May Queen...

And another recruit for the Mad Mummers, the May Queen - one of several lovely minis from Crooked Dice... it’s very en vogue to go chiffon with these, but, although chiffon existed (just) in the 17th century, it was silk and bloody expensive. It would also date the mini if I go Ancients or something...

The Mad Mummers

Part of the Mad Mummers for my Folk Horror project... crazed performers and morrisers...

The first chap is the King/Fool, a Warlord Games Agitator with a head from Statuesque Miniatures asylum inmates (there are so few smiling heads out there - annoyingly my rusty paint skills has kind of lost the maniacal grin and given something a bit more gentle, still mad, but more deluded). Fools bladder from greenstuff and a wooden crown from plastic tube, with spiky bits filed into it. Very chuffed with him.

Next is the Strawbear from Crooked Dice, simply a delight to paint, simple and clean. Lovely mini.

Finally a masked fellow, a Redoubt Miniatures figure that I’ve had for years. He got a new head and a greenstuff mask added. He had a comedy hump for while, ala the Wicker Man, but I think it’s better without.

So, these and the ghosts are the first minis I’ve painted for a few years, these chaps came out a bit dark I think, compared to my usual style... probably a bit heavy with the washes...

Mad Mummers WIP

some quick WIP pics of the Mad Mummers - two heavily converted from Warlord plastic ECW sprues and 3 from metal minis...

Mast Beast...

and the Mast Beast is painted...

happy with this one, painted two at once - the one on the d/s base will be destined for the Fenris display case and webstore...

and the resin master - see, a new foot!

Mast Beast update

as Ian has announced it, I'll share it here...

the Mast Beast that I sculpted has been purchased by Fenris Games and will be in production shortly for those that are interested...

pics of the sculpt can be found here, although it has a new g/s foot instead of the placcy Warlord foot... use of the skull for production was very generously allowed by Ebob...

quite chuffed to be honest, can't wait for it to be made...

the Mast Beast

here you go Brummie, a mast beast - essentially a variant of the Hobby Horse more commonly seen with Morris Dancers and something a little more sinister for the witchhunters to get all wound up about...

essentially a shed load of g/s over a eBob dolly, with an eBob horses skull (GW ones were toooo big by half) and out of sheer laziness, a Warlord plastic ECW foot (actually the foot from the witchhunter himself once he had new boots)... I made the cloth over the body a bit more clingy than it probably would be to emphasise the head and arms of the man inside just incase anyone gets confused and has recently watched Time Bandits...

in the main, I'm very happy with it, there are probably issues with the drapery and movement, and I need to touch up a couple of spots, but it kind of evolved on me from a standing beast to one in the middle of a kind of winding ducking dance... if that makes sense...
 

horse brass appears more traditional with modern beasts, as seen on my main reference here, but I prefer more simple ribbons... I've also assumed real horse hair rather than straw... not sure on what colour to paint it yet, sack cloth looks good, but I can't help but feel that black will make the skull really stand out and look as creepy as hell...

I'm still undecided on Morris Dancers proper, but I do have another very May Pole centric figure in mind...

very big thanks to eBob for the skull - couldn't have done it without it...