Bugler, 68th (Durham) Light Infantry, Inkerman, 1854
This is a 1/16 bust from Stormtroopers Miniatures.
The Charge of the Light Brigade is perhaps the best known battle of the Crimean War, where Lord Cardigan led light cavalry against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaklava on 25 October, 1854. However, another battle two weeks later, at Inkerman, is considered the turning point in the campaign.
At Inkerman, near Sevastopol, on November 5, 1854, 50,000 Russians attacked the British position, attempting to outflank the Allies as dawn broke. The British position was held by about 8,000 troops. In dense fog, the fight - a "soldier's battle"- degenerated into a series of hand-to-hand brawls. Heaviest fighting was around the Sandbag Battery, where the Russians had 1,200 killed. Following the arrival of French reinforcements, the Russians retreated. Total Russian casualties that morning were 12,000, the British 2,500, and the French 1,000.
During the battle, the 68th (Durham) Light Infantry were the only British troops to fight in red, having thrown off their greatcoats to reach their ammunition pouches; buglers advanced with other troops.
A full account of the the Battle of Inkerman can be found at http://www.britishbattles.com/crimean-war/inkerman.htm.
Images here include two paintings of the action based on soldiers' accounts of the day, and a photo of cannonballs on the field after the battle.
Rob your detail painting on this bust is absolutely SUPERB. Well done!
Thanks, Morne. At Mk 1 Eyeball view it looks OK. I was pleased with the face, but the rhomboid (diamond) shapes in the tunic detail were a problem. Even with an optivisor at 4x magnification and a minute artist's brush I was unable to get them all in the correct shape. It is, though, as you can see, quite small.
Another nice figure there Rob.
Thanks, Gregor.
Thanks for the perspective shot, Rob...gives us an idea of just how difficult that painting must have been.
Cheers, Craig.
Excellent work, Rob. Painstaking attention to detail, turned out beautifully. I envy your talent, I could not do this with a gun to my head. And who doesn't like the British Army! As long as they aren't fighting us, mind you.
Thanks. A short digression here - One of the two figures purchased at Euromilitaire (Masterson bust the first, posted here recently) had a small part missing. I contacted Stormtroopers who advised that would cast part for me and send along. I also sent photos of Masterson bust (just released for EM so few if any examples available painted). Piece arrived a couple of days later with the bugler bust - completely unexpected- so thought I'd work the painting in while doing the second original figure.
That is great work there Rob.
As Craig pointed out with the reference shot, it would of driven me beyond help.
Nice to see some figures being posted.
Thanks, Simon. You've probably seen a Figures section in Groups, but weirdly nothing in Headlines section. Not sure why, but I'll keep posting as Uncatagorised!
Very nice work Rob - you have done a great job - and as others said, the reference shot was great to put it in perspective. I never even attempt figure painting, and this just confirms I shouldn't even try!
Thanks for posting it.
Thanks, Paul.
Another great figure Rob. The eyes look real, pretty striking.
Thanks for looking, John.
Very inspiring Rob! The perspective shot with the toothpick made me check the scale. I originally read 1/6. Wow, even more impressive!
Thanks, Alan. I've just received the pedestal base for the figure. It's that small I wonder how to get the complete title of the miniature on a plaque for it.
How do you do these Rob? Just wonderful!
California Steve
Cheers, Steve. I'm using a combination of Andrea and Vallejo acrylics, with some Vallejo Games Colors and selected Windsor and Newton oil paints, all with various artists brushes.
I think Rob's just teasing us with these fabulous busts, I think there's a full figure coming along soon! Am I right, Rob?
Yes, I'm working to a 1/9 miniature of Sgt Bernard McCabe, full figure, raising a battle standard. It's the last (for now) of my 19th c. British soldiers. I'm well into it, but have to go to Edinburgh for a few days, so some delay in completing it, I think. Thanks for the comment.
Brilliant figure Rob, with an interesting history lesson.The compare pictures
with a toothpick surprised me, because of its small size.
Very impressive !
Thanks, Bernd. The detail is so good in the sculpting that it's misleading at first as to the actual scale of the piece.
Very nice bust Rob. That didn't sound right. Keep up the good work. Working on small pieces keeps the eyes strong. I have been tempted by some of 'Tommy's War' offerings but so far have resisted.
Again, nicely done.
Cheers, Al.
Tommy' War has been adding to their range, and they had the new items on show at Euromilitaire and no doubt we'll see them again at Telford in November. They've timed the production to coincide with the centenary of WW1. Personally I think they look best in a diorama, and TW certainly have given modellers some interesting choices recently. I think it's the dios that would interest me personally, as I seem to be moving away from kits per se recently to explore other areas of interest.
By the way, there's another company called Wings Cockpit Figures (available from Model Design Construction) that do an excellent series of pilots and ground crew, mostly WW1 but with some WW2. I've seen them around at shows for a year or two but haven't bought anything as recent projects were directed elsewhere. Worth checking out though.
As I used to tell my "betters" on the golf course Bob, well stroked pard'. I just do not have the "hands" to paint patterns. Especially after you held up the toothpick. I have enough trouble painting one "dot", much less rows and columns. Well done
Thanks for looking in, Rick.
Nice work.
Interestingly enough, the daylight torpedo attack by the USS Johnston, Hoel, Heermann and Samuel B. Roberts against the Japanese battle fleet during the Battle off Samar - often called "The Navy's Charge of the Light Brigade" - happened on 25 October, 1944, the 90th anniversary of the original. And, as at Balaclava, "someone had blundered."
Nice juxtaposition. When I had this mail alert and read the comment I knew it was you even before I went into the iModeler site to check it out. There's a predisposition to historical detail that connects events, no matter the time frame. Thanks for looking in.
Rob,
Impressed to say the least. Considering the size of this guy this is a piece of art. He looks like he could come to life.
Thanks Frank, comment much appreciated.