MexRev in 15mm

[sukhe_bator]

Martin at Peter Pig has released a new and exciting range of Mexican Revolution 15mm figures. The prospect of gaming with improvised armoured trains clad in Federales or sombrero wearing Zapatistas proved too much to resist...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Revolution#/media/File:Zapatistas_and_Nacional_de_Mexico,_No._739_(5655532688).jpg
After some online research I have made a start on two of the main buildings to feature in future clashes... Building upon previous 15mm railway building experience and reusing a number of pre-existing scenic items I settled on a railway station. A search for 'estaciones mexicanas de ferrocarril' yielded an interesting architectural style common to several. An island platform building on a low platform with a continuous sheet metal clad canopy supported by bracing struts and the occasional freestanding columns. The high sides lend themselves to revolutionary slogan graffiti and shrapnel damage while the sheet metal roof will undoubtedly show a characterful rusted vibe.
The other feature is a mission church in the Spanish colonial style. Most of these examples are confined to New Mexico and California so I wanted to find a Mexican version... Guachochi in Chihuahua has a number that I used as the basis for my version. This has a mix of rough stone and adobe and the all important tiled roof. Since I already have a few Mediterranean tile roofed resin buildings and some scratchbuilt mud/adobe dwellings I wanted something with a mix of both architectural styles.
The w.i.p. shots show the basic foamcore structures being clad in finescale white milliput detailing.
Next up - an attempt to model some varieties of cacti and agaves!

[Driscoles]

Looks Great but please no double posting your pics.
Thanks

[sukhe_bator]

oops sorry! - will stick to this one in future...

[sukhe_bator]

The latest off the production line - still some detailing to do yet but substantially there - a poor quarter for a village or town based loosely on old photos of Juarez. A foamcore build with scribed brickwork on exposed patches and the outer skin acting as render, suitably battle scarred. The rear has a perimeter wall with loopholes cut out and the blown gate will be barricaded... The whole complex on a base 5 x 7 inches.

[Hang Tuah]

Some great looking stuff here. Do you accept commissions?

[sukhe_bator]

Some great looking stuff here. Do you accept commissions?

Sorry Hang Tuah, I have enough trouble completing my own stuff, but thanks for asking

[sukhe_bator]

The Mex Rev scenery is coming along nicely. So far four blocks for f.i.b.u.a. representing a poor quarter, slightly better off residential, a cantina and shops, and a more central urban block. At each end a mission church and a train yard and station... with outlying buildings on the periphery, walls etc. as well as suitable scenics... all in 15mm

[marianas_gamer]

Nice progress

[sukhe_bator]

Further along now... streets, mission church with cacti and agaves and station yard...

[Helen]

Looking good!

[Driscoles]

Its getting better and better

[OSHIROmodels]

Lovely builds

[Patrice]

  I like it!

[sukhe_bator]

Having fun with the cacti - using the 'nail method'.
A flat headed nail glued firmly to a card base (in my case a high tack 'no more nails' type glue which doubles as part of the sculpted groundwork)
Then a covering of finescale white Milliput which is gently scored with a modelling tool with interrupted parallel lines along the length to recreate the pleats up the stem. The single stem Saguaro are easy enough but the branched versions are slightly trickier to reproduce.
The wire armatures for the branches have to be flexible enough to bend out for working but stiff enough for pressure to be put on them when applying and sculpting the Milliput. They also have to be secure enough not to come off afterwards...
I'm still working on an example of a multi stem Mexican Giant and an more slender Organ Pipe cactus.
The metal cacti at the front are Peter Pig versions.
The agaves are the tips from plastic Christmas tree sprigs suitably based and repainted.
The remaining leaf-lets from the Xmas tree sprig have been cropped and applied in clumps as scrub (top right)

[sukhe_bator]

I should also mention that the rustier/more worn the nail is the better the adhesion for the Milliput. It is an excellent opportunity to raid those tins and jars of spare old hardware lurking in sheds and garages and convince others why you were justified in saving them 'for a rainy day'...