Rorke`s Drift 1879

[Peter]

Well I can tell you that the military bisquits are very hard (had enough of them ), so I hope they were still in the boxes, so they had a better protection.

Again a nice next step of this project!

[Wolfgang Meyer]

Well I can tell you that the military bisquits are very hard (had enough of them ), so I hope they were still in the boxes, so they had a better protection.

Again a nice next step of this project!

@Peter

I have also finished the mealie sack pyramids, which served as feed reserves for the British Army. All bags only have to be drybrushed
After 7:00 p.m., about 5-6 British soldiers built a redoute out of the two pyramids, it took them about 1 hour. This redoute was 2.70 meters high. I only added the figures to check the size.

[dykio]

absolutely BRILLIANT

[Peter]

It is brilliant! When you look at the movie "Zulu!" you don't realise that there are so much mealie sacks at Rorke's Drift. So again something learned from this fantastic topic!

[Wolfgang Meyer]

Thank you!

The fence of the orchard at Rorke's Drift is also ready. Like all meal bags and biscuit boxes, it is also given a dry paint job. Here again with some figures for size control.

[kinjack]

It's going to look incredible.. well it already does. Easily my favourite thread on Benno's at the moment, I can't wait to see you start adding figures!

I was surprised when you said they were 1/72 because they look so good - am I correct in thinking you 3D print them?

It's something I'm interested in myself but have no knowledge on, would you ever make a post on your process?

[Wolfgang Meyer]

Thank you! Yes, there are many 3D figures, but also figures modeled by Massimo Costa. All are in resin from Germania figures.

Best regards, Wolfgang

[PaulRPetri]

Wolfgang I can barely bring myself to look at your post anymore. Your work is so good it blinds me!!!

[Wolfgang Meyer]

Thank you! I am very happy that you like the diorama!

[Wolfgang Meyer]

In the last few days I have reworked about 700 Zulu who had small painting errors, or I have reworked all shields with their colors.

Sometimes I didn't like the “white” and sometimes the “red-brown” either.

As a senior regiment, the uThulwana regiment had white shields and white shields with red-brown spots at Rorke's Drift.

The uDloko regiment had red-brown shields with white spots.

Today I almost got the third regiment ready, the unmarried ones in Dluyengwe.

These had black shields with white spots at the bottom. I think I'll be through with the figures in the next few days.

The printed resin figures are incredibly filigree and expressive.

Then paint several dead Zulu people and some dead oxen, which I thankfully received from Erik Trauner.

[Peter]

Real nice variation in the shields. I like that!

[Bluefalchion]

No two shields alike. Wonderful. The spear-throwing warrior figure has a physique like a modern-day olympic athlete or American footballer. Would they really have looked like that at Rorke's Drift? I expect they would be strong and fit, but quite a bit leaner.

[Wolfgang Meyer]

Thank you! There are also figures with a big belly among the Zulu.

[C M Dodson]

Marvellous masterclass as always.

Best wishes,

Chris

[Santi Pérez]

Uf, simply counting the number of Zulu shields, one can make an idea of your diorama grandiosity.

Great progress, Wolfgang.

Santi.

[Wolfgang Meyer]

I thank you for your interest and your kind words.

I have also painted some figures, which Erik Trauner kindly gave me for my diorama. These also go very well together with the figures of Germania figures.

It is said in the reports of those involved in the battle that the Zulu suffered great losses in front of certain places on the barricades and that those killed and wounded were piled up there.

It is not easy for me to show such scenes in a diorama. However, I decided on this point in time or section of the battle in the diorama and I have to show it that way now if I want to remain historically correct.

A total of 280 wounded and dead people are shown in the diorama. The total number of figures in the diorama is 927 figures, all made of resin in 1/72 scale!

[Bluefalchion]

A pile of bodies is a grisly sight, but at the stage of the battle you are portraying, an accurate one. The glorious portrayals of war tend to obscure such horrors, but an artist such as yourself can bring them back into focus.

[Peter]

Consider yourself lucky that you don't have to paint the dead and wounded Zulu's of the battle of Islandwana, about 3000 men!

Great painted dead soldiers, it will make the diorama very realistic!

[Wolfgang Meyer]

I'm still waiting for my greenery, meadows, bushes and trees for the diorama. Then I can finally use all the figures in the diorama. But the greening has to be done first.
I have already made test constellations of what the northern barricade might look like.

[PaulRPetri]

I sincerely hope when you are finished with this magnificent project Wolfgang that it will be on public display somewhere so it can be appreciated as the work of art it truly is!!