Monday 17 May 2010

Miniatures Monday - Oh what a Knight!



Today's miniature has such a wealth of detail and a cracking paint job that I thought I'd do both front and back shots for him. In contrast to some of the more recent stuff I've displayed, Andy has gone for a grassy base this time, to emphasise that this knight prefers the great outdoors to going underground.

I should at this point mention that he seems to have become separated from his shield - that lumpy bit on his arm was Citadel's bid for a bit of interchangeability - you could swap shields around depending on which one you preferred, but his has probably ended up at the bottom of the box with all the little bits and bobs like that.

Never mind that, though - feast your eyes on the excellent treatment of the armour on this figure. Like the chainmail on the Drow a couple of weeks ago, it really looks authentic. You can almost hear the grinding of metal on metal as he moves. Anyone who's had to clean older metal (as have I) will know that the tarnishing and oxidisation does indeed linger in the nooks and crannies, as is the case here.

Turning to the back of the figure, check out the mace, tucked down behind the haversack that looks as if it is really made of leather. Andy could have gone a bit heavy on the darker brown but he's kept his head and his subtle use of the deeper tones makes all the difference.

In a recent conversation with Old 4 Eyes, we discussed the improvements in casting technologies over the years that had enabled figure sculptors to get away with lots more in the way of detail. Faces back in the day were somewhat odd on occasion but this one, to me, has a certain haughtiness that well befits a knight of the realm. I like the blue feather crest on his helmet, the only real splash of colour on a figure that is otherwise stripped down for combat. Check out the blood on the sword - not dripping with gore but there nonetheless, dirty and a reminder of the battles that this warrior has already faced that day.

Well, I hope to get another post in during the week but if it doesn't happen, I'll see you on Friday for the Art slot.

3 comments:

  1. I think with that nub, you are looking for a shield with a hole through it, not just a divot. The nub then becomes a boss on the front of the shield.

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  2. Tis true - it's in the box somewhere. If I can find it and get the digicam working again, I'll see if I can't get the plated one shielded and post something up.

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