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JournalThe British Flat Figure Society

No 117 SUMMER 2015

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BFFS Journal No 117 - SUMMER 2015

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Front Cover: Lone SentinelLouis Liljedahl native American figures3. Twice Once - two figures in one.Louis Liljedahl writes about the plains Indians.4. What's New.Figures from the pages of Die Zinnfigur.6. Das ZigeunerlagerSimon Hoggett discusses the background to the first Wimor series.10. Knowle 2015Images from Knowle.12. Where's Gottstein?Jon Redley looks at the whereabouts of the RUSI dioramas.14. Robin Hood - Part 2.Nick Ball step by step guide to painting the Society figure.18. Member ProfilesWebmaster Mark Kirkbride.18. What's New Too.New figures from Alexander Baden.19. Society Contacts.Who is who and Society information.Rear cover: Robin Hood.Variations on the Society figure.

The opinions expressed within this Journal are not necessarily those of the

Editor, the Committee, other officials, or the British Flat Figure Society.

A full Journal for this issue with a varied content. I hope you find something of interest.Some beautiful painted examples of the Society 'Robin Hood' figure have been appearing on the website and I have collected them on the back cover to add to Nick's article on painting Robin Hood. Great to see how varied the approach to painting this figure is.Simon Hoggett has contributed an interesting and thought provoking article on the Mohr 'Gypsy Camp' set.I have included a few figures from the Annual Meeting at Knowle. Enjoyable day - as we are such a scattered society it is nice to meet up and there were some fine figures on display.Still trying to decide whether to go to Kulmbach. Unfortunately I have to be in the Isle of Man the weekend before so it will take a bit of organising.

of The British Flat Figure

SocietyJournal No 117 Summer 2015

Journal

2015 is a Kulmbach year, the Zinnfigurenbörse will be held 7th-9th August.

Euromilitaire will be held ove rthe weekend of 19th-20th September at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone.

The BFSS have been invited to put on a display at Scale Model Challenge, the international competitions at Eindhoven on 10-11 October. See www.scalemodelchallenge.com

I have always cherished a warm interest in North American Indians. It is probably due to the fact that as kids we were influenced by the Wild West culture and thus played Cowboys and Indians. As long as I can remember I have also liked the horse, perhaps being the most aesthetically appealing creation of Nature. The third interest, which has made this article possible, is my Art Craze. Together they form a love for tin figures which among other things includes horses, particularly those of the North American Indians.

The era of the modern horse in North America is brief compared to its biological evolution which started right there some 60 million years ago. The fossil series of species of the horse family found in the American rocks represents a well-known classic example of how biology and ecol-ogy are interrelated. The modern horse migrated to Asia and Europe about a million year ago and after that became extinct in North America. It did, however, return to Alaska shortly before the latest Ice Age, but disappeared again after the withdrawal of the ice about 18,000 years ago. Its final return came with the Spaniards in the 1500s, and became hereafter an important part of the life of the plains Indians.

For the buffalo hunting tribes on the plains the horse became a tool which meant a much more efficient hunt, which made these tribes blossom. The horse was also used as means of transportation at their constant moving around, following the wanderings of the buffalo over the prairie. The animal was also used in wars against other tribes and was in other words totally essential for the people living on the prairies. The horse played an important role in these Indians’ social and religious life. For instance, among other things, a man offered a new wife’s family horses as payment at a wedding.

The horse was decorated in many ways, e.g. by the means of painting mis-cellaneous signs and symbols on it. When going to war certain signs were put on and when on hunting parties other signs were painted on the horse, all to bring happiness and success to the horse and to the warrior/hunter. For the reader who is interested it is easy today to go to the Internet and find the different symbols and see what they mean.

The pair of figures depicted in this article is based on a painting by the American artist Frank MacCarthy with the title: “Lone sentinel”. The painting shows a peaceful scene that however at the same

time implies the tension of a possible threat-ening danger. We see a northern Cheyenne warrior guarding his village. He has his pony, being prepared for war, well hidden while he himself from his excellent posi-tion on the high cliff is able to watch out for possible threats. Hostile Indians as well as trappers could be potentials assaulters looking for the most valuable belonging of the village, the horse herd.

The depicted tin figures are of 55 mm size. The drawings were made by Uwe Timper or Karl Heinrichs, the engraving by Peter Sturm and the figures were edited by Wolfgang Hasenpflug. Today they may be purchased from Historia Müller, who also offer a version in 30 mm.

The Indian pony came in all colours and markings. It is interesting to see how one with the help of different colours may give one and the same figure a completely different character. Here I have made the same tin figure as two different horses and they are painted in oil.

