When I first saw Andrei Karachtchouk's illustration of this fella, I was struck by his flamboyant private purchase fur coat and the tall boots, but I also liked his attitude - cocksure!

Check out the illustration in Osprey MAA 414. The cap will be dark blue with green piping and a black rank stripe. The "Attilla" tunic will be dark blue with black cord frogging, red trousers with green stripe. Type 26 revolver in holster and M1886 company officer's sword with sword knot.

Scale: 120mm
Sources: A Vietnamese resin head and the metal sword from The Lost Battalion, the bag & holster from the parts box and modified, of course. The rest you get to blame on me.

The figure is about 90% complete. I need to pare back the left side of the moustache, add short sideburns, even up the back of the coat [add to left side], and re-add the frogging I knocked off installing the holster. Need to move the sword knot so that it is correctly mounted and swaying in the wind a bit. Didn't notice it before, but the end of the nose has a small pit mistake - I'll fill that in also.









The pinkish color is Sculpey - I wanted a different texture for the boots and thought I'd try it. The other various shades are Magicsculpt and Duro mixes and "cooked" Magicsculpt. Or maybe "over-cooked" Magicsculpt in some cases. :angry:

The Vietnamese head was converted by making both the upper and lower eyelids heavier and more prominent, by adding considerably to the cheeks and cheekbones.

The sword is from a US cavalry figure (?), I think, but really I couldn't tell any difference in it and the M1886 Japanese sword. I looked for a pic of one on the web, but never found it.

As always, comments, positive or negative will be appreciated. I learn a lot from critique - not always the lesson you want to teach me, mind you! Seriously, any comments welcome.

All the best,
Dan

Superb, I LOVe these original subjects, especially when they are as well sculpted as this one. It must have been a hell to sculpt the texture of his coat. I'm now curious to see it painted!

Greetz,

Gino

Hello Dan,

I echo Ginos comment. Looks realy cool !!!

I´m looking forward to see this guy finished.

Sunny regards,
Markus

Hi Dan !

Nice and "exotic " figure ,congrats

All the best

Jacek

Thanks Gino, Markus and Jacek! It will be awhile before I can paint this one. Tomorrow I'm going to try to finish all the putty corrections needed and maybe prime it. Next week I'm on vacation in Boston at my oldest son's wedding!

I will probably alternate painting Lt. Gen. Skoboleff and the Japanese Lieutenant until both are done. And then it's on to the next project - I'm going to try a large vignette with several action poses - Austro-Hungarian Kaiserschutzen assaulting an Italian Alpini position in the mountains in 1915.

Cheers gents and thanks again for the encouragement!

All the best,
Dan

Hey Dan, very nice, this is going to be a great figure when finished.

Keep up the good work
Cheers
Roc.

Hello Dan,

I yesterday got the Osprey book on the Russo Japanese war and guess who was on the cover? Yep your guy. The book is full with great uniform and are a goldmine for modelling subjects.

Greetz,

Gino.

P.S. Have fun at your son's wedding!

Thanks Gino - I plan to dance, imbibe and "make merry"! Incidentally, he's marrying into a Sicilian family. His mother-in-law is Sicilian, his father-in-law is Ukrainian - so, what's the 'family'? Sicilian, of course.

I hope you can see the likeness of the Japanese Lieutenant from my less than clear pictures. I actually think I came close, altho he looks a little older than the illustration on the cover of the Osprey Russo-Japanese war. When I finish painting (many weeks from now!) I'll post a clear close-up. I agree that the R-J War Osprey book is a gold mine of modelling subjects, so is the Russo-Turkish war book.

Thanks Rocco! I've enjoyed your many postings on PF! Glad you like the Lieutenant.

All the best,
Dan

Ah ha! I got you!, so you are entering the 'Family'... (did you know what means it in Sicilia, no ?) :lol:
Take care with italian restaurants...

Hi Dan,

I don't like your Luitenant I LOVE IT!

I had ordered that one too, but it was out of stock I'll try to find it at Euro. Russians have always be a favourite of mine, even when I was doing armoured vehicles. I back then did nothing but Russian.

Ciao,

Gino

Exceptional Work Dan.........I look forward to seeing this painted.

Guy - coming from you - that's quite a compliment! Thank you very much! I'm really flattered!

Gino - Also, many, many thanks! Have you tried e-Bay US? Or Borders.com? You can often get a cheap, used one from them. Ciao!

Luca - Thanks again! Ciao!

All the best,
Dan

BEAUTIFUL work on the figure,Dan !!! One of my favourite plate illustrations from that Osprey title,I might add. WELL DONE !
Kenneth.

Dan, Nice interpretation of the plate. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do painting him.~Gary

Thanks so much, Kenneth and Gary!

Still on vacation for a couple more days in New Hampshire/Mass. but thought I'd use our hotel's online PC to look into Planetfigure.

My oldest son's wedding was wonderful with Ukrainian, Italian and Irish traditions [all involving booze] being celebrated! Great fun! 'The morning after' my head is only slightly too large for my neck and the room is only moderately spinning around me. :lol:

When I get back to Omaha, I'll continue painting Lt. Gen. Skoboleff and then the Japanese 2nd looie. RHIP after all!

Hey - I have an open question for everybody. When working from a photo or illustration, do you try to go for an exact likeness or just a general impression of similarity? My intent is never to do an exact likeness, but rather to convey what I see and feel about the subject. Besides my sculpting skills aren't up to duplicating a likeness!

Opinions?

All the best,
Dan

Hey Dan ! Well,for myself,I try to go for a general impression of the photo/illustration that I'm working from. That way,I get to add my own personal "touch" to the figure that I'm sculpting/converting. It makes life a little more "interesting" ! Cheers !
Kenneth :lol:

I totally agree, Kenneth!

All the best,
Dan

Dan,

You did a tremendous sculpting.
Now the painting.



Marc

Thanks, Marc! In between business trips to Houston (twice) and Los Angeles (once) in three weeks, I'm tryin'! I have the weekends at home here in Omaha, but hey - I gotta spend some time with my wife!

Actually I'm trying to complete Lt. Gen Skoboleff first, but...I'll get to the Lieutenant some day soon.

I have to confess my desire to paint is somewhat on the wane. Frankly I've become a lot more interested in sculpting recently. With dozens of ideas for figures running around in my overheated brain.

I know most people see sculpting and painting as parts of a whole, but, hey, I like the sculpting a lot more.

All the best,
Dan

Dan...that's the great thing about this hobby...it's so broad....all those fascinating subjects.

You gotta do what you love to do.......carry on sculpting..!!

All the best.
Roy.