Wednesday 29 January 2014

Victorian Gypsies


With the addition of the bonus rounds to this year's '4th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge' I found myself in a bit of a spin - in a good way I should add!  These are the sorts of distractions that seem to punctuate my hobby, that bring the variety to the painting table and I am determined to try and get an entry into all seven of them, starting with these 'Victorian Gypsies', entered in the non-combatant round!

  This trio of lovely ladies are made up of a mixture of makes with a metal 'Westwind' tambourine player, a 'Reaper' metal in the flowing orange dress and a 'Reaper Bones' with an alluring digit!  This was my first experience of the 'bones' material and I have to confess that I am a little unsure of it.  I had read that giving them a good wash and prime was essential, but the painting experience was a little odd given the subtle movement of the plastic. That said the detail is ok, but obviously not as crisp as the metal counterpart and the final result is of a par with the other two so I may yet try a couple more pieces.



There were one or two raised eyebrows over at the challenge regarding my the blatant labelling of them  as 'Victorian', some ne'er-do-wells even suggesting that birth certificates be produced in support of my historic claims - of course being a Gentlemen I couldn't possibly do that to them, but to my mind they were obviously Victorian characters.


Often romanticised in literature, the Romani people have brought mystery, intrigue and colour to some of the Victorian era's most influential texts.  Think of the English Romanies that visit Thornfield Hall as fortune tellers in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, Stoker's Dracula  features a group of Romanies working for the Count and then there are the demonised Gypsies accused of the murder in The Adventure of the Speckled Band, a Sherlock Holmes mystery by the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  These just a flavour of what I was thinking when referring to them as 'Victorian'.


Painting wise they were great fun to do and this time I tried to be a little more even with my brush strokes to give a softer look to the skin - the finished result is better than I had managed with 'Hildy', but there is still more to learn when it comes to the painting of the fairer sex.  The palettes are fairly generic, although Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame should be credited as the inspiration for Esmeralda's purple dress with green corset. 



40 comments:

  1. Hola
    Que buenas las gitanas,te an quedado muy bien
    un saludo

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  2. I have no problem with these being from a Victorian Period. I see Nothing which could contradict that. They are versatile enough to have come from several eras and I would think it ceorlish in the extreme to doubt your word on the issue.

    As everything you do very well painted and carried out. Top Notch sir.

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  3. A nice bunch of brunettes... :-)

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  4. You did a wonderful job on these Michael!

    Christopher

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  5. This was a wonderful submission Michael and very colourful.

    As you are a gentleman, I naturally take your word that these ladies are indeed from the Victorian era. Anyone who gainsays you is clearly a jealous cad.

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  6. Very alluring digits Michael, fecking quality work!

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  7. A great looking group! Especially the dancing miniature. I like the way you've painted the orange, looks great!

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  8. Blown up to the equivalent of a 170mm figure on my screen that orange dancer still looks fabulous. An amazing job!

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  9. As a gentlemen I can't the age of a lady. The bones once painted looks as good as the others.

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  10. Beautiful paintjob and colors!

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  11. They are all lovely jobs Michael. Really not convinced by the bones material at all myself. The metal reaper is a lovely figure but what a different between the sizes.

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    Replies
    1. The size difference has nothing to do with the Bones material it is merely Reaper's refusal to come up with a standardized size.

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    2. I'm okay with the size difference. After all, not everyone is 28mm to the eyes tall. Especially with civilians, I think it adds a bit of variety. I have mixed feelings about the Bones material as well. I have painted two items now, and their warning against spray primer is well heeded. I found the simply washed and rinsed material much easier to work with than the eye beast which I sprayed with black primer.

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  12. Michael
    Just lovely figures - and certainly usable as Victorian (or as many other eras). The complainers were obviously mean of very low morals - no gentleman would ever ask a lady about her age!
    Cheers
    PD

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  13. Spectacular tones and movement on these miniatures Michael. Victorian or not I'm sure these girls would have been welcome aboard the Canberra to keep morale North when going South in 82! Lovely job, Aye, Rusty

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  14. They're not exactly "raggle-taggle" are they ? More beautiful and sultry - great brushwork

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  15. Nice painting and basing! I looked very carefully in the background woods for a partially hidden werewolf!

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  16. some of my favourites of the challenge so far.. great job Michael

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  17. I don't care for their birth certificate as they're simply outstanding! As Dave already stated they are some of my favourites so far also!

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  18. Wow! Stunning brushwork on some marvelously animated figures! Great to look at. Dean

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  19. Very lovely, Michael, a pleasingly light-hearted entry. And now with transport, even?

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  20. Excellent paintjob and basing! I especially like the last picture with background.

    Kind regards
    http://wargameterrain.blogspot.be/

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  21. Michael,

    Now as you know, I leapt to your defence during the Challenge, and, while I have no problem with your description of them as Victorian, in retrospect, I do have a problem with your description of them as non-combatants. All three of them would appear to be armed with a couple of dangerous weapons!

    Pip pip

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  22. Jolly good show old chap - love the wenches. Superbly painted as ever.
    Dan

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  23. Lovely to see the saucy ladies again Michael!

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  24. Love those miniatures. Always been a fan of non-armed figs. And great paint job too !

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  25. I have looked at a couple of those figures and seeing them painted I might have to pick them up.

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  26. Quality work Sir M! 3 very healthy young ladies!!!

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  27. good job!
    i agree with you: they are fully victorian, i can't imagine something different for that period.
    bye

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  28. One should never ask a lady her age so we must take your word for them being Victorian sir. I'm impressed with the Bones figure. Some of these may be making an appearance on my shopping list sooner rather than later...

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  29. Bewitching, every one of them. The Lady in Orange is my favorite!

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  30. Wonderful work Michael! Beautiful!

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  31. Great work Michael. I'm not a fan of Bones in general, but I do like what you've done with "Esmeralda".

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  32. Great work there Michael and I do love the colours and the softness on the skintones. To my mind to these are Victorians, or any period as in traditional dress, as I am painting some Gyspy man who seem to have lost their ladies

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  33. Well done! Good painting on the minis.

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  34. They are really nice figures. Great painting work!

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  35. Being as my fair wife call me 'The Great Contrarian' I remain unconvinced. Nonetheless, as it is an affair of honour I will ask Phil and Greg if they will allow these beautiful lasses to be recognized as 'Victorian' and so be scored in your duel.

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