Spanish Royal Guard Music Unit

[Ochoin]

This is definitely one of the great 'Benno Projects'.

donald

[Santi Pérez]

This is definitely one of the great 'Benno Projects'.
donald

Thanks, Donald. I totally agree: this is one of Benno's great projects...at least in terms of length, haha.

I hope the final result lives up to that.

Santi.

[Iceman1964]

I completely trust on the final result of your work, Santi

[Santi Pérez]

I completely trust on the final result of your work, Santi

Thank you for your trust, Enrico. It's certainly another incentive to take on this penultimate stage of the project.

Santi.

[Bessiere]

As if your project wasn't difficult enough you add a female form inside a uniform to add to your challenge. I can see the subtleties of larger hips and chest. Very nice and a realistic touch. Anyone one of these figures would be challenging to convert to the standards you do but an over 20 -piece band? We get all the madmen in our hobby thank goodness. This is something truly unique and special that no one had dared to try before.
Cheers,
Bessiere

[Susofrick]

I can only agree with the others! Waiting eagerly to see more of your work! Totally love it!

Gunnar

[Santi Pérez]

Thanks so much for your support, Bessiere and Gunnar.

As if your project wasn't difficult enough you add a female form inside a uniform to add to your challenge. I can see the subtleties of larger hips and chest. Very nice and a realistic touch. Anyone one of these figures would be challenging to convert to the standards you do but an over 20 -piece band?...

Bessiere, the truth is, when I started this project almost a year ago, I had no idea how far I'd be able to go. Although, knowing my penchant for perfection, I could imagine I'd make it more complicated than necessary, haha.

In fact, the band will include not just one, but up to four female musicians. Studying the proportion of both genders in the actual band, I believe my proportion of 4 in 24 is quite accurate.

Just yesterday, I took these photos at the concert offered by the Royal Guard Music Unit after the solemn changing of the guard at the Royal Palace in Madrid. Considering that the concert was very short due to the high temperatures (around 36ºC at 12 noon) and that only a fraction of the band's 100 musicians participated, I was able to count up to four women out of the approximately 35 or 40 soldiers who appear in the pictures.





I've tried to make the instruments my female musicians play match reality. Thus, the first is one of the two clarinet players already posted on the forum. The third and fourth will be one of the three drummers and one of the two saxophone players.

To achieve the second one, I had to make a small modification to an already finished figure. I added a bun to my flute player, and voilà, I have a woman. Here are the initial and final figures, see if you can tell the difference.



Best regards and stay safe from the scorching heatwave sweeping across Europe, my friends!

Santi.

[Santi Pérez]

The 20th musician of the band, second of the saxophon players and third of the women, is ready. Here are both:





After this, I'm only missing two drummers (one of them will be the fourth and last woman) and two buglers to complete the unit. And after that, the Colour Party will come.

Santi.

[JurgenH]

Hi Santi,
thanks for your encouragement for my Puma project. You're also working hard with your band. You'll soon have finished the conversions. I'm looking forward to seeing how they look in color. Good luck with it!
Jürgen

[Iceman1964]

Great Santi, other steps toward the target
Waiting the first paintings !!
Enrico

[Bessiere]

Very nice Santi! Your documentation of process is most revealing in the various steps you have to go through in creating your dream. This is why bennos is such a critical resource having gems like yours to learn from.
Cheers,
Bessiere

[Santi Pérez]

Thank you very much for your encouragement, friends. As the end of the first part of the project is getting closer and closer, and as living in my new house seems to be a long time coming, I have brought my painting materials from there to the aparthotel where we live now. The truth is that I'm looking forward to use them on these figures, although I'll have to wait until I have the missing ones ready to take some pictures of the whole set before I start painting them.

...Your documentation of process is most revealing in the various steps you have to go through in creating your dream. This is why bennos is such a critical resource having gems like yours to learn from...

Bessiere, personally I am interested in both the final result of a project and all the intermediate steps that have led to it and that help to assess the effort applied in a more complete way. That's why I always try to document my works as much as possible so that those of you who see them can get the most complete picture of the whole creative process involved.

Best regards.

Santi.

[Ochoin]

I'll have to wait until I have the missing ones ready to take some pictures of the whole set before I start painting them.

Santi.

I'm impatient by nature. So I'm very eager to see the product with paint on. However, it's your project & if you wish to wait till all isdone for a final reveal, so be it.

Still, I can't wait.....

donald

[CliosPaintingBench]

After this, I'm only missing two drummers (one of them will be the fourth and last woman) and two buglers to complete the unit. And after that, the Colour Party will come.

Santi.

Chugging along, Santi!

[Santi Pérez]

...I'm impatient by nature...Still, I can't wait...

I was impatient when I was young too, Donald. Fortunately, I got over it with age.

...Chugging along, Santi!

I'm on it, Owen. Seeing the end closer and closer encourages me to move forward with more enthusiasm.

Santi.

[MABO]

I was off for some time due to a lot reasons. But I was really surprised what is going on here in the meantime. You have created such a cool group of musicians. With some instruments I maybe heard of once. So I will follow your progress closer again I hope.

Also nice for me personally is the fact, that I stand close to the palace in Madrid last year.

[Santi Pérez]

Thank you, Jan. The band is almost ready, only the last four figures are missing. And after them, the Colour Party.

...Also nice for me personally is the fact, that I stand close to the palace in Madrid last year.

If you have the opportunity to return to Madrid in the future, Jan, I recommend that you include in your visit one of the days when the solemn changing of the guard takes place at the Royal Palace. Unfortunately, it's not as frequent as at Buckingham Palace, only taking place on the first Wednesday of each month, excluding January, August and September. Here is a link to the Royal Guard's website, which indicates the next date of the ceremony, as well as a brochure about it:

https://www.defensa.gob.es/guardiareal/



Santi.

[MABO]

Thank you, Jan. The band is almost ready, only the last four figures are missing. And after them, the Colour Party.


If you have the opportunity to return to Madrid in the future, Jan, I recommend that you include in your visit one of the days when the solemn changing of the guard takes place at the Royal Palace. Unfortunately, it's not as frequent as at Buckingham Palace, only taking place on the first Wednesday of each month, excluding January, August and September. Here is a link to the Royal Guard's website, which indicates the next date of the ceremony, as well as a brochure about it:

https://www.defensa.gob.es/guardiareal/



Santi.

I will keep this in mind! Madrid is worth so many more visits.

[Santi Pérez]

...I will keep this in mind! Madrid is worth so many more visits.

The changing of the guard at the Royal Palace isn't the only interesting one that takes place in Madrid, Jan.

There is another equally spectacular ceremony that takes place at the Buenavista Palace (Spanish Army Headquarters) on the last Friday of every month (except July and August), in which the Infantry Immemorial Regiment of the King nº 1 participates wearing period uniforms: one month they wear the 1908 uniform (reign of King Alfonso XIII) and the next month they wear the mid-18th century uniform (reign of King Carlos III).

Here are a couple of videos of both versions that I posted on YouTube.





Santi.

[Santi Pérez]

I have now finished the three drummers of the band, having added the two new ones to the first one I painted several months ago. In this case too one of them is a female musician, easily identifiable by her bun:





After these, there are only two buglers left to complete the band. And let's not forget that afterwards I will have to add the Colour Party to complete the set.

Santi.