The Swamp Shaman from Alternity Miniatures

As we enter another week of isolation I take some time to check out a bust from Alternity Miniatures sculpted by someone who's work Normski has taken a look over multiple times on the blog previously. Carmine Giugliano.

This is a slightly older sculpt of his and I honestly didn't even realise it was Carmine's work.

Honesty now. I always thought this bust looked a bit odd and it didn't grab my attention when I saw photos online and I cannot recall seeing painted versions posted on the various social media platforms (that I spend far too much time on). But I certainly have different views now that I've actually looked at this properly.

Packaging is simple but functional. Glossy sticker with multiple angles and the names of the concept creator (Alfonso De Negri), sculptor, title, and scale (1/10th in this case).

Pretty straightforward when it comes to parts. Main section and two blocks with the strange crab legs on. Nothing fancy but  also nothing damaged.

The leg parts are slightly different but without a definitive side so you can do what you want.

I'll say this now. When I originally dismissed this as looking 'bloody weird and an odd choice to try and sell'; frankly, I was an idiot and very wrong (sorry Marco).

I like painting odd creatures at times and also playing around with different material textures and frankly you have a bit of everything on this.

His face and ears make me think of goblins with those pointy ears and long nose. And the style of helmet and clothing also fit with this. But at the same time, this bust is neither sold as a fantasy setting. It could easily fit into sci-fi or post apocalyptic so it has flexibility when it comes to painting it.

I'll speak more later about how I feel about this sculpt but you can likely already guess that it has really grown on me... quickly too.

Now then... those odd crab like legs to go into the holes on the helmet.

I think these are a big part of why I originally wasn't sure on the design. They seem to pull a lot of focus up to the top of the head. Plus they are a really strange thing for someone to stick on their helmet. Possibly some shamanic symbolism or even a touch of madness (I can relate at the moment).

I highly recommend carefully removing the mould lines when still attached to the blocks too. And use a blade to carefully remove them too. I twisted them off and managed to snap a couple like a total novice. Definitely make the holes in the helmet a bit deeper and wider if you want a more secure join too.

And now for the body.

Bit of mould line work was needed along both sides. Luckily the resin is good and firm so responded well to scraping and sanding. Some does cut through the fur but there is a fair amount of surface detail everywhere on this sculpt which makes it difficult to avoid.

The waist had quite a chunk of excess which I took a saw too the finished off with sandpaper.

As you've likely guessed; I'm liking this sculpt. Mostly due to the sculpting on the skin and face. It looks fun to play around with when painting.

The scavenged and thrown together look of his equipment works well even if I'm still a touch undecided on the crab legs. But having the metal, fur, cloth, and leather, plus some trinkets is really giving you a bit of everything to play around with.

The Swamp Shaman is available direct from Alternity Miniatures at a price of 29€ which definitely fits the size and quality of the sculpt and resin.

If you would like to check out their range or even order a Swamp Shaman for you own collection then visit http://www.alternityminiatures.com.

You can also like their Facebook Page and Instagram if you would like to keep up to date with their products.

Cheers for your time as always and stay safe.