Tuesday 8 November 2011

Lego Minifigures 10: "Climber - K"

This little fellow's been climbing. He's got his pickaxe and his binoculars (do you think he's a "twitcher"?), and his trusty rucksack... but where is he?

The map he's standing on is a new element in this series. It is a real map - an Ordnance Survey leisure map, naturally - but can you guess the location? I haven't rendered the map enormously accurately - I don't think the painting requires it, and, to be honest, I wasn't using a fine enough brush*. But you might be able to guess, especially if I tell you that the "K" is a clue. And that it's in England. I'll put the answer in a comment tomorrow.

Acrylic on canvas, 7 x 7 cm

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*I have been using a 3 (standard length) and a 1 (rigger) on this series. I do own a 00000 brush (that's really fine), but I don't want to start getting too finicky. Incidentally, a rigger is a brush with extra long hair (I hesitate to use the word bristles, because these are soft brushes - nylon, I think; they're from the Daler-Rowney Dalon range). It is called a rigger because it is ideal for painting the rigging of a sailing ship.

9 comments:

  1. These Lego paintings are so charming, Amanda! I loved the shot of the edges all stacked up, and the idea of putting them on the map is wonderful!

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  2. Thank you, Sarah!

    The map idea was specifically for this outdoorsy fellow. He's bound to have an OS Map or two in his rucksack. And of course, this paricular map is only really relevant to walkers and other leisure users of the countryside. Mind you, you've made me think now about what other styles of map might suit other figures...

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  3. The climber (whose name is now Keith*) is standing on Kinder Scout. That's pronounced like the chocolate eggs or the German word for children. It's a moorland plateau in the Derbyshire Peak District, and encompasses the highest point in the Peaks. It's a fantastic place...

    *After the OS employee - a friend of a friend - who spotted the location yesterday.

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  4. Keith says "Immortality at last!"

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  5. is he one of the Lego mini-figures? I don't think we have him :-(
    We do have 3 pink ice skating ladies though. Great painting, quirky subject!

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  6. Certainly is, Beth! But I don't know his provenance, apart from the fact that my husband got him off eBay. He's a great figure, isn't he?

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  7. We do seem to be short of girly figures. Hopefully my daughter's nascent Lego collection will aid me there, in the fullness of time...

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  8. I'm sure I could talk the boys into getting rid of one of their ladies and sending her to you. Somehow, they're not quite as charming as some of the male figures though.

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  9. They're not, are they? I think it's that the blockiness of the Lego minifigure shape suits the male figure better; some of the attempts that Lego have made to create female characters are either ridiculous or downright disturbing. Too much detail, in many cases, I think.

    I'd be very grateful if you would send me one of the ladies, Beth. Maybe you'd like a Lego painting in return (after the Christmas fair weekend)? I'll e-mail you.

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