Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: War In 15MM on August 18, 2014, 12:53:02 AM
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Since completing my Egyptian archeological dig in June, I’ve been working on my 28mm Victorian African Adventure collection. When this collection is completed (to the degree than any of these things is ever really done), it will be a series of random vignettes with no overarching theme other than I love the figures and needed a stage for their display. Let me say from the outset that this is Hollywood Africa not historic Africa. If I were to sort through the inspirational motivations for this collection, they would probably be the wonderful Darkest Africa figures from Foundry, the Cornel Wilde movie Naked Prey filmed in the mid-1960s on location in Rhodesia/now Zimbabwe, and the great figure painting I have seen on LAF. I hope to have the figures and the terrain that goes with them done and posted as a complete gallery in November 2014, but, in the meantime, I thought I would post some pictures of the figures as I complete them. I’ve never done this before; I tend to wait until everything is as done as I can get it and then present the gallery as a whole, but with the Egyptian dig I posted the early stages of my Egyptian temple complex and the pyramids, and that was fun so I’ve decided to give this a try. The first pictures are posted below and more will follow as the project progresses. Hope you enjoy them. I’ll begin with some tribal chieftains… one by Reaper, two by Foundry, one by Copplestone Castings (I stole the color scheme for that figure but can’t remember from whom), and one by Old Glory.(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1200_zps23069a49.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1200_zps23069a49.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1202_zps10055885.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1202_zps10055885.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1201_zps3f7ae530.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1201_zps3f7ae530.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1203_zps9fff62aa.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1203_zps9fff62aa.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1205_zpsd5fb52b4.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1205_zpsd5fb52b4.jpg.html)
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That's a great start; looking forward to seeing the rest
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Richard,
Understand your reasonings for the larger scales but still disappointed, especially here, that you didn't stick with 15 mm. Blue Moon and Irregular together give a great opportunity to do this period in the smaller scale and do it in ways that would be hard to match in 28 mm. For instance, I have about 300 animals for my Africa games, about half painted (but bases not textured so not very photogenic yet). I have 'herds' of three dozen animals which I just thinks speaks Africa better than one or two beasts.
Your first photo is very nice. The others suffer from focus - probably a depth of field issue (someone who knows still photography should be better able to diagnose the whys).
However, setting aside that, looking forward to seeing your work when done and fully posted. Like it or not, you've attained a certain idol status in this little hobby we all share. ::)
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Thanks to both of you for writing. Sorry about the focus issue. Now you know one of the key reasons my daughter is the photographer for all my galleries and will be for the African Adventure Gallery when the time comes. FifteensAway, I always appreciate your dedication to the 15mm/18mm, and I mean that sincerely. I love those figures and wouldn't consider doing a military collection in anything else. I didn't do Africa in Blue Moon's 15mm/18mm for two reasons… one, I have decided to use the larger scale for things like Pulp/Adventure stuff and two, I tend to collect figures over many years before the painting begins and Blue Moon didn't come out with their African figures until well after I had amassed a large stock of figures in the 25mm/28mm scale for Africa. That said, you may be pleased to know that in November I plan to begin my French and Indian War collection which is largely Blue Moon 15mm/18mm and that will occupy my time for the better part of a year or more. Looking forward to project because I have been in love with the FIW since I first saw Randolph Scott in Last of the Mohicans when I was about 8 years old. Thank you so much for your interest and your very generous comments. Richard
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Long Live 28's,great throne and paint jobs,28mm also is a necessity as you age and so goes your eye sight. I startrd in 15's and still game them,but no new ones,the eyes have had it. Can't wait to see more.
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juergen, thank for taking the time to write. I plan to post the next set of figure pics this weekend. They will be Arab slavers from Foundry. Richard
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This is my second figure posting for my African Adventure. They are some of my Arab slavers by Foundry. (http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1225_zps24f288a4.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1225_zps24f288a4.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1217_zps0172435c.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1217_zps0172435c.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1229_zpsfe709bd6.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1229_zpsfe709bd6.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1227_zps35f83583.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1227_zps35f83583.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1219_zps61b47e16.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1219_zps61b47e16.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1221_zpsfd06aa41.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1221_zpsfd06aa41.jpg.html)
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I like 'em :-*
LB
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Great looking figures.
I think the Foundry DA figures are some of their best.
You have done a fine job on them.
Look forward to seeing more.
Thanks for sharing.
