My latest effort

Very interesting and nicely done! cant' wait to see the completed one.

Thanks a lot. Here's a few new shots.

I don't know whether I'll ever get to your level, but always pleasure to see nice work.  Keep us updated as you progress with your project.

Thanks again. I kind of traded my painting skill for sculpting skills. While I'm generally a better painter than I was fifteen years ago, I was a more consistant painter fifteen years ago. When I began sculpting, my painting skills began to slip, and now, I almost don't even care about painting. I need to follow sculptor Alan Ball's example, and meet a woman who paints figures as beautifully as his wife does. Not a lot of ladies like that out there though.

Here's some more pics. The major work is now done. All that's left are straps, ties, ect, and some minor refinements. I've started the head of the second figure in the vignette, and also his sword, which will be a No-dachi, a giant sword with a blade nearly five feet long. The No-dachi required years of training and skill to use, and was a fearsome weapon in the right hands. The second figure will be a common street thug, using it for it's fearsome appearance, but is too unskilled to be able to use it. He'll be caught with his arms fully extended back for a down swing, and recoiling from the lightening quick response of the Samurai (seen in these pictures).

Wow, that it some beautiful work going into that.

Had a pinched nerve in my back, which I could feel all the way down to my left hand, so I haven't been in a position to work lately, but I'm much better (thanks to my fantastic physical therapist!), and have got some more work done. The first figure is 96% complete, and the second one is about 70% complete. I'll be ready to start painting and working up the base soon.

Holy Cow! Now that's  great work!

Finally I can understand the weird pose of the first figure. That'll be one heck of a fighting scene!

I guess it's kind of like whenever Pegaso releases a two figure vignette, one figure at a time. Pegaso's poses are always so extreme that you don't know what the one figure's all about until the second one is released and brings the first into context.

 Thanks for the high praise. I've been quite excited about this project, but the pinched nerve stole my thunder a bit. I'm happy to be back at it. Next shots posted should be of both figures ready for paint.

Very nice work ,.... how is the magic sculpt to work with ?   I may try some for a few small projects I have planned  in the future .

Thank you sir.

 I switched from the Hexcel A&B epoxy putty (made famous by Shep Paine, lo these many years ago) to Magic Sculpt about eight years ago, and haven't looked back. It comes in different sized tubs, which you can get many projects worht out of, and it sculpts nicely. There are certain things that are better accomplished when the putty is fresh, while others are better accomplished after it has cured for a while. Others still, are better accomplished after it has cured. It carves and sands nicely, though the less of either you have to do, the better.

I have recently adopted some techniques learned from Alan Ball, who actually does most of his work by carving the cured putty, rather than sculpting it in clay form. I like it for faces, following his method. It works okay for clothes, but I find my own methods are just fine there. I tend to cut my fingers to shreds with all that carving, and cutting yourself with a dull exacto sucks big time.

Wow...what beautiful work you are doing with these two....incredibly life-like.

Wow! I have been following the progress of your project and are amazed at your sculpting skills! Your figures are indeed very lifelike and naturally posed. Good animation. I cant wait to see them painted up and put on a base together!

Excellent stuff Sir! I must commend you.

Regards

Arthur

Thankyou both. I'm nearly ready to start painting. Just a few more touches. More pics, probably next week. This topic is starting to take time to load. Perhaps I'll just post links from now on.

That is fantastic work. Where did you get the idea from? Can't wait to see the finished product.

Those samurais are turning out nicely! 

Thank you both.

 Floxy, the idea came from a book called Secrets of the Samurai. It covers the martial arts of the samurai, from fencing, to bowmanship, to spearmanship, to hand to hand combat. It has dozens of action filled illustrations and this project spawned from one of many which captured my imagination. There are some neat ones showing unarmed samurai using Aikido and Ju Jutsu to take down a sword wielding foe, some showing lowly Ashigaru (foot soldiers) taking down a samurai with a hook, teathered by a chain, and used to snatch the samurai's foot out from under him. The Ashigaru is using a hook running parallel to the point of his Yari (straight spear) to block the sword arm of the samurai, as he yanks his foot out from under him. Then there are some really great series illustraitions showing step by step as single samurai take out multiple opponants, in some cases, in a single sweep.

 Lots of great ideas for vignettes in that book. I hope to be able to bring more of them to life.

Plymonkey great work on the pair it sort of reminds me of the final scene of Sanjuro where the wanderer fights the now ronin swordmaster of the villans.I also have the secrets of the samaurai good book

Thankyou. Yes it is a bit like that scene. Actually, they have a step by step pic series in the same section that the scene that inspired this vignette came from, that shows the left handed, underhand draw that Mifune used in Sanjuro. That book  has given me many great ideas for future projects, which I'm eagar to get started. I have to get this one done first though.

 Have you seen the movie Kurosawa? They interview Tatsuya Nakadai, and he talks about how Kurosawa had he and Mifune practice that last duel in Sanjuro. Kurosawa had Mifune practice the left handed, underhand draw, while he had Nakadai get into a tight box, and practice his standard draw in those confines. The box made it so that Nakadai had to draw his sword up, rather than forward, which, when done in conjuntion with Mifune's draw, left Nakadai's torso wide open to Mifune's cut. I never noticed that, but I watch it just to scrutinize that scene, and sure enough, that's how they did it. It's so quick, you never see exactly what they did, if you didn't know already.

One of the ideas for the future will be a 54mm vignette featuring a battle between a pair, or possibly trio of skilled ronin and several younger, fool hearty clan samurai, using some of the spear and blunt weapon tactics displayed in that book. I also have been wanting to sculpt a 1/9th or 1/6th scale figure of Tatsuya Nakadai, as he appeared in The Sword of Doom (a great flick I highly recomend, if you haven't seen it. Directed by Kihachi Okamoto, who brought us the classic Harakiri)