The Ghost of Christmas Past (1951)

 This bust was actually purchased last year, but I waiting too long to buy and couldn't get him done by last Christmas. So I wanted to make sure he was finished by this one. 

He is the Ghost of Christmas Past, played by Michael Dolan,  from the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol.  Sculptor John Dennett has a number of bust in his Christmas Carol series.  The kit is a two piece 1/5 scale bust in nearly flawless resin. There was a very fine seam line in his hair that was quickly dispatched.  

My "problem" with these type of characters is do I paint it as the character, a ghost? Or do I paint it as the actor playing a ghost? (Thinking too much?)  My idea was for the former, and so I primed it blue. Thinking about it, my last ghost in this series was painted as a ghost, so I changed my mind and this one would be the actor.

 

As with others in this series color is always a problem with the film being in B&W.  But not in the case. Even with the lack of color you can see white on white one white. Which presents it's own problems...

 

As with most busts I start with the face and this was no exception.

 

Hi hair and gown were apparently white, so I tried a triad of grays, figuring I'd end up with almost white. I guess I have a problems with "almost whites" as they never seem bright enough to me. So I ended up giving up and painted the gown just white, and then backed into the shadow colors. I was also having troubles with the skin color. I would end up with the skin too healthy looking or too pale - again the white on white on white problem.

I followed an idea a you Tuber had (Groundeffected)  where he just mushes three colors together and roughly mixes them up for the base.  I sort of liked it but I think it looks better with larger models and this 1/5 scale needed to be a little more dainty. So I kept mixing the wet colors to blend them a little more.

The flower wreath was started in purple and then highlighted with two shades of pink. Finally washed it in Citadels Carrosburg Crimson. The text in the base was painted with one of the reds from the Nocturna set - which coincidentally matched the flowers in the wreath.

In the end I left the face a little more lively, and then called it done.   Thanks for looking.