By Panos Charalampakis
Here is my new set, small this time, that served as a relaxation between my usual big sets of figures. Its from our dear Golberg ladies, designed by Luicien Rousselot and engraved by Raphael Pepin in 30mm (Code BO 28). Its title is Carribean pirates 1680-1730. Quality of figures was very good, and preparation was only minimal cleaning up, washing and primering with thinned humbrol white. Detail was a bit simple for my taste but I guess this is what these people supposed to be, without glamorous garments or weaponry.
When I paint figures I use to think of them as part of history so I try to find infos about them, of what were they, where they lived and how, what they did and so on. It helps me understand the figures better and I like to think of them as a part of a historic event. So, allow me to tell you some few worlds about these fellows.
What we know as pirates started from some people called Bucaneers, European that moved to the Caribbean region and they started their life as hunters and farmers. They used whatever they could find as clothing and weaponry, mainly animal hides and leather, wool and linen. They were armed with simple knives, swords and hunting rifles. Later, as Spanish hunt them down, poverty was too much and Spanish galleons were in abundance carrying treasures from America to Europe, they started what we know today as piracy. Organized in smaller or bigger crews, with small vessels, harassed the Spanish treasure ships and later nearly everything that was of some profit. Besides ships, they also raided Spanish colonies in central America for gold, animals, slaves and various other goods.
Here is where I have put my small set of pirates. Crew members of a pirate gang of Blackbeard or Henry Morgan, both very famous pirates of their age, raiding. Jamaica, Portobello, Maracaibo or Panama city. Furious, rough and uncivilized people always willing to grab some treasure, rum or woman.
My pirates are painted in oil as usual, with simple colors for simple, cheap and worn clothes and worn leather belts and scabbards.
