Swiss Guard, Pope and Cardinals

[Konrad]

I am always impressed by the accuracy
and cleanliness of your work.
I am your fan.

[Kekso]

One more time you've amazed me with your clean painting style.

[MABO]

I am amazed too!

[Santi Pérez]

Once again, thank you very much for your kind words of support and recognition, dear friends.

...You manage to pack a lot of character in to the figures you create which is no small feat...

Thanks, Bessiere. I'm convinced that the feature that gives the most character to a figure, whatever its scale, is the face. That's why, when I convert my figures, I always try to give them heads with well defined facial features, from sets by manufacturers with great sculptors, like Caesar Miniatures, Zvezda or Italeri. It's a pity I'm not able to draw their eyes correctly in this scale. That would be their definitive distinguishing feature.

...This cardinal looks quite youthful...

You're right, Minuteman. When I converted this figure and painted its face, I had in mind to represent a man of Hispanic or Filipino origin, and both often look younger than their actual age.

...I am your fan.

Then we're mutual fans, Konrad, because you know I'm your fan too.

Hurry up Santi! We need the Pope for Easter!

...I am looking forward to seeing the Pope!

Your patience will be rewarded, mates. But you will have to wait at least until Easter 2024.

Santi.

[CliosPaintingBench]

Ah, a beautiful cardinal! lovely bright colours as always! Your project seems to be nearly complete, would love to see the completed work!

[Susofrick]

A long project coming to the end. And a very lovely and loved project! Will miss it, but then we can go and watch the finished product and probably follow you on another project! Feel excited!

[Santi Pérez]

...Your project seems to be nearly complete, would love to see the completed work!

A long project coming to the end...

Mmm, I think you are more optimistic than I am about the conclusion of this project, mates. Just because I'm still missing five figures out of the fourteen total in the diorama, doesn't mean to me that completion is that close.

...And a very lovely and loved project! Will miss it, but then we can go and watch the finished product and probably follow you on another project! Feel excited!

Thank you for your kindness, Susofrick. You can be sure I'll have no shortage of new projects when I finish this one. In fact, working on several at once is the main reason why I can't manage to finish any of them on schedule.

Santi.

[Egbert]

Sorry my friend, for not writing to you until now.
These are just great characters...
It's amazing how cleanly and accurately you delineate the lines.
This is splendeed art.
Phew...
As always from you, really, really great cinema!

[Santi Pérez]

Many thanks, Egbert. You know how much I appreciate your compliments, being a modelling and painting master as you are.

My best regards, my friend.

Santi.

[Santi Pérez]

Well, after more than five months since my last post in this thread, I can finally show you the last of the cardinals of the diorama.

As always, the first picture is for scale purposes:



And, also as always, now come the pictures of the figure in the three stages of progress (unpainted, primed and finished) from four different angles.

Front view:





Right view:





Rear view:





Left view:





After this, I still have four more figures to go, two religious figures (the cross bearer and the Pope himself) and two military ones (the last halberdier and the Swiss Guard officer).

At this rate and with a bit of luck, I hope to have the diorama finished next year, closer to December than January.

Thanks for watching and best regards, my dear colleagues.

Santi.

[MABO]

A real Santi again. I am keen looking on the dio finally.

[Bessiere]

Your sculpting is magnificent and you manage to paint the cleanest edges I've ever seen. Brilliant us usual sir!
Cheers,
Bessiere

[Egbert]

Your sculpting is magnificent and you manage to paint the cleanest edges I've ever seen. Brilliant us usual sir!
Cheers,
Bessiere

Hello Santi,
There's actually nothing to add to that...
It shows once again how precisely and cleanly you work...incredible
Once againanother perfect model from you...
I'm looking forward to the completed overall project next year.
Best wishes...

[sberry]

A real Santi again. I am keen looking on the dio finally.

Yes, I am very curious to see the final result, too! This painting style is still unbelievable to me, it requires a patience which is ... not of this world, I would say.

A question which may have been answered before: How many cardinals will be there altogether in the diorama? Currently, there a about 220 living cardinals, with about 120 “active” ones who would participate in the next Pope’s election – these are not the numbers that we are to expect in your scene, I suppose?

[Michael Robert]

Hello Santi,
like our colleagues I look forward to see the final result. How will the pope look like? It is in every respect an amazing project
Michael

[Iceman1964]

Great work Santi, in your really unique style !!!
Can't wait for the diorama

[Minuteman]

Lovely sculpting and precise paintwork, a work of art Santi !!

[Santi Pérez]

Once again I can only thank you for your so kind words, friends. It's a great pleasure to belong to this forum where you can share your hobby with people who have the same and who value your work so much and so well.

This encourage me to try to speed up the progress of my projects (this and the others), to post more pictures and to read again such nice comments, hahaha.

I must repeat that the tricks to achieve this result that you praise me so much are a bit of skill and lots and lots of patience.

...How will the pope look like?...

I have had the conversion of the figure who will represent the Pope ready for a long time, Michael. It's this one:



And what I want it to look like once painted will be very similar to this:

...A question which may have been answered before: How many cardinals will be there altogether in the diorama? Currently, there a about 220 living cardinals...these are not the numbers that we are to expect in your scene, I suppose?

You got it right, sberry. As I posted at the beginning of this thread, when I explained the planning of the project, given my extreme slowness to finish each figure, six cardinals will be a more than good representation of the entire College of Cardinals.

And as all the cardinals that will appear in the diorama are already finished, I will try to take several photos of the set in the next few days so that you can remember what they looked like.

Thank you very much again, my friends. Stay tuned in the coming days.

Santi.

[Susofrick]

Another of my favourite projects (there are quite a lot here)! Really looking forward to see the pope painted.

[Michael Robert]

There he is, Francesco...
Great to see the figure, Santi. To paint him you need a sacred touch.