially like your figure wearing full gear. A figure with all his "traps" has always appealed to me.

Jason

Hello Dan,

you have done a very nice sculptjob. Ilike this little man.

I´m looking forward to see this one painted.

The best wishes,
Markus

Thanks Jason and Markus! One of these days Jason, you're going to have to explain how you sculpt so cleanly! How do you do it!!!???? And Markus I admire your excellent Poilu slicing bread sitting next to the fountain. It's so thoroughly French!

All the best,
Dan