YAF (Yet Another Figure) - Part 1 - Another gendarme...

... Following my tentative enquiry as to gendarmes, notebooks etc, I am able to reveal that I have this weekend made a start on a new figure (in fact I now have 4 on the go simultaneously).

The idea is for a gendarme, on the thinner side (not yet succumbed to the longer-term effects of smelly cheese, bread, and red wine) - studiously noting something down - on his clipboard of course (thanks again Mikey).

All I have so far is a mock-up, using bits of blu-tak to hold the limbs in some approximate position to get an idea for how the pose will look. Although you can't easily see it, there has been some minor surgery already - I have transplanted the left hand from a straight arm on to the crooked one I am intent on using, and it is pinned in place with some thin gauge brass wire for the time being.



Work still to be done:

• Trim away the moulding of the jacket front (which is currently 'undone') as well as the polo shirt style buttons. These will be replaced with a full buttoned-up jacket, with full-buttoned shirt front respectively - probably made from GS. There will also be a tie added. The collar moulding is fine and will remain.
  
• Existing hat to be trimmed and reshaped to a normal 'kepi' style.
  
• Face will be altered to give some sort of small, hitleresque moustache to give him a mean look - I see this guy being as being a traffic warden in a previous life!
  
• Add some small details to the outside, eg 'sam-browne' style belt, baton and pistol holster
  
• Add a clip-board to be held in the left hand, of course!
  
• Drill a small hole through the right hand, and fit a short length of thin gauge brass wire to represent a pen
  

So that's where we are so far - 'watch this space' as they say!

Quote :

# Trim away the moulding of the jacket front (which is currently 'undone') as well as the polo shirt style buttons. These will be replaced with a full buttoned-up jacket, with full-buttoned shirt front respectively - probably made from GS. There will also be a tie added. The collar moulding is fine and will remain.
# Existing hat to be trimmed and reshaped to a normal 'kepi' style.
# Face will be altered to give some sort of small, hitleresque moustache to give him a mean look - I see this guy being as being a traffic warden in a previous life! Mad
# Add some small details to the outside, eg 'sam-browne' style belt, baton and pistol holster

Blimey Clive , I don't dress meself that well.

Excellent Clive...
I love these little human adventures.

Where's this 'mec' going to 'posted' when he's done?

carl hibbs wrote:

Where's this 'mec' going to 'posted' when he's done?

He'll be on his way to somewhere in France - I will leave it to the forum member concerned to expose himself - or not, has he sees fit!

Sacre Bleu !!

I'm not prepared to expose myself, even for some of Clive's fine figures !!!

I am however prepared to admit "c'est moi".

Yes I've commissioned Clive to produce two figures for me.

I'll let Clive break the news on the second figure when he's good and ready!

In the meantime I can't wait to follow progress!

Cheers Brian

Cheers, Brian. See, confession is good for you!

Regarding the email I sent yesterday, are you happy for me to proceed with my alternative suggestion for your second figure (the one I'd already started) or do you still want me to go with your original request?

You won't be disappointed Brian.

A bit more progress on the Law-man...

So this evening, I mostly:

Carved away the jacket and shirt front detail, and cut and pinned the right arm into an appropriate position, as if poised to write something suitably important...



Reapplied the jacket detail with Green Stuff, added a tie (also GS), and the Sam Browne style belt, cut from thin strips of v thin styrene sheet...



Made a clip-board from some thicker styrene sheet, and re-attached the limbs with blu-tak to see how it all looked....



Then finally (for tonight anyway) made the kepi from Milliput, then put it all back together for another look...



Some modest progress, but starting to take shape I think. Still need a pistol/holster, baton, hitler-style lip-warmer and a pen of some kind. And of course, attach the limbs and head to the body more permanently!

Clive, in respect of re-attaching limbs. Do you glue them or use miliput, and i presume you pin them too.

Hi Clive

That's looking fantastic !

Can't wait for the next instalment.

Cheers Brian

Cheers Brian, glad you like so far!

Patrick, I only use pinning/filling if I've had to cut any plastic away to get the pose how I want it. In the example above, the upper arms could be simply glued to the body with liquid poly, as the original join surfaces are intact. It might need a bit of filing down afterwards, possibly some Milliput to hide the join if it's that obvious. Basically, I don't use Milliput on it's own to hold parts together.

Nother stupid question.

Re: amputation and decapitation.

What tool do you use, I noticed that there is a very clean cut down ole matey the onion seller's left shoulder, I am thinking a razor saw.

How about leaving him as an amputee, a sort of war veteran story behind it all. He looks the part somehow.

Actually, for both these figures the body is moulded without arms, just a flat surface on which to glue arms of one's choosing - but otherwise, yes, a razor saw is normally used....

Strangely enough I remember as a kid seeing the rag-n-bone man (remember them!) having only one arm. He used to pull his cart along with his one remaining arm, never could fathom how he loaded/unloaded his cart. In this case, our onion-orientated friend will have both limbs, the other of which will be holding a string of onions, or maybe a pole on which will be balanced several strings of same... unless Brian has an opinion on the matter?

OK, so a bit more progress tonight - not much, I got side-tracked into motorising a g-scale push-bike

Our copper now has a pen (brass wire), a mean-looking 'tache, a pistol holster....



... oh, and a baton, complete with wrist strap...

clive_t wrote:

OK, so a bit more progress tonight - not much, I got side-tracked into motorising a g-scale push-bike

OOOOps Clive

I pm'd you before reading this thread.

Sorry Brian

Tonight, more progress - figure is done, awaiting spray primer...

A lull in the weather (ie no sh*te of any kind falling from the sky) has allowed me the relative luxury of taking some shots outside. The figure has now been spray-primed:





As expected, we have exposed one or two areas of unevenness in the way the Milliput was applied and worked. No problem though, they can be sanded down so that the joins will be invisible once painted.

And after a marathon painting sesh last night/wee hours of this morning, here's our man, pretty much complete:



True to form, he was found this morning, indulging in a bit of harassment of the local peasantry:

In French they just say "chapeau" when someday does something very well and with skill.

A bit like "I take my hat off to you".

So........my hat is off.

Excellent Clive to your usual high standard!


mikey

gendarme : " Monsieur - tu ne voie pas les personnes qui volles ton spokes "

OnionJohnny : Pardonnez moi , j'ai le pleu de mes yeux parce que ces onions, je ne vois pas rien.




Translation - g :Ello,Ello,Ello - Sir, did you see the persons what stole your spokes ?

OJ : Sorry and all that, i had raining of the eyes (tears), because of all these bloody onions.

I see the figures are coming on famously.

Can't wait to get them!

keep up the good work!

Brian

Here's what I imagine will be the last ever shot of these 2 together on English soil...



But having watched our onion-seller friend disappear into the station (for reasons as yet unknown) the copper realises there are bigger fish to fry:



Plainly 'trading without a permit' comes a pretty poor second to 'failure to control hands in a built-up area'!

Yes folks, watch out for "YAF Part 3 - Snogging couple" coming soon to a forum near you!

I understand they are to be repatriated "bientot".

Indeed, I await your postage instructions!