Mary Read -- Prepwork III: Finishing

The finishing of the underside of the bust and the plinth is ABD (all-but-done). Which means that the plinth should be permanently attached to the torso very shortly. . .

The remaining work is all about realizing the vision, the finishing, and getting the "canvas" ready to accept primer. I hope that I am much further along that what my eyes are telling me. . . Re- gardless, much elbow grease will be expended in the days and weeks to come. 

Stay tuned!

FOLLOW-UP. . . The 'column' has been permanently mated to the reworked and re-finished plinth! The remaining pieces (5) will be attached during the painting of the bust.

02.11.2017. . . The buttonholes have been 'cut', and await 'stitching'. The locations of the cor- responding buttons have been finalized and tapped.

03.11.2017. . . The buttons have been sculpted! Save for incidental corrective work, the putty-work has been completed!! And the hat is now in final finishing. As a sidebar note, I would point out that the circumference of the crown is grossly over-scale! If you elect to use the slouch hat and reduce the circumference of the crown, proceed with extreme caution: by the time you are done, the 'walls' of the crown will be scale-thin--and very fragile!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Mary Read -- Prepwork: Musings

With naught but buttons and buttonholes remaining on the "to-be-done" list, some thoughts about the last 11 days. . . 

• This project has been not only superbly enjoyable, but it allows me to strike-through an entry on my figure bucket list. I had long-resigned myself to the fact that if I want- ed to do a historical reconstruction of Mary Read, I would have to do it myself.
• This project has afforded me the opportunity to pull some dusty tomes off the shelf, and re-immerse myself in the wonderful and challenging maze that is History. If no- thing else, it takes me back to the days when historicity was a critical underpinning of every release and/or project. Sadly, that has not been the case for longer than I care to remember. . .   
• I started with 3 of the 4 stock pieces provided (nb: there are 5 pieces in the kit, but two of the pieces are different hats; I did not use the holstered flintlock or the cocked hat). My final pieces count is 7(!): hat, head, torso, baldric buckle+tongue, ends of neckerchief (x2); and plinth.
• This is an original figure. In the interest of complete transparency, and in acknow- ledgement of the efforts of my fellow artist and manufacturer, Roman Rux, I recognize the "foundation" of this project without hesitation. Having said that, the fact remains that the figure before me is, for better or worse, entirely my own.

Back to the bench. . . !

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Mary Read -- Prepwork II

Finishing is now well underway, with all major mods involving putty at the very least roughed-in. The hat has been fitted, and the head repositioned and neck resculpted. 

The bust has been re-posed and the pedestal reworked. Permanent attachment may be post- poned depending on the accessibility to areas that have yet to be finished, but everything is ready to be finalized. 

More to follow. . . 

FOLLOW-UP. . . The 'column', a section of brass tubing, has been permanently attached to the bust. Once the underside of the bust is finished, the 'column' will be permanently mated to the reworked plinth.  

28.10.2017. . . The hair has been roughed-in, as has the baldric's buckle. UPDATE:  The hair is in the final finishing stages, as is the buckle and tongue of the baldric. I would note that though designed separately, the buckle and tongue were conjoined as a unit during finishing that will be attached after painting. Save for the ends of the neckerchief and the buttons, this concludes the putty-work. Finally, final finishing of the plinth is underway.

29.10.2017. . . The ends of the neckerchief are now done! Final finishing and polishing is under-way. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Mary Read -- Prepwork

The rework of the bust is, conservatively, fast-approaching the midway point.

As of this writing:

• The underlying torso has been sculpted.
• The head has been removed and tentatively repositioned. 
• The "stock" hair has been ground-off.
• The reworking of the face and neck has commenced.
• The hat has been reworked. 
• The left front panel of the shirt and the jacket have been roughed-in.
• The front half of the baldric has been roughed-in.

Save for the underlying torso, everything else is a work-in-progress. IF I can maintain the mo- mentum, I am hoping to have Mary completed, primed, and on the painting bench by mid-December, at the latest.

More to follow. . .

UPDATE 23.10.2017. . . The bust below the neck, save for the details (e.g., buttons), is now completely roughed-in, fore and aft. I anticipate there will be significant reworking/resculpting in the weeks ahead; but for now, conceptually, I have an inkling of what the finished piece will look like. . . 

Movin' right along. . . 

UPDATE 25.10.2017. . . Preliminary finishing (more at clean-up) is underway. The neckerchief and the right sleeve of the jacket have been roughed-in: the former should be effectively done by the weekend. Finally, I will spend the next few days "posing" the bust and permanently attaching it to the pedestal. Once that is done, I can shift my focus to the head, resculpting the hair and fitting the hat.

Stay tuned!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Mary Read, ca. 1720

NB: The title of this post will double as the 'working title' of this project.

For whatever reason, Anne Bonny is my favourite of the femmes fatales of the Spanish Main. But as most of you are aware, Rackham had a brace of hellions with him; and the second one was admittedly the more interesting and capable of the two.

By the time Mary Read reached the West Indies, she had served as a soldier in [most likely] the War of the Spanish Succession, and as an innkeeper in the Netherlands. It could be said she was well groomed for what followed. . .

