Mitches 120mm Medieval Bowman

[Deleted member 6559]

My next figure will be this new 120mm offering sculpted by Moz Corry for Mitches Military Models. Represented is an English bowman c.1450, in the act of stinging his bow. It's quite a complicated pose as the bow is being held under his left thigh in order to bend it sufficiently. He's wearing a padded linen doublet and is properly equipped with an axe, stiletto, long stabbing knife, pack bundle and leather wallet - quivers were not used at the time, the arrow being carried in tied bundles.

Here are the parts:



A typical long and lean Corry figure, with well detailed parts. There appears to be a fair amount of clean up required during construction, but nothing that looks too bad.

Colour wise, the doublet will be off-white with a red cross, and the rest of the clothing will be in natural colours (browns and greens, with perhaps a spot of red).

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Cleaned up and ready for painting:



Building was not too problematic, though a bit of filling was required around the limb joints. There were also some mould lines to remove and a few pinholes to fill.

I couldn't get the feet to line up with the marks on the kit base, so I've abandoned that and will use something from the spares cupboard. The arrows and flights were also pretty unusable so I will scratch some of my own later.

The padded tunic looks like it will be quite a challenge, not only because of the white, but because of the detail which includes tears and ripped seams. Think I'll start with the head....

 

[Jim R]

Hi Peter
This looks interesting. Rather an unusual pose but well done. These Mitches Models tend to be rather a mixed bag. Some very nice models but sometimes let down by quality. Am I right in thinking that they are pretty well priced?
Jim

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Hi Jim

This one was £35, so not bad for a 120mm figure. The casting could always be a bit better on Mitches figures, and I do find that Moz Corry's sculpts can look a bit awkwardly posed, as here, but on the whole they measure up well against the competition. Where the moulding does fail is on the smaller parts - the arrows and flights for instance, were a real mess.

 

[Peter Gillson]

An unusual pose, nice to see a figure posed in an action which all archers would have been very familiar with.

i'm sure it will be a fine looking figure.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Hi Peter

I suppose that the sculptor was trying to get away from the most obvious pose. He's managed to create a set of intertwining spirals, which is interesting. Fortunately the bow is quite flexible and so easy to bend into place. Might try and make him a buckler as well.

I thinks this may be one of the sources of reference used:



Looks pretty close in some of the details and anyway, a useful painting guide. Also noticed that the figure doesn't have wrist or finger guards, so I may try to make some up.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Here's the head:



I decided to paint the hood at this stage so that I could attach the head and keep it out of harm's way.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Peter
That looks great.
Jim

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Thanks Jim.

 

[Strenko J]

Another masterpiece in the works for Mr. Day, I always enjoy watching these come together

 

[SimonT]

Nice figure and you're usual gobsmackingly good painting

 

[SteveH]

Morning Peter

Another expressive face, super blending, he looks right for the period with the long nose and angular features.

The green hood give him a "merry" look too

The grubby white tunic should be fun to paint and weather

Have a fun today with all that white paint

Regards

Steve H

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Thanks for the encouraging words chaps.

Bit scared of the tunic Steve - grubby white is hard to pull off, as the dirt is darker than the highlights. I saw a programme yesterday - 'Medieval Dead - The Skulls of Dornach' - about the Swiss defeat of the Imperial army in 1499. The Swiss wore red tunics with white crosses, which offeres a an easier colour option. It would mean shortening the cross, but may be a way out if I can't pull off the white.

 

[Deleted member 4539]

Enjoying this.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Thanks Ralph - Some shenanigans with the tunic - photos later.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

He has indeed turned Swiss!



Despite my best efforts I just could not paint the tunic in white, so instead I went for Plan B, and reversed the colours and squared the cross so that he is now a Swiss bowman of the Swabian War of 1499. Although the crossbow was being extensively used at this time, longbows were still used where longer distances were involved, particularly in siege and naval warfare (re Mary Rose). Anyway, that's my story.

Bit of a shame that I couldn't do the white, but it just shows how much I've still got to learn (which is a good thing).

 

[Mickc1440]

Every days a school day Peter. Nice work on the changed outfit

 

[Deleted member 4539]

Definitely best to stay with what you are comfortable with.

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Mick - Ain't it so? There'd be no pint unless if there was no room for improvement.

Ralph - It is about enjoyment after all.

I've done a bit more reading and found that he could also be wearing the livery of the Hospitallers. Unlike most of the religious orders, the Hospitallers also employed 'Brothers' of lower social rank to fight as ordinary foot soldiers. Included in those ranks would have been a few archers (the white cross on a red ground was also used alongside the better known white Maltese cross on a black ground).

 

[Steve Jones]

Have you done something different on the face tones? You can tell its a PDiddy special but there is something a little bit different, in a very good way. Maybe its just the sculpt.