Sunday, May 8, 2016

Meanwhile, in Canada -1

Here are five stalwart Canucks from another stalwart syrup-sucker, Bob Murch, two-fisted sculptor and CEO of Pulp Figures.  These figures are part of his Yukon Peril series and are intended for my Rockies Ablaze project.  I write that with more than a twinge of regret as much of northern Alberta, a province I have called home and much love, is itself ablaze.

Here are some of the rough yet good-hearted who will aid the Mounties as they comb the high Rockies for werewolves and Nazi aeronauts: from left to right,  Laing Jock Laing, Jake Montana, and Leo O’Rourke,  Laing Jock has ‘nae much to say, and is a gruff fellow, but a good enough neighbour.  Jake has wandered from Fairbanks Alaska to Frobisher Bay, and can smell the weather changing.  Leo came home from Passchendaele touched by the war, but still wears his CEF greatcoat.  He drinks to forget, but the liquor doesn’t help.

Since Bob has sculpted these fellows in cold weather gear, I decided that I would use a winter theme for this project.   I used Woodland Scenics snow for the basing, and tried to add some details to emphasize the idea of fallen snow.  I found that the final spray of dullcote tended to stain the snow basing a faint yellow, so added some more snow afterwards.

Rufus Quant and old Frenchy Lamoureux.  Neither fellow gets out of the bush much.  They don’t take kindly to claim jumpers, tax men, or Nazis.  Rufus reminds me somewhat of Captain Haddock from the Tintin comics, which may be why I painted his coat blue.  Hmm, I see a little white paint on his trousers that needs fixing.

 I also made a start on some scenery for the project.  This was a proof of concept: two stands of Busch HO scale conifers found in a model railroad store, brushed heavily with watered down white carpenter’s glue and then dusted liberally with Woodland Scenics snow.  I am rather pleased with the result.  I will need a lot more of these to supplement the slightly cheesy looking Christmas village trees I found in a craft store.

Here’s a sneak preview of where the project is going next.   I was giddy with glee to come home from Hot Lead in March having met Bob Murch himself and having purchased one his Great Canadian Moose castings (as opposed to the other moose castings, which you can find in any forest in Newfoundland).   Peter Douglas, one of my blog readers, knows about me and mooses.  It’s a huge casting, and I think is absolutely necessary for this project.  I am thinking that the noble great moose will turn out to be a mortal foe of the werewolf and perhaps a great friend of the good guys, if they can manage not to shoot and eat him.

Besides paint, he needs a name.  I am thinking Justin, after Canada’s new young Prime Minister.  Any other ideas?

 

Currently on the painting desk: Mounties.   These are also from Pulp Figures.    It’s my first time painting red coats, so I am going slowly to try and get it right.

 

Fortunately, I’ve found a painting guide for mooses and mounties.  Seems legit.

 

These figures bring my 2016 totals to:

28mm:  Foot Figures: 38; Mounted Figures: 3; Buildings: 2; Terrain Features: 4

6mm:  Mounted figures:  36;  Buildings:  2

45 comments:

  1. Fantastic post filled with lovely figures full of character.They make me shiver on a warm May evening here.I really look forward to seeing the game!
    Alan

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    1. Thanks so much Alan. Glad it's warm in your part of the UK. Still sweater weather in the evening here.

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  2. These are tremendous Michael, what a great project as for the moose how about Milton or possibly Dark Chocolate. ;) Stay safe over there.

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    1. My thanks, Michael. So glad you like them. Your names duly noted. They are indeed more sensible than Mr. King's entry. :)
      I am several thousand miles from the Alberta fires. Not much risk of anything here in central Ontario.

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  3. Brilliant job really love the fur coat. Looking forward to seeing the moose finished one of my favorite animals.

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    1. Thank you Simon. I was quite happy with the fur coat. Army Painter Soft Tone over white for the fur, and then a light drybrush of white over that once it was dried, gave a nice sense of depth.
      What's not to like about moose?

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  4. Well done Mad Padre. I shared your post with my wife (a noted moose aficianado) and we both approve. Lynne especially like the fur trimmed coat on Jake. Can we suggest Mordecai or MacDuff Moose? Although Justin is a fine choice.
    Cheers
    Peter

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    1. Cheers, Peter. Your wife sounds like a most excellent person, being a moose afficianado.
      My first encounter with a moose was at the water's edge in Algonquin Park. I was in a canoe, and looking up, it seemed the moose was 100 feet tall. I've never forgotten that. Both excellent names, thanks. Better than Bullwinkle.

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  5. Replies
    1. many thanks, Benito! If you read this, can you tell me what famous movie had its winter scenes filmed in Spain?

