Ifrir, 1230

I have to say I fall in love with this figure as soon as I saw it in Euro2009, this is a 75mm by Romeo and represent a typical Miles Christi from the mid 13c. The time of transit in styles, and this figure capture almost all. The cylindrical pot helmet, the style of mail hauberk, coif and chausses of the period, the sword, the heather shield, gambeson and finally the monk cappa. Nitpickers might also be sceptical about the split surcoat style lower part, but I guess it is plausable for a rider, the only fault that is an ongoing trend in Miles Christi the face had no beard, something that I added in a few minutes, so till date have to say this is one of the best rapresentation of a 12c Ifrir. NB. That I am specifying the date, as this is the transit period before they changed to a black surcoat and then again to red.

Painting was done with oils and acrylics, weathering on shield was tempera style with egg yolk and pigments and oil paints to craete the mix, which naturaly start crackling. The black was a nightmare, resolved to work this one with acrylics and oil glazes but alas fr the first time had trouble with the new Maimeri black ... finally had to resolve things with varnishes and retouching with oils ...

I dared aswell to represent the Knight in a different ambience from the usual dust and desert we usually associate the Kingdom of Outremer, we forget that it rains in winter, they have valleys, mountains and forests in certain areas ... so had in mind to weather this guy in winter setting and the sculpt and pose helped me more ... for those who note the shell on the floor, it is not intended that he is on the beach, scallops represented pilgrames ...

Superb figure Ivan, you were right to like it straight away. It is really beautiful and you made an excellent job of it. I can almost feel the wind blowing out of the monitor, what an effect.

Ray wrote:At last you posted

As I said before, I stress that it is your best figure to date, and after winning a Gold in Catania last year and a Silver in Torrent AMT it had to WIN NOTHING at EuroMilitaire in Class2

Anyway every show/competition/judging to its own merits

Slight correction, Gold Catania was with the Furban, this was not yet ready ... yep indeed strange that it was untouched last Euro, but when you considered that masters like Alex Cortina with all his intricate paintwork got nothing for some and just a commended for his simplest job, I guess something strange sometimes happens to judges ... yet again thanks for the compliment, still as dovoted Hospitaller follower you should get this figure one day!

But lets follow the trend of judges, Catnaia was a Spanish-Italo group, Torrent was a Spanish [maybe with some other EUs] and Euro an all conservative group ... nothing to be astonished off!

Strange that I had an impression that I posted this one a while ago ... but seems I mixed forums!

Ivan

Euro DONT use the open system...and its a shame I think...many beautiful figures like this get overlooked or simply not seen due to vast number of exhibits or other reasons I wont delve into...

DOttore

Very nice figure! Wearing also the correct helmet,

The painting is excellent and the shield is out-of-this-world!

RE: Euro judging............ I think you have to be lucky.... in the sense that if you have a model that has the potential for a Gold, you have to be lucky that it somehow gets noticed!

I'm also surprised how non potential award winning models get noticed and awarded!!

Excellent figure, evrey aspect is great, well done!

Ray wrote:Ivan, I will get this one from Catania as well

Thanks mate, your a treasure!

Thank YOU mates for the compliments!