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Figures from the pages of Die Zinnfigur. All figures 30mm unless

otherwise stated.A few from the early part of this year. Right is a very nice figure of a French Dragoon 1809 in 45mm. Designed and engraved by Otto, available from:Philippe Fourquet, 2 rue Woelfelin, 68000 Colmar, France.Next, for those of you with a penchant for painting flesh, a saucy little Bacchanal in 54mm. Designed, engraved and edited by:Werner Otto, Käthe-Kollwitz-Str. 52, 04509 Delitzsch, Germany.Tel: 0 342 02 / 90336.This example painted by Philippe Fourquet.Bottom on this page is a small 40mm set of a French cantiniere in 1813. Designed by Tschöpe and engraved by Rieger. Available from:Erhardt Straßburg, Zwickauer Straße 120, 04279 Leipzig, Germany.Tel: 0341/8774341.Email: [email protected] top is a selection of Napoleonic period medics from various countries including Bavaria, France, Mecklenburg, Poland, Prussia, Russia, Saxony and Austria. Designed by Behring and Lunyakov and engraved by Grünewald. Available from:Dr. Eberhard Dau, Strandstr. 2a, 17213 Malchow, Germany.www.zinnfiguren-fleesensee.de.Email: [email protected]: 039932-13342 (after 19:00).

Below them, a 100mm figure of Napoleon I in 1809. Designed by Gagelmann and engraved by Grünewald. Painted by Behring. Also edited by Dr. Eberhard Dau.The last set is an ex-Schmittdiel set I have always liked of Odin and the Valkyrie. These 80mm figures were designed by Heinrichs and engraved by Sturm. These were also painted by Behring and are available from Dr. Eberhard Dau.

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Mohr Gypsy Camp

Figures painted by Jim Woodley

I've always thought that there was something curious about the Wimor set of the Gypsy camp. It appears to be, at first glance, a celebration of the vibrancy and colour of the travelling life but could it really represent something else - perhaps something much darker?

This article looks at the 'opening act' of the famous Wimor series of figures, Das Zigeunerlager or the Gypsy Camp, and the attitudes to gypsies in both pre-war and post-war Germany. In particular it looks at how those attitudes may have shaped the design of the set itself.

Of course we may never know what Mohr's personal attitude was but at the time the figures were produced the German people were struggling to come to terms with their nation's recent past and were uncertain where the surviving gypsies fitted into the emerging new society. The persecution that many gypsy folk had suf-fered under the Third Reich was of course abhorrent but there still existed in post-war Germany an ingrained fear and distrust. In many ways that attitude survives today not just in Germany and other European countries but in the UK as well.

For the sake of this article I will use the word 'gypsy' as this is the name used in the Wimor set. The origin of these people would be an article in itself but in very broad terms the European gypsies were split into two ethnic groups - the Roma and the Sinta. These are very different from the majority of the gypsies we have in the UK who tend to be of Irish origin. Anyone interested in the history and origins of European gypsies will find a wealth of information online.

Historically the attitude to gypsies in Germany was often one of suspicion and fear. One immediately thinks of their persecution under the Third Reich but they had always been viewed with mistrust and many German states already had laws re-stricting their movement and rights, often threatening gypsies with two years in a labour camp if they could not prove 'regu-lar employment'. The fact that in the 19th century Bavaria had a 'National Central Office for Fighting the Gypsy Nuisance' gives a clear indication of the public and official attitude.

In the late 1930s Hitler of course went much further, sterilising some gypsies and expelling others. Ethnic cleansing as a national policy had begun. Many were rounded up into special camps (disturbingly called Zigeunerlager, the same as the Wi-mor set) and they were forbidden to travel or interact with the local communities. There they wore black triangular patches (the symbol for asocials) or green patches (the symbol for professional criminals) and sometimes the letter Z.

Hard labour was the fate of many of them, often to point of exhaustion and death. Bizarrely some of them were co-opted into the film industry to provide slave labour and unpaid extras for the films of Leni Riefenstahl, a fact that she would strenu-ously deny for the remainder of her life.

Then, in 1942, Hitler ordered all gypsies to be sent to Auschwitz and other concentration camps as part of the 'final solution'. Estimates vary but it seems likely that hundreds of thousands of them lost their lives in the gas chambers and through hard labour and starvation. I will not dwell further on the horrors of these times; readers who would like more information on this aspect will find it extensively covered by the chroniclers of the Nazi period.