Neither of the hellcats have been particularly well-served by the historical miniatures' community. In fact, the best full-figure available is the 54mm rendition of Mary Read released last year by Andrea. Mary arguably also takes first honours in the bust category: the 1/9th scale rendition sculpted by Roman Rux and the Ademola team, and produced by the now-defunct Polish com- pany, Ademola 22. This will serve as the "base figure" of this project.

My sample was produced by SK miniatures (UK) [Many thanks to Steve for the excellent cus- tomer service, as always!], who acquired a portion of the Ademola line.The 5-piece casting was exquisite! In all honesty, significantly better than the original offering. My only criticism is regard- ing the resin used to cast the one-sided cocked hat and the pedestal: this grey resin was quite soft and "vinyl-y". Neither here nor there with respect to the pedestal; but definitely annoying, if not problematic, with respect to the hat.

I selected this bust because 1) it was the only one available of the subject; and 2) because of the face and the overall morphology. The rest will have to be "reworked" if one is striving for anything approximating a historical reconstruction.

In general terms, the bust will be essentially resculpted from the neck down. On a more granular level, at the very least I intend to:

• Rework the hat and the coiffure.
• Sculpt the underlying torso.
• Resculpt the shirt.
• Sculpt a seaman's jacket.
• Resculpt the baldric. 
• Rework kit-provided pedestal. 

Time to weigh anchor. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Blackbeard -- Painting: Oils III - Headwear, pt1

I have now reached the first of what I anticipate will be several watershed phases in this project: the headwear.

What do I mean by a "watershed phase". Simply that this is, or prepares for, a climactic instance that will define, or at least heavily influence, what follows. In this case, I am painting the kerchief/ headwrap and the undersides of the hat in anticipation of permanently attaching the hat before continuing with the rest of the bust.

I painted the kerchief a "dirty" yellow, using Cad-Bar Yellow Light as the base hue, modified with Williamsburg French Light Sienna. Shading was done with Raw Umber and Mars Black (re: the latter, if applied in a deliberate and controlled fashion, it will "muddy" the yellow without tipping-it to green). Think of the resulting colour as a very cool, "light" yellow ochre.

The hat, a black felt, was simply done with a proprietary mix of Lamp and Mars Black.

Once these items are acceptably dry (by week's end?), I will permanently attach the hat to the bust and begin re-evaluating--and finishing!--the face.

UPDATE 19.10.2017. . . The hat is now permanently attached, and all is well. . . As a sidebar note, I used 5-minute epoxy to attach the hat. The way I had refitted the hat resulted in an almost "snap-fit" to the head, and I had little confidence in the prospect of the hat snapping into place before the super-glue started to kick. So, I opted for epoxy: it gave me all the time needed, as well as provided a perfectly clean join. 

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Blackbeard -- Painting: Oils II - The Face

I have just completed the basic application of oils on the face. I cannot say that the face is by any means "done", as this project will be defined by the ongoing effort to integrate all aspects 

of the figure until the bust is truly one. 

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Blackbeard -- Painting: Oils I

The first application of oils is done! This was little more than basecoating the irises; and applying the initial tinting grisaille to the teeth, and all the hair--facial and otherwise--save for the brows.

With the beard "blocked"-in, the character of the bust is now a determinant in how you paint it and the colours you will use. This is a very powerful bust; BUT, it will be up to the miniaturist not to bury that character and emotion under paint. . . 

FOLLOW-UP. . . The irises were basecoated with a thin application of Payne's Grey. I stress "thin" as I hoped I would be able to paint the pupils before calling it a day. The irises and  pupils are now in place. . .  

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Blackbeard -- Painting: UCing

The bust, save for the flesh and the beard, is now undercoated! 

Two things about this bust: One, your palette--to say nothing of your canvas!--is rather limited, so colour, or rather, tone, selection should not be undertaken in a cavalier fashion. 

Two, the design of the bust will dictate your approach. This is definitely an inside>>out project! Flexibility and adaptability will carry the day!!

FOLLOW-UP. . . I have decided to "undercoat" the beard in oils. This will afford me the opportu- nity to glaze the beard to maximize the depth and tonal shifts. More to follow. . . 

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Blackbeard -- Painting: Priming

The bust is now primed! I will probably commence undercoating tomorrow. . .

UPDATE 14.10.2017. . . The hat is now primed and undercoated. I used Stynylrez Black, thereby killing two birds with one stone. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Blackbeard -- Prepwork IV: Finishing

Save for the modifications to the crown of the hat and final finishing, Blackbeard is DONE!

If all goes as planned, I will prime the bust this weekend. . .

UPDATE 13.10.2017. . . Final finishing of the bust has been completed! The bust is now drying 
in the oven; and I will prime shortly. That leaves naught but the hat to finish, and it is now in the finishing stage. . . 

UPDATE 14.10.2017. . . Final finishing of the hat has been completed!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Blackbeard -- Prepwork: The Pedestal

The last major putty exercise involves the pedestal. The stock pedestal, a generic item common to most, if not all, of Young's busts is, IMO, too limiting--and, in this case, ultimately detracting. And since I have no problem whatsoever in creating an en suite pedestal. . .

The roughed-in pedestal is now in the oven curing. I figure there will be 1-2 more putty sessions to finalize "pose" and lines, and then it will be down to finishing and polishing.

More to follow!

FOLLOW-UP. . . Into finishing and polishing. . .   

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003