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A couple weeks ago I found these Carl’s Jr kids’ meal toys (hamburgers on stilts) at the swap meet for 50 cents each. I bought them because I thought they could be made to serve as huts on stilts in for my pygmy village. The picture shows the before (in the center) and the after (on the left and right) versions with a Foundry pygmy for scale.(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1279_zpsbcdd99ce.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1279_zpsbcdd99ce.jpg.html)
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BRILLIANT!
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Great bash mate.
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Nice job! :-*
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Those huts are great! :o :-* :o
LB
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That is awesome!
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Ingenius!
8) 8)
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Yup, that's a great pygmy burger you've got there :D
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Really imaginative ,I'm afraid I would never have seen the use for that,great modeling.
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Thanks to all for taking the time to write. I'm really happy you've enjoyed the pygmy huts. They were a lot of fun to put together. Romark, one of the things I often ask myself is how many great things have I failed to pick up at the swap meet because I just didn't see what they could become. In writing about my weekend mornings at the swap meet, I have often said that it is a great adventure; I just never know what treasure the next stall may hold and will I see the hidden treasure that rests beneath the obvious. Richard
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What's the surface your pygmies and huts are standing on on the first page? It's a nice textured looking mat(?) that also seems flat enough to be functional.
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Lawful Evil, the surface you are asking about is a cheap indoor-outdoor carpet I purchased before it was discontinued because it was a terrible carpet. Fortunately for me I got enough of it to cover two 5 ft x 7 ft tables and it make great ground cover. You can see it in use at my website. I think you can see some good shots of it in my Bocage "44 gallery at www.warin15mm.com/The-Bocage--44.html
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Thanks, the Masters Hardware near my place has a bunch of thin industrial carpet that would be perfect for that sort of thing. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.
That's a very impressive range of galleries you have there, what an amazing collection of miniatures you have!
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Lawful Evil, good luck with your carpet purchase. I've been using the carpet ground cover I bought for thirty years, and I'm still happy with the results. Also, thanks for the kind words about my other galleries. I'm glad you had a chance to give them a viewing. Richard
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As I indicated with the first of these postings, my African Adventure collection is far more Hollywood than historic Africa, and as such Tarzan is a natural element of the collection. I have several different versions of Tarzan and Jane… Foundry, Reaper and Old Glory among them, but the figures I have posted here are the North Star Africa Tarzan, Jane and Boy. The tree itself was something that I hoped to find from the beginning of my collection process for this project. Consequently, I have been looking for just the right broken toy at the swap meet for years and the one posted here is the best I have found. It was only $2 and in pretty good shape for my needs though I admit I have no idea what the original piece looked like, and pieces were definitely missing when I bought it. But it offered me the look I was hoping for and after adding Milliput (shaped as bushes or foliage… I hope) to cover the two cave openings in front, I just gave it a new paint job, and I’m quite happy with the end result.(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1286_zpsdd820dfb.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1286_zpsdd820dfb.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1288_zps065e056c.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1288_zps065e056c.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/IMG_1289_zps849d50a1.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/IMG_1289_zps849d50a1.jpg.html)
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That's a great find,kudos for persevering in your search,turned up trumps in the end,nice work.
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Indeed. That's a very nice tree. There are some playsets outthere that have very nice trees in them but unfortunately the other bits 'n bobs are not useable so i have not made the decision to buy one or two. 8)
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That looks great - amazing find!
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As I've said before, I'm fortunate to be able to find play sets like the tree at the swap meet for a $1 or $2 in piles of other broken toys. This tree was by far the best I found. I plan to make one more figure posting on this WIP thread (I'm not very good at posting WIP things… sorry about that), and then in November I'll be make a separate posting of the full African Adventure Gallery in its completed form with 160 animals, ideas stolen from Hammers, hundred of people figures, a trading post, a jungle bar, 2 villages, several boats, and a fort. It's been years in the collecting and about six months in the painting and construction, but I'm almost done. Thanks for taking the time to have a look at the WIP stuff and for taking the time to write. Richard
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This posting will probably be my last for this WIP thread. As I indicated earlier, the entire collection is just about done, and I plan to post the completed gallery in November. So for my final posting here, I’ve decided to include figures from Colonel Simpson’s retinue by Eureka and some Foundry witchdoctors. Hope you like them, and please keep your eyes open for the posting of my completed African Adventure Gallery.(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/African1_zps0fccd7f8.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/African1_zps0fccd7f8.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/African2_zps8fd002b3.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/African2_zps8fd002b3.jpg.html)(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j366/rgarretson/African3_zps300cc8aa.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/rgarretson/media/African3_zps300cc8aa.jpg.html)