93rd Highlanders 1854 bust from FeR Miniatures

Ok... that was the short title.

Sergeant, 93rd Sutherland Highlanders Balaclava, 1854 bust from the Elite Classics range by FeR Miniatures in full.




Strictly speaking, this isn't really a new release in terms of being a new sculpt as it was originally released by Elite Miniatures but they closed their doors back in 2010. 
Luckily; FeR Miniatures picked up the rights to the range and have been working through the masters and re-moulding them to be cast in resin rather than white metal. This resin edition released in August 2019.



Contained within the usual plastic box with full colour box art label with the miniatures title, sculptor, painter, and scale.
I always like to know who is responsible for creating miniatures so these are nice bits of info to see.

As you can see there is a good bit of foam which helps to keep all the parts in place with nothing rattling around.



All parts safely contained in ziploc bags. Including a second smaller bag which was between the lid and foam.


This is a soft and thin piece of metal which I believe is for making the ties on the back oh his hat.

Something for those with a bit of experience and not a detail I've noticed on metal versions of this bust.

Now for some disclosure.
My knowledge of the Crimean War and specifically the Battle of Balaklava in 1854 is pretty much zero so please excuse my historical inaccuracies.

I have read that the Thin Red Line was an incident which happened on October 25th and involved around 200 of the 93rd Highlanders along with walking wounded, Turkish Infantrymen, and detached Guardmen. These few managed to route a Russian cavalry charge  of around 2,500.


(The Thin Red Line by Robert Gibb)
Even though I lack historical knowledge I cannot resist looking over a well sculpted miniature. Especially when created by Raúl Garcia Latorre who is frankly one of the best sculptors and has been for many years.




It's a simple bust in terms of number of parts and assembly with joins matching up really well. Just look at the inside of the rucksack for how well it matches up to the straps and material on his back.



I'll start from his head.

It's impossible not to be impressed with that sculpting. The fur, hair, beard, eyebrows, and that impeccable moustache are just so well defined and the caster has done well capturing all of that while minimising mould lines which look to run from his chin, along under the neck join and just up into the fur at the back of the hat.
I've seen much worse than that and a bit of sanding and scraping will clear that up nicely.

And frankly, as is typical for Latorre... that face is just packed with personality.



The main body section, while quite plain compared to many fantasy busts is spot on. 

Plenty of cloth folds to get into and different material textures to explore too. All of it well rendered inn the high quality resin.

Obviously you can see where the main mould cut runs which is a good decision as it avoids crossing more defined details.



Just a little clean up and another great bit of detail too.



The backpack is the only part which I had a bit of concern about as it looks like there's quite a lot of air bubbles under the surface though I did sand down the mould line along the top and none opened.

Though thinking on it, even if they did a little thin putty or even PVA would easily fix it. And the resin did slice and sand well which is always good.

I actually wish there was more I could look at with this sculpt. But I'll just show you some assembled photos before I sum up.




Even without a basic knowledge of the historical period I can gladly say I would hands down recommend this bust to anyone who just wants to paint a piece which if full of different textures and materials. The face alone is such a strong focal point that I'd happily keep looking at the resin cast.

I do hope this has been of help to you and please feel free to leave a comment either here or on the GMR Facebook page.

If you would like to keep up to date with FeR Miniatures releases and any offers they may run then follow their Facebook page or even subscribe to their newsletter on their website.

3 comments:

  1. Good review except that the hat (bonnet) is ostrich feathers rather than fur (and thus even more difficult to sculpt)
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feather_bonnet
    https://www.google.com/search?q=highland+regiment+feather+bonnet&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEvoqtqqPkAhW8RhUIHXQlAVQQ_AUIESgB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the info Neil. I stand corrected. Not something I previously knew (as you could tell).
      Thank you.

      Delete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.