With the end of the war and the col-

lapse of the Nazi regime one would have thought that the trials and tribulations of the German gypsies would be at an end. Unfortunately this was far from the case. The first major problem for the gypsies was convincing the authorities that they had been victims of the holocaust in the same way as the Jews. Opinions were divided.

According to the Nazis, gypsies were targeted during the Third Reich because they were criminals and asocials who represented a real threat to security of the German people. They explained that legitimate efforts to preserve law and order - not racism - motivated their ac-tions against them. This argument seems to have been accepted by the authorities in the post-war period so it was decided that, as gypsies were just criminals they should not receive special status compen-sation as victims. It was decided that they should just receive "clothing and support towards the normalisation of life together with the fastest possible integration into work life." This clearly shows that they were still considered asocials who had to be 'normalised'; that they were not victims because, in some way, they had deserved their victimisation.

This attitude may have been based on lingering racist attitudes but often it had a backbone of good intention; the belief

The romantic 19th Century impression of the gypsy life.

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rope has come a new huge influx of people from the former eastern bloc countries. Although not all are gypsies, many are perceived to be by the more affluent west that sees these people as beggars, criminals and asocials. Many countries are quietly breaking up camps, arresting and deport-ing gypsies. This is happening right now in France, Italy, and Denmark as well as in Germany and many other countries. Do these actions seem disturbingly familiar?

A recent report on the BBC website was headed "Europe's Most Hated" and went on to say that 'gypsies are the most hated minority in Europe despite centuries of persecution and the holocaust.' And an-other report told of the erection of a concrete wall in Baia Mare in northern Romania to separate the gypsy people from the honest hard-working townsfolk.

In the UK there hasn't yet been the level of influx experienced in the rest of Western Europe although one would not believe that if you read the hysterical tabloid press. Gypsies in the UK tend to come from a different ethnic background and the majority are 'Irish travellers' whose culture and lifestyle are held up to gentle ridicule in such TV shows as 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding'. That being said, there is still a general perception that they are criminals and scroungers and local councils spend much time and effort to move them

on before they 'corrupt' the area and boost the crime rate.

Perhaps an extreme example of public attitude occurred in 2003 when, during a bonfire night celebration in an East Sussex village, a caravan bearing effigies of a gypsy family and the number plate P1 KEY was burnt ('pikey' being a derogatory name for a gypsy).

All in all, “Das Zigeunerlager” is a rich generic portrait of camp life in all its aspects, good and bad, however you see the subject, and I strongly recommend it

to anyone tired of the same old military subjects. There were originally 36 figures in total but sets now seem to contain two additional figures of dancing gypsy girls. These were later engraved by Wolf-Peter Sander from original Mohr drawings.

At the time of writing you can obtain the 38 figure set from Modellbau Holland - Merten, Überm Born 10, 99092 Erfurt, Germany. Tel: 0361 430 5888. Email: [email protected]. The price is 50 Euros plus postage and packing.

The reality of gypsy life in 1930s Germany was far from romantic, especially for those interned in a Zigeunerlager.

that normalisation was a good thing; that gypsies should be given housing, jobs and education to make them better members of society. For example, the communist government of East Germany approached the problem in their usual heavy-handed style. The nomadic lifestyle of the gypsies was banned, their settlements destroyed and replaced with government housing projects. Their children were forced into schools (often special schools for the 'retarded') and training programmes pushed the adults into low-paid employment. Perhaps they were well-intentioned but they had little or no regard for the gypsy life and traditions. The price of assimilation was the loss of their heritage.

It wasn't until as late as the 1960s or early 1970s that the gypsies were fully recognised as victims of the Third Reich and entitled to compensation purely on the basis that they were victims and not on the basis of whether they actually deserved it.

So it was in this post-war period of uncertainty and mixed-attitudes that the Wimor figures made their appearance in the late 1940s. Winkelmüller's original scheme called for ten sets to complete the series. They would be small but complete sets, essentially civilian in subject matter, each enabling the collector to recreate a miniature scene from history. How much influence Mohr had on the subjects chosen is open to conjecture, but it seems likely that he would have made a significant contribution to the selection process.

The first set "Das Zigeunerlager" appeared in 1947. It is hard to believe that it was one of the first projects that Mohr worked on as an engraver. The quality is already superb. His figures are full of char-acter. Some collectors are of the opinion that this early set lacks the finesse of the later work and there is some substance to this view but, despite the tiny size, each face is alive with expression, with none of the blandness that characterises the output of many other, more experienced, engravers. Admittedly, he occasionally errs on the side of caricature and is sometimes criticised for this but it is a fault which is easy to forgive.

