I'd bought this set of Spenkuch French infantry from Berliner Zinnfiguren a couple years back. As well as pretty much splitting the difference between 30mm & 40mm, they also fall between the two camps of semi-rounds and flats as they're quite flat but retain elements of semi-round style.
My first reaction upon receipt of the figures was disappointment. Primarily due to even the lowly privates being shod in officer's boots. So they remained in their box until recently when I thought of using them for this possible project for the Italian Wars. Giving them another look, they seemed not so bad as I remembered them, so let's see what can be done about the problem with the high boots.
Yup, green stuff to the rescue.
And these are the test figures I modified first.
The figure with the lowered rifle remained French. The other figure was a test conversion to Piedmontese. Uniform details have been surprisingly hard to pin down for them but apparently they campaigned in 1859 wearing overcoats even in the summer months. Thus the conversion wasn't difficult, just a matter of bulking up the kepi into shako form with the green stuff (sorry, the photo of these two figures in pre-painted state came out unacceptably blurry).
So, I think this now becomes a usable set of figures.
Nice conversions, nicely painted. I very much like your painting style!
ReplyDeleteNot only usable but quite attractive once painted. Well done!
ReplyDeleteExcellent work converting and painting (and indeed photographing them).
ReplyDeleteTerrific conversion job - they are most attractive. I never can get a real grip on figure sizes - are these guys 35mm because they were made as 35mm or because someone's 40mm turned out a bit small?
ReplyDeleteThanks very much indeed, gentlemen.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the scale, these are nominally 40mm so perhaps they did turn out a bit small. I agree the scale issue is a vexing one. Perhaps there was more excuse for it in the 19th Century when like the early days of railroading, no one had quite hit on the concept of laying track to a standard gauge.
I guess the figure manufacturers instinctively realized that adhering to a generally accepted convention for figure scale made sense, but it's always been to some extent subject to the whims of the sculptors. Why that's been tolerated in the world of figures when it's something that wouldn't be in other endeavors is another question.
Regards,
Steve