The zombie ballerina (part 1)

Introduction

Anyone who has followed my work for some time will know that I like to do a little bit of converting on some of my models.  This is especially so for plastic models such as Wargames Factory's Zombie Vixens, where the kit comes with 3 identical sprues. To some extent, the 3 copies of each body can be made unique by using different heads and arms on each, but even with this some of the poses are more "recognisable" than others.

The Lifeguard

To my mind, one of the models from the Zombie Vixens that is most in need of some "unique" treatment is the "lifeguard".  The body for this figure is stretching out with one arm whilst the other arm trails behind.  One leg is straight and extended, but the other is bent upwards.

Last year, I used the "lifeguard" body from my first sprue of Vixens to make - well, a lifeguard.  This was all done some time ago (see here) and I've been pondering what to do with the other copies of this model ever since.  Then it struck me...

The Ballerina

It occurred to me that it wouldn't take much effort to turn this model into a zombie ballerina, doing a pirouette.  Why would I want to do that, I can hear you asking?  Well, because I can?  As a test of my model-making skills?  Because my zombie collection is an equal opportunity horde which represents many different facets of society?  I did it for all of the above reasons, and probably more.

So, how did I go about making this conversion.  Firstly, I decided that the bent leg would need some repositioning.  I cut it at the hip, knee and ankle joints, though only the hip was cut all the way through.  The other joints only needed a little repositioning.

The leg was then glued back in the new location and the cuts were filled with Milliput.  That was the biggest part of the conversion and although I spent quite a lot of effort on filling and smoothing off the joints, I could have done a lot less.  After all, the skirt will hide much of the hip and knee anyway.

I found a zombie head with a ponytail, though that wasn't quite the look I wanted.  Instead, I cut off the ponytail and made a bun from a small blob of green stuff instead.  I suppose that I could have left the ponytail on the model; as long as the hair is pulled back then it's good either way (ballerinas tend to have their hair well under control, I believe).

Once arms and head were fitted, I based the model.  Note that I added a short length of wire to help strengthen the joint between figure and base; it seemed like an obvious weak point to me.

I've added a skirt made from tissue paper.  This was cut into a circle about the size of a 1 pence coin (OK, 20mm for those of you outside the UK), with a 5mm circular hole in the middle.  The skirt was slit, coated in tacky glue and then wrapped around the ballerina's waist.  It does have about 4 thin layers, though I'm not sure how much of this will be visible when the model is completed.

So far, so good.  If you're interested enough to see how she is painted then you'll need to wait for my next post.  That's because I haven't actually painted this model yet!  Still, it's Zomtober again and she will appear in my first week's offerings on Sunday next!

See here for the finished model -->

The Crossing Patrol Man (28mm)

Introduction

As many of my regular readers will know, I tend to prefer regular civilians over heavily-armed rednecks for my games of All Thing Zombie.  I also draw a certain amount of inspiration from the scenes I see when just walking about my local town (though I will stress that any resemblance between my models and anyone I know is entirely accidental and unintentional).

Part-painted model in greatcoat (?), built entirely "out of the box"

When I examined the sprues from Wargames Factory's "Apocalypse Survivors: The Men" set, I discovered that there were 3 identical bodies in long trench-coats or greatcoats.  These are great for making models of tough guys from popular TV shows or movies, but aren't the sort of thing that ordinary people wear much.

Same model from rear, showing high collar and short cape

I'd already built one of these figures straight from the parts in the kit, so what could I do with the next one to make it a bit different?  Let's think...

The Crossing Patrol

At around 9am and again at 3pm near any primary school in the UK, crossing patrols are a common sight.  These are volunteers, often middle-aged, who halt the traffic and thus assist the children to cross roads.  They are often referred to as "lollipop men", though near us they are mostly women.

Right, then: this model uses the basic "greatcoat" body and legs from the "Men" kit.  Some modifications were necessary to the upper torso: I've removed the high collar and carved away the cape.  To replace this, I've added a hood made from green stuff.

For this figure, I've used the head with the peaked hat, straight from the box.  The left arm is from the "Men" kit as well, though I've rotated the hand by 90 degrees.

The right arm is from Gripping Beast's "Dark Age Warriors" kit (!); it originally held a spear.  I cut the spear away, drilled the hand out and added a sign made from brass rod tipped with a circle of plasticard.

Painted Up

Lollipop men and women wear a reflective coat and a hat or cap over regular (civilian) clothes.  I've given my guy dark trousers, a sweater with a patterned band around the chest and green wellies (very common in Helensburgh at this time of year).

The dayglo coat was painted in my normal mixture of yellow and silver (1:1); the darker reflective strips are steel.  A thin, dark-coloured wash brings out some of the detail.

To finish, I printed off a couple of images for the "stop" sign and fixed these onto the model.  Once the glue was dry, I touched up the edge with some red paint, gave him a name ("Sid") and sealed the model.  Done!