Spring from Women by Pepa Saavedra (FeR Miniatures)

If you've been into the miniature hobby for any amount of time now you will know that there is one lady who is seriously good at painting female miniatures. Especially busts. And that is Pepa Saavedra. I'm hoping that you already know about her miniatures range that is available through FeR Miniatures, as to date every one has been of the highest quality.

Recently; Spring was released on the Women by Pepa Saavedra range and is the first of four representing the years seasons.

So who do you go to if you want a high quality female bust sculpted? Yup... Pedro Fernandez Ramos.

For some reason I had underestimated the size of this and was expecting the large plastic package FeR often use, so to see their black box was a lovely surprise.

Full colour stickers attached to a branded wrap around sleeve showing the lovely painted example by Pepa and giving the scale, sculptor, and painter details too.

A good size sticker greeted me when lifting the lid and the bust was sandwiched between foam for safety. Small parts in a zip lock bag as is standard.

Just the three parts to look over. That main section must be a challenge to cast with so much tiny detail and texture.

Sadly, there was a tiny break on one of the hair tips but the piece was in the box and it's a clean snap. I managed to glue back into place with a bit of Gorilla Superglue Gel. I should really have pinned it though (oh yes... I will pin things that small).

Other than this everything looks intact so I'll start going over the rest.

If you do ever find damages that you either cannot fix or do not feel you should fix then always contact the company directly. They will likely replace the part needed and quickly too.
This is a review sample though so I won't be doing that.

The face on Spring is instantly recognisable as being by Pedro Fernandez and is pretty much his trademark style. Quite an angular jaw and almost triangular features, but all really well defined. Especially when you realise this is a traditional sculpt. No digital stuff here.

You can see a few tool marks and lighter areas of resin in the photo, but it is hugely enlarged and to the eye you'll have the really look closely.

A little to clean up on the right side of her face and a little in the same area on the hair too.

And here is the area where the most resin needs to be removed on this entire kit. The pour hole and a vent.

Clippers, scalpel, and sanding block fixed that all in no time at all.

And as an added bonus... a pilot hole is already there. Now the only challenge is to drill a straight hole that makes the bust stand at an angle which shows it best. You'll have to know how I did (I have my own opinion which I'll keep quiet).

Little thoughts like a pilot hole can really help with assembly so I always smile when I see them.

Up the right side is where I found what seems to be the main mould line. This has had some cleaning before packaging to remove the worst but still needed some more work, especially inside the forearm.

This may look like a bit of work, particularly around some flowers; but when you take into account the complexity of the sculpt it's quite impressive to minimise it this much.

And now... flowers...

I'd try to count them, but there's no way I'd get it right.

So many flowers and leaves. And an abundant variety too. One that would make any nature lover very happy. Although I couldn't even begin to name the flower types.

The attention to detail is as to be expected, stunning.

Her huge bouquet comes in two parts. I didn't even need to use blutac to hold the smaller part in place. The join was tight enough without.

On the small part the mould line has been kept out of view and every petal incredibly rendered in resin.

The final piece is her left arm which nicely joins at the line of her dress that has slipped off her shoulder.

Mould line along the arm again but easily accessible to sand without any issues at all.

Again.. even more flowers which feels like they are being scattered from her hand. And what a hand. Great shape and position.

If this amount of floral beauty doesn't scream Spring then I honestly don't know what would.

Hopefully the video helps you get a good look around the bust in her assembled glory.

One thing I've not really spoken about is hair. And she really has loads.

Nearly the entire rear angle is hair, hair, and more hair. Incredibly sculpted and cast hair. But hair still scares me as I struggle to paint it and so (probably stupidly too) often avoid overly hairy miniatures.

But this is just stunning really so I should get stuck in and conquer that fear. Plus also, and unexpectedly; Pepa has published some tutorials on how she painted the box art on her Facebook Page and Instagram. Including the clothing and hair, so check those out.

What can I really say to sum up my thoughts on Spring?

In a hobby filled with war subjects, monsters, and pin-ups; Spring is a nice change of pace with a sense of calm and piece. Not to forget, nature. I have never seen anything near that amount of flowers on any miniature I can remember.

The overall quality of the design and sculpting is really hitting the high bar, even if the face is a familiar sight. Material quality and casting again is excellent, and the 55€ price tag feels right for what you get which is a serious painting project.

I'm tempted to try painting this as it is something I've never attempted. Though I can tell already it would be a serious test and I can see me needing to dig out some serious colours to find a fitting palette. My usual dark look just won't do.

Spring is available directly from FeR Miniatures and anywhere stocking their products.

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Happy New Year and welcome to 2020.