1. Day, January 20, 2020


Today my new figure project starts!



And I want to use this first day blandly to tell you what it is and how it came about:

It all started when I got a photo of a bust of "Young" showing a Prussian hussar from the Seven Years' War - I think she is the best figure he has ever brought to the market, she is incredibly dynamic ...



For me and my collection, this beautiful bust has only one disadvantage: the bust shows no Cossack!

I had the image of this bust in my head for a year and a half until I dared to ask Markus if he could sculpt something like this for me as a Cossack in 1:10.

And he did!



Since there were obviously many figure friends who found this fighting Cossack great, Markus decided to bring it to the market as a bust that could be bought - and at "Scorpio Models", his company, you can still get this beautiful bust there...:

https://www.scorpio-models.com/gx3d/product_info.php?info=p269_cossack-warrior.html
Of course I painted the bust immediately - here is my version, a fighting Terek Cossack based on this model ...:





We already had the boy as the subject of a paintbattle in my German forum two and a half years ago ...:

Version by Markus Eckmann...:




Version by Heinz Frieben (aka "kingbingo")...:




Version by Bernd Ruemmelein...:




Version by Charles Kesselaer...:





Version by Erik Ardenne...:


Since my original idea was realized with this great bust, I turned to other projects - until ...

... photos of this rider / horse bust in 1:10 from "Bonapartes" fell into my hands ...:





**continued next post**

These photos never let go of me!

How about equipping Markus' beautiful Cossacks with a horse in a similar way ...?

I then peddled this idea with my friend Heinz Frieben (aka "kingbingo") in Austria - and Heinz agreed.

When the idea had progressed so far, it was necessary to determine WHAT Heinz Cossack should put on the horse.

I chose one of the most famous - and at the same time most notorious! - units that fought in the Russian civil war on the side of the "whites", the so-called "Wolf Division" of General Shkuro...:





The unit was known for their clout and breakneck bravery in battle as well as for their cruelty and lack of discipline!







Here is their leader, General Andrej Grigorijewitsch Shkuro ...:






The members of the "Wolfs" division, who saw themselves as elite troops, wore different uniforms, according to their own taste and - as the only Cossack unit during the civil war, papakha hats were not made from the usual lambskin, but from wolf fur ...:



When he was sculpting, I asked Heinz to add a few special details to Markus' original bust, the Wolfskin Papakha, two medals, a pistol in a holster with a safety cord, the sleeve badge of the "Wolves" (see photo General Shkuro above!) and special decorations on the Cherkesska, the uniform skirt.

All details are documented by original templates - there is no other way ...

Here is the result - this bust remains a one-off ...:
















As a "treat", Heinz modeled the badge of the "Wolves" to decorate the base - based on a photo of the original, which was made of enameled silver ...:





For one and a half years I've been looking forward to bathing the boy and his horse in color - and now the time has come ...!


Cheers

That is gonna be a excellent and unique figure

Marc

Nicely done. I take it you admire Cossacks.

I have added the names above.


Cheers

Outstanding and dramatic subject. I look forward to your progress as usual.

An impressive project Martin. I will be following closely with great interest. I have the cossack bust in my GGA, but I want to do him in black a daunting color for me to paint, but I have been practicing.

Will be following with interest.

Marvelous work all!!

All the best,
Dan

2. Day, January 21, 2020


Using Joe Sonja's texture paste and some old hard brushes ...



... I just gave the horse a fur structure - very thin, but thick enough that you can see the fur "line" ...:








Cheers

Best piece and best idea Martin! terrific! Would it be possible to see some other examples from the german forum?

All the best,
Dan

Me thinks this is gonna be a good one......the horse already has eyelids.....

Wayne

3. Day, January 22, 2020

The horse and the base - both form a unit - are washed and degreased today!

Usually I do this in an ultrasonic bath, but the part is too large for it! But soaking in lukewarm water with detergent and working with an old electric toothbrush do the same ...:



Then I primed - this time I opted for a light gray primer ...:










OK - ready to paint! Tomorrow...


Cheers

I'm already hooked on this new series!

Joe

3. Day, January 23, 2020


I start painting the horse with its eyes!

The eye of a satisfied and balanced horse has something soothing, I think ...:



However, if the animal gets under stress - fear or anger - the picture changes rapidly!

Just like the ears, the eyes, which the horse's brain can "control" independently of each other, turn to danger - they twist extremely and the expression on the horse's face gets something wild, rushed ...:





Here again up close ...:



Our horse is undoubtedly in a stressful situation, namely in the fray, and his rider is just hacking at an enemy riding next to him with his saber.

That is the expression that our horse should have, must have!

Oh yes, an important detail: Unlike humans, the horse pupil is not round, but oval-elongated ...:



My two horse eyes, with which I just finished, were created with these colors ...



... and now look like this - although of course the reflex points that bring a painted eye to "life" must not be missing ...:





What do you mean...?


Cheers