Willies in the Wild West

 

A handful of figured and a lone tipi; whatever could this be? Surely not another project?

Left to right foreground are a Subaltern of the Cavalry, a Circuit Judge and his Wife. Left to right background are an Apache and a Sioux afoot whilst mounted is Crazy Horse on the day of the Greasy Grass.

Behind them is a tipi a la Weekley, being a paper cone overlaid with some heavily whittled kebab skewers them selves overlaid with a layer of kitchen paper that was later brushed with very runny plaster filler. When dry it was fairly tough and I was able to paint it with a mix of watercolour and acrylic with a light overspray of buff and white from various spray cans to tone the intensity of the colour down.

Hoka-hey! It is a good day to fight; a good day to die!

 Among my small pile of Christmas lead were a few Willie bits and bobs including this rather splendid Apache.

 I have painted him as Crazy Horse as he may have appeared on the day of the Little Big Horn with white spots on his body representing hail. His horse has been painted as though it has lightning bolts on it's flanks.

You'll note I had to use a piece of brass rod to prop up the horse as the one leg actually attaching it to the base was sagging under the weight of horse and rider!

I also got a few other Apaches and Comanches as well as a few US Cavalry. not to mention a half-dozen Landsknechts in Pluderhosen who would not look out of place in my "Siege of Malta" project.