But the subject matter is curious and the composition of the set is also very odd. As I previously said, we cannot know what either Mohr's or Winkelmüller's at-

titudes to gypsies really were at this time. Did they hold to a romantic view of the gypsy camp, with its gaiety and colour? This was a view which had been popular in the literature and art of the mid 19th century. Or did they hold the general view of Germans and other Europeans at the time that these people were thieves and undesirables?

On the face of it, the set appears to be a curious mixture of the two, showing some bizarre contradictions. Some figures represent a happy atmosphere of fun and gaiety. Dancers twist and swirl to the music of pipe and fiddle, whilst naked children run and play nearby. Around them men and women sit and talk whilst others engage in their day-to-day chores, such as fetch-ing water or cutting wood. Then there is a darker side; a half-naked woman is tied to a tree and whipped by a group of men, whilst elsewhere a vicious knife fight breaks out. The whipping scene is especially lurid. Did Mohr and Winkelmüller really think that these figures could sit comfortably alongside the more 'domestic' figures in one diorama?

Unfortunately they don’t, and most dioramas I have seen avoid the problem by simply leaving the whipping and fighting figures out. Perhaps it was Mohr’s relative inexperience that led to their inclusion in the first place.

But perhaps we have been seeing these figures though 19th century romantic eyes as well and it is this perspective that makes the set feel uncomfortable. Just for argument’s sake, does the set make sense if instead it represents an outcast and asocial people? Well, perhaps it does – look again. Take away the romance of the rural clearing and the painted wagons. Replace them with a muddy patch of swamp ground littered with rubbish and human waste. Take away the bright and colourful clothes and replace them with dull scavenged or stolen hand-me-downs and rags – clothes and shoes for the children non-existent. Maybe some of them might even be wearing the black tri-angular patches of the Nazi Zigeunerlager. Certainly, given, this view, the whipping scene and the knife fight make better sense and fit in beautifully with a scene of poverty and lawlessness. And maybe the poses of some of the other figures take on a new significance when seen from this, more negative, viewpoint. Are people collect-ing wood or stealing it? Are the animals possessions or acquisitions?

Is that really going too far? I don’t think so. However, whichever view you can subscribe to, maybe the contradictions that we are seeing are an expression of the uncertainty in German society at that time; an uncertainty that still exists today.

With the opening up of the new Eu-

Mohr Gypsy Camp: The two dancing women on the bottom row are additional to the original set.

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Knowle 2015Clockwise from top left:'Asterix' by John Russell.'La Belle Dame Sans Merci'Selection of Kieler and other figures.'Jane at War', the Anglian Miniatures set, I think also by John Russell.Polish Winged Hussar, also by John Russell I believe.An eclectic mix from Jon Redley.As always, my apologies for uncredited figures. I will be pleased to publish names of artists in the Journal if they can be identified.

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As a result of a couple of enquiries made by members at the A.G.M. meeting at Knowle in March the following is information about the whereabouts of the Gottstein dioramas originally housed at the Royal United Services Museum in Whitehall.

The dioramas were donated by Otto Gottstein, a wealthy Jewish fur trader who emigrated to England in 1934 to escape the growing Nazi persecutions. They were conceived as a tribute and gesture of thanks to his new home. Each diorama commemorated a great event in British military history (in addition he commis-sioned a series of Kings and Queens of England). The initial plan was for the dioramas to be completed by Gottstein’s friends on the Continent. These however were not completed because the authorities warned them against working for a Jew. The work that had been finished was sent to England where Gottstein commissioned Denny Stokes to construct the dioramas in addition to designing the whole exhibition and to be in charge of its complete assembly. When the models arrived, in various states of completeness, they were re-constructed having been rejected to varying degrees by Gottstein. Stokes had to create or re-construct practically every one of them. The original six dioramas became fifteen:1. The Landing of the Romans Under

Julius Caesar 55BC.2. The Battle of Hastings.3. The Storming of Acre.4. The Battle of Crécy.5. The Field of the Cloth of Gold.6. Queen Elizabeth I Reviewing Her

Troops at Tilbury.7. The Battle of Marston Moor.8. The Battle of Blenheim.9. The Battle of Plassey.10. The Death of Wolfe at Quebec.11. The Old Guard at Waterloo.12. The Charge of the Light Brigade at

Balaclava.13. The Battle of Ulundi.14. The Battle of Flers.15. The Landing in Normandy – D-Day.

