Sculpture--Udet Bust

[Augie]

I recently acquired the 1/12th scale bust of Ernst Udet, sculpted by Mike Good, included in Dragon kit #5908 (1/48 Fokker D.VII) in their now-defunct "Knights of the Sky" series. Mr. Good sculpted four busts for Dragon/DML; the other three were: MvRichthofen (Fokker Dr. I), Rickenbacker (SPAD XIII), and Hans Goerth (Fokker E.V/D.VIII).

While mint-condition kits of this offering are going for as high as $125.00 (though I recently acquired one for less than $25.00!), I was fortunate to run across this piece at wwi-n-plastic.com. It was probably the most cost-effective purchase I have made in YEARS!

The bust is cast in four pieces: cap, head, torso--plus pedestal. The quality of the castings is superb: particularly noteworthy is the near-scale thickness of the "bill" of the cap. It is truly a shame that I decided to do away with the cap from the outset (note: the cap is the same as that found in the MvR bust). Having said that, the castings require a considerable amount of clean-up due to the simplistic design of the molds. Fortunately, however, save for the crown of the cap, clean-up is restricted to “passive” areas.

Prepwork involved removing the massive pour sprues and dressing the surfaces, followed by trimming the pedestal to my liking. I then tentatively attached the pedestal to the torso via a length of tin solder running the length of both pieces. Having a tin solder “spine” allows me to position the bust to its best advantage—once I have it situated, a few drops of cyanoacrylate secure its position, and I can then fill any gaps with two-part epoxy putty (in this instance, Magic Sculpt).

The Torso. There was very little work done to the torso. The main change involved the left pocket, wherein I eliminated the map and sculpted a pocket flap. I felt the map provided an unnecessary distraction, competing with the face for the viewer’s attention.

I also added a button flap and buttons to the collar. The balance of the work on the torso was largely cosmetic: repairing a chipped right pocket flap; reworking the drapery to taste; and carving a more natural slope to the shoulders.

The Head. I was never particularly taken with Mike Good’s rendition of Udet: though I won't go so far as to say that Mr. Good merely reworked the Richthofen head as some of his harsher critics allege, it was not a very good likeness. As the head is considerately provided as a separate piece, it was simply a matter of sculpting a new one.

I started with an approximately 1/12th scale resin “blank” head. I have sculpted a series of “blank” heads in various scales (up to 1/4th/450mm) that not only save on putty, but let me dive into a project whenever the muse strikes.

I am more a carver than a modeler: I prefer a reduction process working with cured putty than the more usual additive process with active putty. I will rough-in the slightly oversized feature/s, and then place the piece—in this case, the head—in a table-top convection oven for 10-15 mins. Once cured, I begin to work with motor-tool and #12 X-Acto blade.

My rendition is primarily based on a photograph of Udet in the cockpit of an Albatros D. V; “secondary” sources include a number of portrait shots, and two photographs of Udet in a flight suit. Magic Sculpt and Aves Apoxie White were the mediums employed in this sculpt. The red you see on the bust is automotive glazing putty which I apply in several thinned coats to reveal and fill any surface blemishes.

All that remains to be done before priming is tweaking the upper lips and chin/jawline, and final clean-up. In my next posting, I will commence a s-b-s (step-by-step) of the painting of the bust.

Augie

[Russell Smith]

Very interesting, Augie. When I first started reading your post I was thinking, "well this really belongs in the Model forum", but as I read on I saw that you really are a true sculpter. Very nice.

Welcome. I look forward to seeing more.

Russ

[Augie]

Thank you, kind sir. High praise, indeed!

When I first decided to wade into this august gathering, I contacted Scott and deferred to him as to which folder would be the best "home" for my work: "Models", "Art", or "People". I was very gratified when he responded "Art", especially as there is no need to revive the confrontational scrappiness between "flat artists" and sculptors. The labels just keep getting in the way. . .

I should be priming him in the next few hours, and that will give the readership the first "true" look at what I've done.

My thematic preference to date--actually for the last 20+ years!--has been in the medieval and Renaissance periods, including Feudal Japan. I've flirted with Great War aviation personalities often, but always adhered to the old saw, "Fools rush in. . . " Well, it might still be foolish, but I am enjoying it immensely--especially the documentary and iconographic learning curve!

So, my first few "get the feet wet" projects will be enhancements based on the work of others--as I mentioned in my "newbie introduction" post, I am working on a 1/32 scale of Kurt Wolff; and a 1/16 scale of MvR. After that, I will begin breaking new ground from head to toe.

Again, thank you for your kind response! And speaking of Wolff, I am very much looking forward to your rendition of his final dogfight.

