Neil Merryweather
SMF Supporter
Figures have always been my main passion, and in my teens I made and converted hundreds of Airfix 54mm Coldstream guards, Imperial Guard Grenadiers, Polish Lancers etc etc . Then I went to art school to study Stage Design, which I chose partly because we were required to make models of our sets at 1-25 scale. There were hardly any figures in 75mm scale you could buy at that time, or that I could afford on my student grant – (different times, let’s not go there….) , and certainly not in Elizabethan costume, so I tried sculpting my own.
I used plasticine on a balsa wood and cocktail stick armature, and I found I had a talent for it.
After art school I freelanced making models for London stage designers, and I experienced my own personal industrial revolution when I discovered Milliput. Now I didn’t have to worry about my models getting squished!
Usual story; I got married, had kids, eventually got a regular job (I wasn’t a very good designer) , which left no time for a hobby .
BUT…….
Cunningly, I managed to get some paid commissions for sculpting master figures, for Hussar Military Miniatures, amongst others. This would keep my hand in and give me the excuse of extra money for spending hours in my cupboard (it was years before I got a cave). Anyway, the net result of that is that although I have been sculpting figures all my adult life, I haven’t actually painted a figure in something like 38 years.
Fast-forward to last year when I bought my first commercial figures for as many years, three from Tommy’s War world war one range.
They are such lovely sculpts by Nino Pizzichemi that I wanted some practice before I set brush to paint on them. So I bought the Revell re-boxed ICM set for a bargain price, which gave me twelve figures to work up my skills with.
I also bought the Tommy’s War Life Colour paint set.
I’m going to do one at a time in the hope that I can learn from mistakes and progress until I feel I can do the Tommy’s War figures justice.
So here goes.......
I used plasticine on a balsa wood and cocktail stick armature, and I found I had a talent for it.
After art school I freelanced making models for London stage designers, and I experienced my own personal industrial revolution when I discovered Milliput. Now I didn’t have to worry about my models getting squished!
Usual story; I got married, had kids, eventually got a regular job (I wasn’t a very good designer) , which left no time for a hobby .
BUT…….
Cunningly, I managed to get some paid commissions for sculpting master figures, for Hussar Military Miniatures, amongst others. This would keep my hand in and give me the excuse of extra money for spending hours in my cupboard (it was years before I got a cave). Anyway, the net result of that is that although I have been sculpting figures all my adult life, I haven’t actually painted a figure in something like 38 years.
Fast-forward to last year when I bought my first commercial figures for as many years, three from Tommy’s War world war one range.
They are such lovely sculpts by Nino Pizzichemi that I wanted some practice before I set brush to paint on them. So I bought the Revell re-boxed ICM set for a bargain price, which gave me twelve figures to work up my skills with.
I also bought the Tommy’s War Life Colour paint set.
I’m going to do one at a time in the hope that I can learn from mistakes and progress until I feel I can do the Tommy’s War figures justice.
So here goes.......