Of these the first thirteen were completed in flats and the last two, due to the political situation making it difficult to access suitable figures, were completed us-ing Greenwood and Ball’s range of 20mm and 28mm figures.

When the Royal United Services Museum closed, during the early 1960’s, the specially designed area in which the dioramas were displayed was broken up and at this point some of the dioramas suffered various levels of damage.

The largest collection of the diora-mas can be found in the Glenbow Museum, Art Gallery, library and archives in Calgary, Alberta. These are numbers 1, 4, 8, 11 and 12. Though they arrived in Calgary in 1964 it was not until 1993 that three of the dioramas were put on public display. Some of this was due to the changes made to the exhibition spaces and to the need for restoration work being carried out on the dioramas. The ’Balaclava’ diorama being given a complete overhaul.

’The Battle of Hastings’ diorama is in the Hastings Old Town Museum and is still in its original state. ’The Storming of Acre’ was for a long time in the reserve collection of the Museum of Artillery but now the Museum has its new home at ’Firepower’ Woolwich it should be on display (can anyone confirm this?)

The ‘Queen Elizabeth at Tilbury’ diorama is currently on display at the Thurrock local history museum in Greys. I believe it is still in its original state although its condition is unclear.

’The Battle of Marston Moor’ was on display at the Castle Museum in York, but since it was purchased as a display item it has undergone a number of changes and is in need of some renovation. In 1995 it was removed from display and was await-ing restoration. At this point a number of figures had been broken or damaged. As with ’the Siege of Acre’ can anyone confirm that ’Marston Moor’ is back on display in some form or other?

’The Battle of Plassey’ diorama is on display at the Regimental Museum of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment in Dorchester. During the 1990’s it underwent some renovation work at the hands of BFFS members Geoff Bradford and John Cox. ’The Battle of Quebec’ is still in its original state and is in the Museum of the Royal Sussex Regiment at the Redoubt in Eastbourne. ’The Battle of Ulundi’ under-went major surgery when it was moved to its current home at Whittington Barracks near Lichfield. The diorama was histori-cally inaccurate and was broken up and redesigned, with some repainting being undertaken, before being re-constructed and being put back on display in the Staf-

fordshire Regiment Museum. In the process of this reconstruction the number of figures was reduced, with some finding their way into private collections.

The dioramas of ’Flers’ and ’D-Day’ are in the Imperial War Museum, though with the recent re-designing of exhibition spaces and the planned alterations I do not know if they are on display or relegated to the reserve collection. The museum also possesses a diorama constructed from flats (a number of them converted figures) by Denny Stokes of the grounding of the ’River Clyde’ at Gallipoli.

As with all good detective stories there is one final mystery. For those of you who have remained awake through this or have been counting you will notice there is no mention of ’The Field of the Cloth of Gold’. The answer to that is simple – no one knows of its current whereabouts. It was believed that it was sold/donated to the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall; however their admission book has no reference to its purchase nor being in their possession. So if you do come across this diorama in your visit(s) to museums large and small please let the Society know of its whereabouts.

For those readers who are new to the Society or may have only heard the name Gottstein and know little else about the man hopefully the above gives you some idea about him and how important he is to British collectors. Not only was he a founding member of the BMSS he also helped establish the German flats collectors’ society KLIO. His approach to collecting was eclectic and he eventually spent a large part of his fortune on having figures designed and numerous dioramas built on a range of different topics. The figures for his dioramas at the Royal United Services Institution came from a variety of different editors but he did commission a number of sets that formed the basis for several of the dioramas. These sets are still available to us today and bear his name though they have passed through the hands of a number of editors.

If anyone has any information concerning the Gottstein dioramas; their history, current whereabouts and perhaps most importantly their current state could you please notify the editor so that the Society can keep track of them. Thank you.

Images are from the Royal United Services Institute catalogue for the dioramas.

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In the last Journal I described how I intended to paint the Robin figures, so here we go.Flesh.

Now, I’ve seen all those films,- The hills have eyes, Don’t go into the Woods today, etc. etc. and the one thing they all seem to have in common is that the ‘hill billies’ all have a darkish complexion from being out in the sun all day. Now, it might not seem like it, but we do get approx. 2 days of fine weather a year here in the UK, so our trusty little hobos would more than likely be a bit olive in colour, so this is what I will do.

I started with a transparent Rowney Flesh oil colour, which has a brownish tinge to it, and I carefully applied it to all the faces and arms. The first coat is put on and brushed carefully away so the paint is only in the deeper shadow areas. The idea at this stage is just to stain the base white primer and bring out the shadow areas.

