First Sculptures
Chris Tubb (the sculptor) has decided to move to digital sculpting, as you can imagine there is quite a learning curve involved. This has contributed to the slowing up of figure production, but should pay dividends in future.Changing to digital sculpting part way through the range needs to be done carefully. In order to 'calibrate' the digital design, rather than go straight to the cavalry it was decided to produce some French infantry to get the proportions, and 'feel' right.
The approach he has taken is to manually sculpt an 80mm infantry torso to mimic the pose of the figures already done, and then 3D scan this to form the basis of the new digital sculpts. The first figure digitally sculpted is a French Infantryman advancing, he is shown below with an Austrian in a similar pose for comparison (I know the Austrian grenadier should have a sabre, but it is a similar pose).
The musket is probably a more realistic thickness, but i just wonder if it might benefit from thickening up a bit?
Chris is planning to 'print' the figure in the next few days, after which he will make me a mould and I will cast some up to see how they look in the tin.
If you have any comments PLEASE let me have them, and I will pass them on.
Release of French Infantry?
It was originally planned to release the cavalry next, however with the move to digital the plan was side tracked (to a great extent by me), in order to try and get the feel right.
With the French so well advanced, after some test casts have been done it might be worth finishing off a French infantry range and get them into production, I would suggest a couple of moulds as discussed back in August.
Mould 1
- Rank and file (turn backs) advancing - as above
- Rank and file march attack (turn backs)- arms changed on above
- Tricorn - fusilier - as above
- Tricorn - grenadier
- Bearskin with bag - grenadier
Mould 2
- Drummer (no turn backs)
- Officer (no turn backs), there was a suggestion that he could double as standard bearer - anyone have any ideas on pose?
- Tricorn - officer
- Bonet de Police
- Bearskin with no bag - Cuirassiers du Roi (if it will not fit in the cavalry mould)
Mould 3
Easy to add an 'early' version of mould 1 with no turn backs for WAS etc.
Comments
The change to digital is happening, and if not done right could spoil this range. Your comments are important and welcome, so please make them, they will be listened to.
Cartridge box and sword
Rahway commented on the depth of the cartridge box, I thought it looked shallow as well and discussed with Chris, who sent me an additional image from the rear, the depth is OK.
The images seem to have some quirks, for example the base above looks tapered, but I am assured it is not!
The image raises another point we have been discussing. Putting the sword outside the coat leaves a large gap between the sword and leg, details like this may be OK for commercial spin casting, but not for producing the home casting moulds, there are not many options to make it suitable for home casting:
- Fill in the gap, less work but could be ugly
- Make the sword septate and glue on
We think that a separate sword is the answer, as:
- It will look better, even if a bit more work
- Later in the war the fusiliers did not carry swords so not needed anyway
- For grenadiers and early war it can be glued on
Has anyone noticed he has two bayonets, one on the musket and one in the scabbard?