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  6. For scenery, if you can be patient the boxing week sales at Michaels and Canadische Tire can both prove great scenic items at a good price.
    Peter

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    1. Good advice. I waited a little late to get to Michael's last Boxing Week, and I was shocked at how little of the Christmas village stuff was left. I did get some puffy white cottony stuff that would do as a field of snow.

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  7. The bases are super! I think the yellowed dusted with fresh gives a nice depth to the snow. New snow over older dirty snow.
    The red coats are coming along nicely. I found layering from a dark red up to a really bright red gives good depth. Red always is a bit translucent so the dark underneath will give more depth.
    And I have a big box of Christmas village trees you can borrow if required.

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    1. Thanks mate. I should go study my mess kit for a bit, but basically I started with Citadel Red Gore (at least, that's what it used to be called) which is a darker red, then a coat of Citadel's red wash (OOP now I think), then more Red Gore, then while still wet blended in Army Painter scarlet. I think it's where I want it now.

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  8. P.S. really like your painting guide!

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  9. Great work on those figures Padre.

    Cheers,

    Pete.

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  10. Great painting & basing Mike! Gotta love those Bob Murch sculpts they're so cool!

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    1. Thanks, sir. I have never met a Bob Murch sculpt I didn't want to paint at once. It was a thrill to meet him in person.

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  11. I love these figures. I picked up a few myself to potentially use for Call of Cthulhu's Beyond the Mountains of Madness at some point.

    Well, not the moose, of course, but the chaps in cold weather clothing...

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    1. Thanks Tim. I dunno, I would give the moose good odds of going up against a Cthulhu beastie.

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  13. Lovely lot of frozen misfits mate.

    Your snow basing is very helpful, giving me ideas for my own frozen Soviets.

    Moose name should be Claude. Or Manuel.

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    1. Thank you Dai. I would totally love to see your cracking Soviets on winter bases.
      Manuel Moose would work, especially if he had a little Salvador Dali type moustache.

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  14. Good work, Padre. Somehow, you can always tell snow bases made by people with actual experience of snow as opposed to those made by people who have seen white stuff in the garden once...or just in pictures.
    Yours look the business!

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    1. Cheers, Thomas. I think you and I both live in countries where one sees a lot of snow. :)
      At least, I would see snow, if I stopped painting minis during the winter and went outside.

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  15. Nice work Padre - a fetching collection of stout fellows from the Great White North.

    If would second Mr. Douglas and say that a shrewd buyer can pick up some good winter terrain in January.

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  16. I think the albino Moose should be Moosey McMooseface...

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    1. Edwin, it's people like you what break the internet.
      I think I will call him Moosey McMooseface, then at the last minute change his name to Richard Attenborough.

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  17. Nice figures and a lovely paint job on them .I think your conifers are very convincing mounties look grand and I look forward to seeing you do Justin justice!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thank you kindly! I confess I am still leaning towards Justin, especially after Edwin's idea.

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  18. hmm, yellow snow..... "Way up North where the huskies go.." Frank Zappa's advice still stans.

    Pity the moose is a good guy. Since he's from Alberta and is so much bull you could have called him Stevie. Justin'll work fine.

    Anyway great looking figures and scenery.

    Ross

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    1. "Always eat yellow snow, it might be beer!" Wisdom from a punk rock guitarist I used to hang with.

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    2. Thanks Ross. I would eat the yellow snow if I thought it might be single malt.

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  19. Atmospheric and cracking job!

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  20. I look forward to the further adventures of "Ghost Moose." Good job on the RCMP.

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    1. Or Ghostie Moose McGhostface? He will be painted. He is not a phantom moose. :)

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  21. Very nice start to your project, Padre! The "yellowed" snow reminds me of the crusty refrozen snow in the woods that yellows from detritus within in the woods...kinda a happy accident there! ;)
    The Murch figures look really nice too, I'm going to try to abstain till I can get my mitts on his Huron and Iroquois range...hopefully out soon!

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  22. Very nice start to your project, Padre! The "yellowed" snow reminds me of the crusty refrozen snow in the woods that yellows from detritus within in the woods...kinda a happy accident there! ;)
    The Murch figures look really nice too, I'm going to try to abstain till I can get my mitts on his Huron and Iroquois range...hopefully out soon!

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  23. Great brushwork on these fine Murch figures! That reminds me that I have a number of his wonderful figures to paint.

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  24. Beatiful figs! I look forward to seeing them in action.

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  25. What a wonderful project, my friend!
    I'm looking forward to seeing more of it.

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  26. Those look fantastic! Chilly indeed! Can't wait to see this project take shape.

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