Once dry (next day – after 4 hours in the drying box) I then went over all the flesh again. To make the transparent Flesh paint opaque, I just added a small amount of Titanium White. I then went over all the areas again, making sure that the deeper parts were still darker.

The next stage is the shadow areas and for this I put on a thin coat of Red Umber and ‘spread’ it out very thinly into the shadow areas.

Now it is at this point, I need to review things!! Whilst putting paint on Will Scarlett’s head, I forgot to use my trusty shield and wiped off most of the colour from Friar Tucks head!! I think I will paint from top to bottom after all, and go over all the flesh at the end!!!Robin Hood

I wanted to use a ‘bright green’ shade and therefore decided that Sap Green was the one for me. Again, as with the flesh I put on three thin layers, building it up into the darker areas as I went. It is surprising how one colour can be used for highlight, mid tone and shadow area. Keeping it all to a very ‘pure’ colour. Once dry, I then added a small amount of Payne’s Grey to the Sap Green for the deeper shadows and yellow for the highlights. All very bright and cheery. At the same time I went on to his hood and leggings. The base colour is actually a burnt orange (Transparent Red Ochre) and again, the 3 layer rule is used, and finally Burnt Umber and a touch of Red Ochre with white for the highlights.

By adding White a faded look to the material colour is achieved.

The bow would have been yew wood, so I used various shades of yellow ochre, highlighting with White. The bow string is Paynes Grey, and the leather grip Indian Red.

As I wanted him to be the Earl of

Loxley, I found his family coat of arms and painted it onto his scabbard and Quiver. The Quiver itself and his belt straps are Burnt Umber with Raw Umber shadows. The tooled leather is Gold Ochre mixed with White. Final highlighting to this is nearly pure White. I have to admit here, that it took me four attempts, just to get the shield heraldry right!! An important note on this-- Let the paint dry fully before correcting, I always go over mistakes with fresh paint; I never strip it back. I find that on small areas if I did strip (yes I do learn from previous mistakes! - In fact I have so many, I’m surprised I actually finish a figure at all! ) then the quite-not-removed paint tends to leave ruts and flaky edges!!

Robin's shirt is just White and Grey (Black/White) shading of various depths.

I did note that Vladimir had en-graved Robin with rather thin boots, and on looking up ‘medieval riding boots’ on the internet, I came across a boot that was of rather loose leather but tied tight to the leg by a long wrap around strips of leather so I have tried to represent these in some sort of a fashion!Will Scarlet

As already mentioned, he was a young man, supposedly Robin’s nephew, from a well-heeled and affluent background who liked his fine clothing. In some stories he is described as a bit of a ‘Dandy’ so I

have tried to represent this in the colours and embroidery of his clothing.

The main item to try to represent was obviously the ‘Scarlet Jerkin’ from which he gets his name. I did not want to show this as a very Bright Red, as I did not feel this was suitable if you were trying to hide in a green forest!! And I also wanted to embroider it somewhat with a fine pat-tern, which is why I went for the Crimson with a Scarlet side panel tied with lace. It actually turned out better than I thought. Shading is with Raw Umber. There is no highlight on the Crimson, so that the pat-tern dominates, but I have used a touch of Chrome Orange on the Scarlet. The pattern is basically very small random dots of bright Red, Green, Blue and Gold Ochre. His cape is Viridian Green with Payne’s Grey shading, and a small repeat pattern in Yellow Ochre, again highlighted with White. The inside panel, was going to be fur, but as I added the shading this got a bit lost in translation, so I gave up!! Personally I think it has worked out better anyway.

I also wanted to give him a white shirt, but to make it different from Robins, I shaded it with Gold Ochre and Burnt Umber

Gold Ochre is a great colour, unlike yellow ochre which has a greenish tinge; Gold Ochre has a yellow base, so creates a better pure cream colour when mixed with White. It is also better as a highlight on gold items.

His hair is Blonde, so various shades

of Yellow Ochre and Gold Ochre were used with Burnt Umber shadows. Just for refer-ence, I shade yellows with a Burnt Umber, being a red tinge, and reds or browns with Raw Umber, as it is more of a black brown.

As I did not want to use a pure red for his trousers, I mixed up an equal amount of Payne’s Grey, Scarlet Red and a touch of White (a light plum colour). Again on with the 3 layer rule, so they did not get too dark. Final shading was done with more Payne’s Grey and highlights with White. When highlighting larger flat areas I tend to put a bit more paint on the brush and then swirl it on to the area ( a bit like polishing a car ) this tends to create swirly colours so the base colour shows through the thinner areas of the swirls. I think it gives a bit more of a textured look, but don’t overdo it. I then use a very soft flat brush to even out the effect.

