Gaul Warriors

[PhilC]

Hi everyone!

In today's topic, I wanted to show you pictures of Gaul Warriors. Some of these pictures have been taken years ago for the Hät website, and others have been taken this morning..

The Celts were famous for the stripes and tartan patterns of their clothes, and this is what I wanted to represent on these minis. I tried to use unusual but accurate colors, so I spent some time to find documentation, particularly some photographs of reconstitution groups who try to use the materials and the pigments available at that time (as far as we know today).

Are you are the result:

First, today's pictures: an Ambact - a professional warrior in a nobleman's retinue:




And another warrior:


Then the photos taken some years ago: ordinary warriors, without chainmail or helmet.







The main source for my minis is this book: Le guerrier gaulois du Halstatt à la conquête romaine, Franck Mathieu - éditions Errance.


Hope you like them, comments welcome

More on my blog:
https://philotepsfigures.blogspot.fr/2017/03/gaul-or-celt-warriors.html
https://philotepsfigures.blogspot.fr/2017/03/gaul-or-celt-warriors-part-ii.html

[Wiking]

Your painting is so clear that the liveless of all pose is visible.
Impressive how accurate you do all the fine line and curves.
In your third last pic the pose of the topless man look to me like he dance around the big fire in the evening.
Instead of going to fight.
All great paint.

[Carlos]

Very good work Phil, the way in wch you paint the clothes is stunig. Specailly the trousers.

[Kostis Ornerakis]

Wonderful painting!

[Kekso]

Excellent painted patterns.

[MABO]

Very good job!

[Fireymonkeyboy]

I quite like that plaid, nice work!

[Michael Robert]

Bonsoir PhilC,

very admirative of your work ; I like a lot your research : pigmentation, clothing patterns.
Hallstatt is a small town near Salzburg in today Austria. This reminds us that Gauls settled nearly all of central Europe at some time. Their culture, metal and textile craftmanship spread over most of Europe.
Personally I like Dolmen a lot. There are some nearby where I live.

Mickaël

[Hellboy]

A very beautiful work from you. Great figures fantastically painted.
Great I find the play of light and shadow on clothes, skin and metal parts!
Unbelievable I find the pattern of some clothes. How do you paint such a thing in scale 1/72 ????? Super!!!
Congratulations !!!

[ToneTW]

Great skill shown with the patterns, also the choice of colour pallet is brilliant and natural looking.

[Cryns]

Dear Phil,

My congratulations with your painting work. The colors look splendid and so do the patterns. The faces look very good too.
Searching for credible ancient colors is fascinating me too: for me that's what painting mini's is all about... and why for me there is no point in painting sci-fi and fantasy.

Its a pitty though, these Hat figures are designed so extremely poor: the historical elements are good and correct, but most of these men are 'pressed' into a flat shape hardly ever seen before
I think Wolfgang Gebranzig sculpted these and it looks like he did everything to get the process of molding and casting as simple and cheap as possible.
What is your opinion on this?

[Frankzett]

Yes, the painting is fine especially the tartans of the clothes - great. But yes, the sculpting is poor.
...And the nobleman with the wrong shield grip - it's a no go for a LaTéne- warrior, some other shields are not the best too. I can't understand that a sculptor simplify in that way. May be these are some kind of flat figures or not, there are so much araeological features with LaTéne armour / weapons that there should be much more possible ...
Greetings
Frank

[Bill Slavin]

Yes, the plaid is great. Beautiful painting.

[PhilC]

Good evening everybody and Thank you very much for your comments.
I agree that these minis are not the most beautiful ever sculpted. The poses are not very dynamic, and there is little detail. But this is somehow challenging: you must paint some complex patterns, on the clothes and on the shields, because if you don't, these minis remaniement flat.
Concerning the shield grip: I agree, it is inaccurate for Gaul warriors of La Tène période. Too bad, it is the most dynamic pose of the set, so I chose to paint him anyway. If I am courageous enough, I will try a small conversion on those I have left.

[Wiking]

Mr. Cryns wrote:
... these Hat figures are designed so extremely poor ...

[MABO]

As far as I know the first figure is from another set. Wolfgang sculped the 4 mini sets, that came out around 2003. His next masters are more complex. And the original ones from the mini sets have been cut and smoothed by the producer, to make the moulds. Shit happens....

[PhilC]

Hi Mabo. I just checked on PSR, because i was not sure... all these minis are part of set 8089 Gallic Warband.

[Ben90]

A very good paintjob on bad figures. But you´ve made them looking good! I agree about the colors. Very natural and fitting for ancients!

[MABO]

Hi Mabo. I just checked on PSR, because i was not sure... all these minis are part of set 8089 Gallic Warband.

Shame on me,,,
But I was sure there was also a Gallic Mini-Set. So you are right

Never the less the story is correct. And now I am not sure if all these figures arn't from Wolfgang. But I will stopp guessing...

[PhilC]

Yes MABO, I must say I am a bit disappointed, I thought you knew every set of every range by heart

You speak of mini-set, and It reminded me that I painted a few minis from one of these last year (or earlier, I don't remember) - the Picts. Since we are in a topic about the Celts, let me show you another sort of tartan.





Again, not the best minis in the world, but interesting nevertheless.

More comments here: http://philotepsfigures.blogspot.fr/2017/03/picts.html