Augie

[karrart]

It's nice to see this in the art section! Refreshing!
Nice work.......'course you could keep going and do up the rest of him......
Robert Karr
www.karrart.com

[Augie]

Thank you for the welcoming thoughts, sir!

...'course you could keep going and do up the rest of him......

Believe me, I've heard that more than once in my life! My first sculptural piece was of a skull of a lowland gorilla for a physical anthropology seminar, and I've had a penchant for busts ever since. Having said that, rest assured that there are a number of full-length projects in the R&D stage.

Again, MANY thanks!

Augie

[Augie]

PAINTING

The bust is now primed (Floquil Grey applied with an airbrush), and ready to receive its acrylic undercoat. As you can see, the head will be painted “off-torso”.

I will begin the s-b-s in earnest in my next installment, but in the meantime. . .

Some uniform notes. . .

So what are we faced with? The flight suit will command most of our attention. Unfortunately, there was no standardized flight kit per se; in fact at this point in time, there was no uniform per se for the aviation services of most, if not ALL, countries! Most of the renditions of this bust that we encounter are in a leather flight suit; however, Mike Good in pF categorically states that he modelled his rendition on a [brown] cloth flight suit of French origin. Unfortunately, he failed to elaborate on the shade of brown, etc.; and I have not run across any colour pictures of WWI French flight clothing. My best guess is that it would approximate a "butternut" colour--how's that for hedging my bets?!--lined in black/dk. brown fleece. Any insights into French flight-suits of the period would be greatly appreciated!

On to the uniform. This is another toughie. . . Of course, anyone would be hard pressed to categorically affirm OR deny your interpretation of the collar, colours, etc. While German uniforms DID evolve/change in the course of the war, uniform regulations were hardly enforced with regard to pilots. I have yet to decide how I am going to approach the Litzen, as photographs of Udet show him wearing both styles: "full-colour" and "subdued". I will have to attempt to make some correlation between the alleged dates of the photographs vs. the style of tunic, and extrapolate from there. As to the colour of the tunic itself, a complementary shade of feldgrau.

More to follow. . .

Augie

[Rich74]

I really like your Udet. I think Good presented us with a representational generic German pilot, but I believe you've captured his true likeness. I particularly like the way you've depicted his tussled hair.

Is this the image you were working off of?



It's good to see the human element presented, if only as a refreshing change of pace.

[Augie]

Thank you, sir! Too kind!!

BINGO! Yep, that's the one. There was something about the natural disheveled state of the subject that was much more evocative than any of the staged photographs, whether in the studio or not.

I'm actually running a bit behind on the updates to this thread, as I have just completed Phase I of the face in oils: I should be finished with the face tomorrow.

Again, thanks!

Augie

[Augie]

UNDERCOATING

The first step is to undercoat the bust in matte acrylics--I use primarily Vallejo Model Color paints, but you will also find Andrea and Polly-S in my paint tray.

The u/c serves two purposes:

1) It is the first chromatic impression you will have of the bust. This affords you the opportunity to change a colour should it be deemed necessary: the opacity and versatility of acrylics make this an ideal medium for the task.

2) More importantly, it provides much needed “tooth” for the oils that follow. Given the relative translucency/transparency of oils, a chromatic background is virtually a must. One can certainly apply oils directly over the primer coat using glazes and other techniques to fully exploit their inherent characteristic/s, but I have found that in the scales we normally work in, the results are, as a rule, not commensurate with the effort expended. Note that I have not undercoated the fur-lined collar.

The u/c is an approximation of the final colour in oils. It need not be an exact match; in fact, it shouldn’t be. The flight suit is painted in a warm medium-dark brown mix that should afford me the latitude I need when deciding on the final colour. The balance of the undercoating undertaken at this juncture was the feldgrau tunic in a medium grey, and the Litzen blocked-in with black.

THE EYES

The eyes are usually the first things I do when painting a face. It’s not because I feel that the eyes will “make or break” a face (while certainly important, I feel an undue—and largely unwarranted—criticality is attached to these organs), but rather I have the entire head upon which to brace my hand without concern of touching/marring a painted surface.

The irises were first painted with a mix of ultramarine blue + neutral grey, with a touch of Payne’s Grey added to taste. Once dry, the pupils were set with pure Payne’s Grey.

The eyes were then cut-in with a mix of Quinacridone Red and neutral grey, followed by the first outlining in Paynes Grey and Burnt Umber. The following morning, the ocular area was then touched-up with the original “Flesh” undercoat. I am now ready to tackle the face.

More to follow. . .

[Augie]

The face is now ABD (all but done), oil and powder stains and all. All that is now left to do are the ears, hair, and glazing the eyes.

I'll try to post updated graphics in the next day or so--the bench beckons!

A~