His boots are Red Umber with a Raw Umber/ White mixed top. His belt straps are the same as Robin’s.Little John

At this point, I was going to give Little John a Beige shirt, so I put in the basic colour, but I thought it all looked a bit washed out, so I changed it to Olive Green. This is where I ran into a bit of trouble, as Michael Harding doesn’t make this colour so I had to use Winsor and Newton paint. It is rather a transparent colour, and took me 4 coats to build up a base. His hood is Naples Yellow and his leggings have a

base colour of Naples Yellow + White, to keep it all uniform. Still not being happy with the Olive Green, I went over it with a Michael Harding, Italian Green Umber. I shaded it yet again in a mix of Payne’s Grey and Italian Green Umber. The hood is shaded with a mix of Raw Umber and Naples Yellow. His belts are black, just to give a different look to the other two, and I kept his scabbard plain. The stripes on his leggings are again Sap Green, to tie the whole figure all together.

Do bear in mind; his thighs are wider than his shins, so the stripes should be slightly further apart at the top. I didn’t, so I had to correct them!!!

His boots are just Black with a Raw Umber top.Flesh

It is at this point, that I decided I could be let loose on the Flesh, without putting my grubby paws all over the place and wiping it off again with the inside of my little finger!!

As I said, they would have a fair tan, so I mixed up a basic flesh of Transparent Gold, Red Umber and White. After lay-ing this in, I added Burnt Umber for the Shadows and White for the highlight. This is all built up over 2 to 3 sessions, until I felt it looked OK. The only exception, being Friar Tuck, who had Scarlett Lake Red added to his cheeks, giving him an ‘English Rose’ look.

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I did feel that Vladimir’s engraving of Little John’s face was a bit odd around the lower nose area, so I dragged the beard out to try to give it a more of an even look. As it is, it does seem to have done the trick.Friar Tuck

Friar Tuck is rather easy, or so I thought when I started, as he’s just plain Brown! But as they say, never take anything for granted. I painted a base colour of Trans-parent Gold so it would show through the Burnt Umber overcoat on the highlighted areas. I did not want to use White, as this would fade the colour out too much. Again I kept adding Burnt Umber to the shadows

with the deepest shadows having a tiny bit of Black added to the Burnt Umber. The cross was Grey with White highlights to make it appear silver, and a small gold stone was added in the middle. This was originally going to be a ruby, but I liked the plainness of the gold, so stopped before I messed it up!! (Well that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it!)

I gave him wristbands to represent him being a fine archer, but Vladimir had intended him to be wearing a long sleeved undershirt.

The mace is of Byzantine design, with grooves running along its length and

a plain ash wooden handle. His shoes are Burnt Sienna

Well there you are, a brief run down on how I go about things. One mistake a minute really!! But that’s how we learn and improve for the next figure. Although at my age, I am rather pleased I have written it down, because I would only otherwise forget!

I hope you have enjoyed reading this and hopefully have found it interesting and informative. The figure itself is excellently engraved and is a delight to paint. I look forward to seeing many more.Until next time…………. Nicholas

Robin Hood

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Society ContactsPlease send all information to be published in the Journal to Jerry Mortimore. All other correspondence with the Society should be addressed to the Secretary. Membership applications and renewals go to the Membership Secretary. All addresses can be found on this page.The next JournalThe copy deadline for the next Journal is 15th July 2015 for the Autumn edition.Contributions to the Journal can be typed, handwritten or digital. Images need to be high resolution; 300dpi with the long side about 1500 pixels or larger. They can be sent via Dropbox on the internet.Annual SubscriptionsFull membership including printed Journal:UK - £ 22.00 Rest of Europe - £ 27.00 Rest of World - £ 29.00Online Only, includes the Journal only as a PDF option: - £ 18.00Subscriptions are due for renewal in January every year.Payment of subscriptions can be made by cheque, postal order, or Paypal. We cannot accept foreign currency cheques unless drawn on a British bank.Paypal payments should be made in Sterling to [email protected]. Add £1 to cover Paypal fees.Cheques must be made payable to The British Flat Figure Society, not to the Membership Secretary or any individual person.AGMThe AGM is held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting, in March.It is requested that all matters for discussion at the AGM and nominations for posts on the committee should be made to the Hon. Secretary before the end of the January preceding the meeting fo inclusion in the agenda.The AGM minutes and financial statement will be published in the Autumn Journal following the AGM, but may be made available earlier on the website.

