Early wips of Ancient Spanish

[Techno]

Well.

The easiest way would be for me to make just the one....send it off to Leon and have him cast me a few in metal.

But.....To cut out any delay though the post etc, I (again) just make the one 'flat' shape out of a mix of ProCreate and Magic Sculp on a piece of plasticard....and let it thoroughly set.
Without removing the set 'shield' from the plasticard, I'll 'paint' a tiny amount of something like 3 in 1 Oil onto the shield shape and a little way around it as well.
Next stage....Mix up a small quantity of green stuff and press it firmly onto the shield and the surround.
Once that's set, I can peel the green stuff away.....and in the green stuff I've got a nice little flat mould.
To make the next shield...I'll again use the oil as a releasing agent and fill the flat cavity with some more Procreate/Magic Sculp mix.....
Let it set....and just pop it out of the green stuff mould....This can be done again and again if you're careful.

I'll sometimes need to neaten up my 'casting'...sanding a tiny bit off here...adding a tiny bit of putty there....But it only takes a few minutes.

Once I've got my 'flat shield' shapes I can use green stuff to make the 'boss'.

As far as making the original shape is concerned....If that's what you were meant....I tend to do those by 'eye'.
I'll look at a reference picture of the size and shape of the shield....

Let's imagine the shield is portrayed as going from around the heel to the shoulder on a warrior.
I'll use a pair of dividers (I think they're called) to measure against the appropriate size against one of Leon's dollies.
I'll then use the dividers to mark the piece of plasticard on which I'm going to make my 'master' shield....Then, as I say above, I tend to do it freehand, by eye.

I hope this makes sense !
I seem to made it sound far more complicated than it actually is !!

Once I get on to some slightly (from a sculpting point of view) 'more complex' shields next year....I'm going to make sure I've got hold of some of the 'Instant Mould' as mentioned in Michael's wonderful 1809 blog !!

Cheers - Phil.

[Phobos]

Thanks a lot! I used to think that you made it with slices of plastic rods, at least for the round shields.

[Techno]

Thanks a lot! I used to think that you made it with slices of plastic rods, at least for the round shields.

Plastic wouldn't work in a normal vulcanizing press, unfortunately Phobos.
It would get too hot and melt !
Although there are low temperature rubber moulds available, it's always safer (from my point of view) to assume whatever is being pressed, needs to be made out of one, or more, of the 'normal' putties used for making the models.
There's no reason NOT to do as you suggest....if you were doing some conversions for your own troops.
Cheers - Phil.

[Dunnadd]

Really like that helmet, but it looks to me like the "horns" on it are actually flat and maybe used to hold some kind of feathers or crests?

[Dunnadd]

Dinas Powys wrote

Actually the 'Celts' never existed, and the concept of 'Celtic' art or culture is invalid.

There never was a 'pan-European Celtic culture' traditionally expressed as such things as the 'La Tene' or Halstatt' cultures.

Its a complete myth. 

The modern idea of a 'Celtic fringe' to Europe is also a modern myth, or rather a modern reactionary political 'cultural movement' that has led to things like the Welsh and Scottish Assemblies (although Mel Gibson's dreadful 'Braveheart' movie had a lot to do with the Scots thinking they have some sort of national past).

Which is why this stuff still matters of course, because people today use history for current purposes.

As i said above the only legitimate use of the term 'Celt' is as part of the Celtiberian tribal name.

I think this is a bit of an exaggeration. There were certainly differences among different Celtic tribes, but it was the Greeks and Romans who first talked about Celts, not people in the modern era looking back. If you're going to say Celts don't exist then neither would Celt-Iberians as they were also a variety of tribes with varying customs. Celts shared the same language (though different dialects) and religions and were a culture the same as Hellenistic culture.

The Celtic fringe isn't a myth either, as Romano-British and earlier Celtic culture survived most in Wales, Scotland and Ireland as these were the areas that Anglo-Saxon invaders never fully conquered (though of course Viking invasions did affect them all later). Braveheart was certainly historically inaccurate on many things - and medieval and dark age history should not be brought into the independence debate - it's irrelevant to it - but to say that Scotland didn't exist as a nation historically is just plain factually wrong - there was a Kingdom of Scotland from the 12th century at the latest and possibly from the 9th (though the latter is debatable). Braveheart may be wrong on many points but on the existence of the Kingdom of Scotland and the Wars of Independence against England, it is not wrong. Those are historical facts, even if the wars were often as much civil wars among Scottish rivals for the throne as they were wars between England and Scotland.

[O Dinas Powys]

Dinas Powys wrote

Just for the record, as a Celt and father of four Celt-Iberians, it was Luddite wot wrote it  

Cymru am byth!  

Cheers!

Meirion

[Dunnadd]

Right - sorry - my mistake

[seano1815]

Phil I love them can't wait to get my paws on them, trouble is i can only stretch to a few thousand figures i'd also like to grab ya gauls (oooo no missus, for the frankie howard fans  } all look great in my Carthaginian army.
Have a great week all
Sean

[O Dinas Powys]

Right - sorry - my mistake

No problem, just my academic OCD kicking in

[Techno]

i'd also like to grab ya gauls
Sean

I'm doing them.....I'm doing them now (along with the Falkland's bods).
Think I'll change my moniker from 'Techno' to 'Hymnbook'.....Geddit ?
Cheers - Phil.

[Phobos]

Just for our information, when it´s the ancient spanish range going to be released?

[Leon]

Just for our information, when it´s the ancient spanish range going to be released?

I'm looking at June or July at the moment, there's still some sculpts to come from Techno, and then we need to get them all moulded up and into the release schedule.

[Hertsblue]

Any sign of my 1866 Austrian artillery riders yet? 

[Phobos]

I'm looking at June or July at the moment, there's still some sculpts to come from Techno, and then we need to get them all moulded up and into the release schedule.

I hope it s gonna be released in June

[Techno]

Any sign of my 1866 Austrian artillery riders yet? 

They'll be in the post to Leon in the next day or so Ray....They should be at Pendraken Towers by the end of the week, along with Quazar and Chad's 'bods'...And lots of other stuff !!

Cheers - Phil.

[Phobos]

Any chance of see the whole range together?

[Steve J]

Again these look great and are now on the DBA radar .

[Phobos]

When are they gonna be released?

[Leon]

When are they gonna be released?

They've all been master moulded, and I've spun off a big pile of them ready for production moulding.  I don't think they'll make it into the August batch, so I might see if we can do a separate release for them during August sometime.

[Phobos]

December and no news about Ancient Spanish or Gauls...?