Hi Everyone!

This bust comes in 15 parts and cleanup will take a fair while as some of the smaller parts are quiet delicate! Here's a shot of them straight from the box...



So I cleaned it up and got some grey primer on it...

I used my airbrush to put down the basic colours then got stuck in with hairy brushes.

so two sessions in I'm here...









Still much to do to his fizzog, whiskers, eyebrows and hair, some more work around the eyes I thgink

Anyway update soon

Looking top rate again there mark.will be following this one closely as I have one to paint.
Cheers
Tommi

Tommi-you've got one of everything to paint

Nice work on the face Mark!

Keith

good start Mark.

Marc

Nice start, like it

It looks very good. I like it.

Martin

Topper work Mark, great start & can't wait to see the progress next week!
Mark D

Brilliant as always. Watching the progress.

Superb!
A great painting as usual!

Superb

Watching with interest.

Cheers,
Billy

Love watching your work develop Mark.

Watching with interest.

Peter

Great work on the face, especially the five o'clock shadow.
Best wishes, Gary.

Thank you all guys!!!

I put my nose to the grind wheel and did a bit more to this and a bit of research about "Barney" Hines...



So got the face about finished, I need to spend a bit of time on his top lip and sort out the stubble there





The picture this is from...



Was published under the title "Wild Eye, Souvenir King" and was taken after the battle of Polygon Wood in 1917, he was 44.

I need a bit of info. The German cap he is wearing, is the band and piping red? and the two badges/cockades on it... the top one is the Reichscockade? black, white and red?
The lower one is I beleive a Baden cockade, showing the district of the guy who wore it.... any idea who Barney would have nicked it off? and hence the colours..

Also is his battledress jacket Khaki? or did AIF have other colours?

Also also the badge on his left arm is I believe ..

Many thanks in advance...

Excelent paint work, Mark
My sculpt begins to live. I am delighted to your work. And I wish you good luck.
Palo

Great brushwork. Watching with interest.

I can tell this is going to be one popular bust, it has so much character, and the man behind it is even more of a character. Your painting style will bring this one to life for sure
Ben

The colour patch would make him a member of the 45th Battalion. This was part of the 12th Brigade of the Fourth Division AIF. I believe that some of the German divisions involved in counter-attacking the Australians at Polygon Wood were the 50th Reserve Division, the 236th Division, the 3rd Reserve Division and the 17th Division. If you can get a listing of the Regiments that made up these Divisions at the time you may be able to get a clearer idea of which part of Germany they were from. As the 45th Battalion (12th Brigade) was not in the front line during the attacks it only lost about 67 men during this battle. The other two brigades of the 4th Division (4th and 13th Brigades) suffered substantially higher casualties during the attack and then defending against the counter-attacks. I hope this helps your research. By the way the bust is exceptionally well sculpted and I eagerly await the finished job. The paint work is excellent so far. Cheers,

Boots

Superb flesh tones!!! I can't wait to see more.

Xenofon