Contact The committee and Area Representatives of the Society

Hon. Secretary:Nick Ball 2 Manor Fields, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells Kent, TN4 ORG. Email: [email protected]

Membership Secretary:Ed Humphreys, 11 Oakely Terrace, TalwaenyddBlaenau FfestiniogGwynedd, LL41 3LYEmail: [email protected]

Treasurer:Ed Humphreys, Address as above.

Additional Committee Members:Ian Parkinson, Ashton House, Main Street, Hemingbrough, Selby, North Yorks YO8 6QE

Editor:Jeremy Mortimore,Oak Meadow House,Chilsworthy, Holsworthy, Devon, EX22 7BQTel: 01409 254869E-mail: [email protected]

Journal Distribution & Printing:Jeremy Mortimore, Address as above.

Show Stand Co-ordinator:Chris Seeley, 13 West Road, Bury St EdmundsSuffolk, IP33 3ELTel: 01284 763560

Journal Back Numbers:Mike Taylor, Stonechat House, 8 Ferndell Close, Cannock, StaffsWS11 1HRTel: 01543 579187

Archivist:Richard Hyne, 23 Letchworth Road, Baldock, Herts. SG7 6AA

Webmaster:Mark KirkbrideE-mail:[email protected]

Area Representatives

SOUTH-WEST: Tony Du-Vall,4 Pixie Dell, Braunton,North Devon EX33 1DP

BRISTOL & AVON: Dick Jenkins,51 Tregarth Road, Bristol, BS3 2QR.

MIDLANDS: Jon Redley, 64 York Avenue, Finch-field, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV3 9BU. Tel: 01902 423732

NORTH-EAST: M.G.Wardle, 96 WestEnd Drive, Horsforth, Leeds LS18 5JXTel: 0113 258 1508

NORTH-WEST: Malcolm Collins,16 Tithe Barn Street, Currock, Carlisle,Cumbria CA2 4EL. Tel: 01228 46444

EAST ANGLIA: Michael Creese, ‘Nutwood’, Great Glemham Road,Stratford St Andrew, Saxmundham, Suffolk IP17 1LL Tel: 01728 602746

SCOTLAND: John Russell,2 Marcus Crescent, Aberdeen AB21 0SZTel: 01224 790680

CANADA & USA:Patrick J. Deluhery18 Morningside TerraceWest Springfield, MA 01089Tel: [email protected]

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND:John Brewer, P.O. Box 5250,Turramurra, Sydney, Australia [email protected]

ITALY:Gianpaolo Bistulfi, Via Alberti 10,20149 Milano, ItalyTel: 02 33106690E-mail: [email protected]

Name: Mark Kirkbride: Where were you born: Juneau, Alaska Relationship to BFFS: Web-Master What is / was your occupation: Technical Project Manager - Nike, i.e. I manage Computer Projects What did you want to be when you grew up: An entomologist (small world) then historian. Three words that describe you best: Juvenile, driven, insightful If you could invite 3 people to dinner (dead or alive) who would they be: Robin Williams, Napoleon, P.G. Wodehouse What won’t you leave home without: iPhone Who would play you in a movie: Stephen Fry What is your favourite Holiday destination: Cancun, Mexico What is the latest book you have read: Stalin: Vol I Paradoxes of Power -Stephen Kotkin Your secret vice: Old Movie Serials - Flash Gordon and Charlie Chan movies being personal favorites. Do you have an ambition: Just to be remembered as a good person People would be surprised to know: That I was engaged in 31 days, married in 6 months and happy for the last 34 years. Your favourite Quote: Get excited and make things! Your favourite colour: Yellow What is your current painting project: Many at a time with Princess Nefertiti’s Barge and an Egyptian Mourning Barge being the front runners. I tend to cycle through figures painting what I am in the mood for at the time. (With a backlog of several hundred figures this is easily achieved.) What medium do you use: Oils What is your favourite subject(s) to paint: More like engravers. Anything by Mohr and Frank though I am showing a fondness for some Geisha figures of late as well. If you could give one tip to fellow painters what would it be: Like golf there is always someone better and worse than you out there. If you are enjoying it, you are doing it correctly.

From the web forum: coming soon from Alexander Baden, a very nice set of Life Guards or Royal Horse Guards at Waterloo.The intention is to add Lord Uxbridge and his staff.Should be available at Kulmbach.Alexander has also edited a superb set of Bavarian artillery at the gallop at Borodino.Alexander sells his figures through Ebay or Berlinner Zinnfiguren.

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