Converting the Black Beast of Argh and the Three Headed Giant

 I made a pair of armies for Hordes of the Things based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail (see the article below). These two units were some of the more challenging to create but a lot of fun.

The giant was made by cutting up three plastic toy knights I sound on the bring and buy at the IMPS show. These were a lucky find as they had the right equipment and two of them were identical meaning when I put them on either side the stance was natural. What’s more these two were holding two handed axes, which allowed me to have them waiving their fists at each other in argument.

The knights had poorly sculpted faces with gaping mouths which I did some work on to give them an approximation of the actor’s features, hair and beards.

The sword was a separate piece which plugged into a hole at the waist. It was in a scabbard, so no edge, with crossed straps at the top. I had to cut these off and try to get an edge on it. This all looked a bit ragged which is why it is splattered with dried blood to hide it.

The sword was a separate piece which plugged into a hole at the waist. It was in a scabbard, so no edge, with crossed straps at the top. I had to cut these off and try to get an edge on it. This all looked a bit ragged which is why it is splattered with dried blood to hide it.

I built up the head with green stuff, I must have had Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors in the back of my mind as this was the shape it was taking on. I had to cut the mouth back and re-do the lips to expose more of the teeth and gums.

The eyes are round headed pins, cut down to a short length and embedded in green stuff. At first I let them eyes sit at different depths but it looked rubbish so I took them out and started again. I made the hair with clumps of thin rolls of green stuff, lots of them. I added the ears and dangly bits.

I realised that the continues row of toes was wrong and clipped out the inner toes and sculpted new ones on the end. I cut off the ends of the fat claws and put brass rod in to sculpt new claws around. Then I incorporated the remaining original claw into the toe. I also bulked out the muscle in the legs to get the right proportion. I inserted more brass rod into holes in the back to build the spines around.