Chasseur
Dated: March 19, 2003.
A contribution from David Ducouret of France:
"I could not stay so long without sending in a new contribution.
Here is a new figure. This one is based on another painting from Théodore Géricault, the Officier de chasseurs à cheval de la garde impériale chargeant.
I worked as usual in different steps:
1° I had to chose a model, I visited the Musée de l'Armée in Paris with two friends, and bought a copy of this painting from Géricault, which convinced me that this was a beautiful painting of an officer and his mount.
2° what figure could I use? I am not skilled enough to create my own figure ex nihilo, and need one that I could transform a little bit. Fortunately enough Italeri's French Guard Artillery set has a mounted officer who looks like the Chasseur à Cheval (the French Guard Horse artillery wore the dolman and fur hat, in red and blue). I had to twist the body and the neck so that my figure looks behind him (it? her?). I had to sculpt a new fur coat, the waist of the figure and some minor details and ornamentations and obtained the final pose.
The horse was taken from another Italeri set, some may recognize a Hussar's horse. I had to sculpt the shabraque in milliput and twist the tail, but nothing else (I know I should work on my horses more carefully).
The ground was made of millpiput too, on a door knob, and I added a little stone, a cannon and a cannon wheel (Hat, these are beautiful and it was heart breaking to cut them), and that's it.
3° painting. I will not write pages on my painting methods. This is not my purpose, and I am not good enough in painting. I will just say that I used Humbrol and oil paint.
4° Tadaa!!! Here is my figure. In fact this theme was the theme of a little competition with a friend of mine who also paints miniature figures, and I will maybe, if he allows me, send you his finished work too.
I hope my text was not too long and did not bother you. See you soon.
PS. Please, if you have remarks on my figures (advice or questions) I would be glad to receive your mails and comments.
David Ducouret.
Many thanks to Mr. David Ducouret.
