"Ahab's Secret"--Preliminaries (4)

This is more of an "update" to work already underway rather than an introduction to any new developments. . .

• The neck/torso join has been finalized and I am delighted!!! All that was missing was the extension of the shirt collar to eliminate the dead space and address the disproportionate positioning of the head.
• I was hoping to avoid this, but the right thumb has been replaced with a piece of resin sprue. This will provide a much more realistic support to the lance, and hopefully allow me to avoid any post-painting/attachment modeling.
• The right arm has been permanently attached and the shoulder joint rebuilt. This, in conjunction with the repositioned head, makes for a remarkable difference! There is still some finishing and fairing to do, but this will be minor in nature.
  
• The harpoon has been reworked. The two-flue head, with its extended beards, was a disaster looking for a place (and time!) to happen, so I decided to replace the shaft with a length of [steel] music wire. Finishing and assembly await.
• Height of the crown of the hat reduced by ~ a third. PERFECT!
  

That should wrap-up the projected work on the figure itself. Henceforth, the focus will be on finishing and final clean-up. Once that is completed, the figure can be primed and work on the coffin will then begin in earnest.

"Ahab's Secret"--Graphic Update

An overview of the work done to date on the figure. . .


Note that no secondary piece has been permanently attached. The final position of the lance has yet to be set, and it is merely balanced at its center of gravity: it will not be permanently attached until the figure is mounted on its display base.

Other than that, any questions or comments. . . fire away!

FOLLOW-UP . . . The images are harsh in their detraction of the length of the neck! While the neck is undoubtedly long, the slightly oversized head and narrow shoulders do nothing to mitigate the visual discordance. Admittedly the coffin is not present to serve as a counter-balance to the apparent disproportions; nonetheless, short of resculpting the head, there is little that one can do. . .

I have decided to shorten the neck; or, set it deeper in its socket: the finished rework is now curing in the oven. While far from perfect, the difference is quite remarkable, and once the coffin is attached, the effect should be just about spot-on.

FOLLOW-UP (2) . . . In the course of fitting the right arm, it became plainly evident that the right "shoulder" was significantly narrower than the left. This would have been effectively camouflaged by the cross, and the reduced clavicular span may in fact have been intentional to accommodate the thickness of the artifact; however, without the cross, the accommodation becomes problematic. Thus, I have decided to permanently attach the right arm, and build up the shoulder joint.

"Ahab's Secret"--Preliminaries (3)

Clean-up has begun in earnest. In addition to finding and then tracing the very faint seamlines , much of this involves undercutting the somewhat "soft" delineations where two distinct pieces of fabric meet: hardly difficult (anyone with a moderate amount of Historex experience will be in familiar territory); but the process can't be rushed.

In addition, I have begun work on the coffin. Most of this involves scribing through where the sections meet without actually dismantling the box--all save for the bottom panel, which has already been removed and finished. More on this definitely to follow.

The figure is being prepared to be painted unassembled. I might decide to attach the right arm if there are issues with the join, but at his point this does not seem likely. The head will definitely be painted separately, and then attached before proceeding with the crown of the hat.

More to follow. . .

"Ahab's Secret"--Preliminaries (2)

Re: the title of this posting--and thread--this is but a working title that might change before it's all said and done. The final title will largely depend on how the background story develops--and IF I can pull off a slick bit of SFX. . . but that is still quite a ways away. . .

The evolution of this piece is far exceeding expectations--both in results and time invested. Assuming I can maintain this rate--and the Muses cooperate, it should be ready for priming in a few weeks!

Since my last follow-up yesterday evening, I have filled and Phase 1-refinished the join of the detached [left] leg: the figure is now pegged and mounted on its work-base. I have also decided to discard the cross, and remove what appears to be a missal (or some like book) attached to the hatband--neither item quite "fits" with the persona of Ahab. The "missal" will simply be ground-off and the hatband carefully restored [DONE!].

The cross, however, a rather prominent "prop", would appear a bit more problematic. I decided to replace it with a whaler's lance--a very "special" lance as we shall see. This has already been [all-but] completed using a length of 1/16" d. brass rod, with the character- istic leaf-shaped head hammered flat and shaped with sanding disk; and the socket formed from MS, and shaped with file and sanding disk. Fitting is more or less done, but will be revisited before priming to make sure all is as it should be.

All that will then remain to be done on Ahab will be the embellishment of his pegleg. I am considering adding 2-3 columns of sperm whale- teeth tips as an overt nod to the "alternate" nature of this depiction.

Pics to follow. . .

Smart Max--The Reverend Dudley

You might say that this is the piece that started it all--it being a rekindling of a life long interest in Victorian alternate realities. . . with me at least. . .

And yet I am hard-pressed to label the Reverend Dudley as a Steam- punk figure. Gothic, yes; but not Steampunk. Contextually, it is an undeniable cog in the "Smog 1888" canon; but as a stand-alone figure, there any number of options at the disposal of the adventurous miniaturist. . .

When I first saw this figure, I immediately felt the compelling "call of the wretched sea." Thus, while only having this figure since the last Atlanta Show when it was graciously presented as a gift, I knew that someday this figure would be the base for a Gothic [re-]interpreta- tion of Melville's Ahab.

Regardless of whether one likes the figures or the subject-matter, one can not help but admire the art and craft of Smart Max! And the Rev. Dudley is quintessential SM!! The kit is comprised of 18 crisply cast pieces + the now de rigeur cobblestoned plinth. "So?", you ask. Well the figure itself is essentially one-piece, with only the right arm and the head cast separately. All but four (harpoon [2], cross, and right arm) of the remaining 15 pieces are dedicated to the coffin of the Reverend's wife! Casting quality is overall VG++, with only the occasional air-bubble marring an otherwise pristine casting.

So much for the review. If you like the figure as is, you will not be disappointed!!!

On to the project. I am barely into it, so bear with me if you would. To date, I have filled the aforementioned "occasional air-bubbles". I have also removed the subject's left leg mid-thigh, and roughed-in what will be Ahab's new "poser". Finally, using heat, I have reworked the "hang" of the left side of the coat's skirt.

This will be a long-term project, so progress will be sporadic at best--for now. . .

FOLLOW-UP . . . The way things are going, I might be ready to permanently reattach the left leg by this evening. As I write, the figure is in the oven with the reworked [left] pant leg curing, along with the extended coat tail. Once I finish the leg and coat tail, and check the fit of the coffin, I will decide whether to extend the length of the coat for the full 360° (this is the direction in which I am leaning). Finally, I've trimmed down the beard on the ol' Reverend and have begun tweaking the facial features some.

FOLLOW-UP (2) . . . The leg and coat-tails are now 80% 90% finished and the leg is ready to be has been permanently reattached. The coffin has also been fitted.