Madame de Wailly, née Adélaïde-Flore Belleville

"The sitter was the wife of Pajou's lifelong friend Charles de Wailly, a companion from student days in Rome. De Wailly, court architect to Louis XVI, had built neighboring houses for Pajou and himself, and Pajou executed busts of the architect and his wife. After her husband's death, Madame de Wailly married M. de Fourcroy, a medical doctor and chemist.

The portrait of Madame de Wailly displays the sculptor's gifts to best advantage. The solidity that characterizes his work is enlivened by an equally characteristic linearity, resulting in a brilliant eighteenth-century version of a Roman matron's portrait. The sense of dignity does not suppress the spirit of humor and intelligence that radiates from Madame de Wailly's fully mature countenance. This maturity is echoed in Pajou's handling of her torso, emphasized by the clinging cloth that partly exposes her chest and ample shoulders. The sinuous, weighty curls that frame her face and cascade over her shoulders are insistently sculptural, lending harmony and equilibrium to the work."

Ref Met Museum

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/201895

Artist: Augustin Pajou

The images show the real bust and the computer render of the 3d cad file.

Colour

The resin is a wonderful marble white (a delicate off white) that is reminiscent of the transluscency that you see on marble.

Height

5cm tall

Museum

Metropilitan Museum of Art

NOTES

The design will be supplied unfinished and very little preparation is required prior to painting. The colour us a very pale Ivory which you can leave as it is or if you want to bring out the detailing paint over with a runny layer of Raw umber and then wipe off to leave the raw umber in the recesses.

To paint the item

I strongly recommend a spray primer. Spray primers are the easiest and just a light coat with give the paint something to 'key' with......then the choice is yours. I use all types of paints from acrylics to cellulose spray paints. All have their own merits and so I choose according to the finish I wish to create.

After applying my coats of paint I will always add an aging layer of raw umber acrylic (water it down and then paint and wipe off to leave the dark paint in the recesses). Aging can be very rewarding and there are many options for this. One little recommendation is to use rotten stone/pumice stone powder to add what I like to describe as "dust" to the piece. It is a powder and will always be a powder unless mixed with a binder such as glue. The powder is a soft grey and if it is brished on then off it will leave a slight dusting in the recesses of the design.

A final flourish of splatter (very subtle brown/grey applied with by splattering the paint from a bristled brush such as a toothbrush) adds a little more interest.

Ref: F 12th scale Bust of Madame de Wailly, née Adélaïde-Flore Belleville 1789

£8,80

Antall

Always prime metal using a spray metal primer available online in most countries. I use Rust-oleum.

Spray paints: I tend to use platikote and rust-oleum but there are many other brands who sell similar products. In the UK you can pick them up in B&Q but also available in abundance online. The choices are huge but my all time favorite colour is Rust-oleum Hessian. It is a taupe and works well if you are looking for a old heavy brown cream finish.

Paints: use almost anything - emulsion (wall paint - sample pots are cheap), acrylic, oils (generally you will get a sheen). Alway use a fine brush and dont apply too much - you can always add layers which look better than clumpy thick layers.

Make your own paints using https://www.cornelissen.com/pigments-gums-and-resins.html then add a binder such as glue or wax.

Gold and silver: Gold leaf but also gold particles suspended in a medium suitable for painting etc. This is a huge area and so I will offer a few of my favorites:

Spray gold - lots of choice online

If you plan to use gold leaf or Dutch metal (a cheaper and easier to use alternative) then paint the item red or yellow. This will show through the cracks and add depth.

You will need to use Gold leaf "size" when applying leaf - its a sticky glue that doesnt stop being sticky

I like Polyurethane gold - its easy to apply and you can wash brushes in water but its hard to source and will go off after a few years. I buy mine from "Bristol paints" https://www.bristolpaint.com/metallic/polyurethane

Some links to gold and silver finishes that I would recommend -

Connoissier https://www.jacksonsart.com/brands/connoisseur

https://www.croberson.co.uk/product-sections/roberson-gilding-materials.html

https://www.robersonliquidmetal.co.uk/

https://www.tiranti.co.uk/Products/gold-leaf

https://www.modernmasters.com/landing/homeowners/brands/mpc

https://www.bristolpaint.com/metallic/acrylic

https://www.bristolpaint.com/metallic/polyurethane

for people in the USA: https://sculptnouveau.com/products/metal-coatings

Of course you can make your own! Use bronze powder which is available in silver, gold, brass, bronze etc colours. Add this to wax or a glue so that it has a binder. If there are any salts in the glue then you will see your gold oxidise!

Varnish?

I love to use wax on some items as the sheen is soft and it gives a classic patina.

Spray varnish - polyeurethane can go yellow!

Brushed on varnish such as modge podge is great and comes in different sheen levels.
I always use a cyano type glue which most of us know this as super glue. My favourite is Haffix https://www.hafixs.co.uk/onlinestore/RCshop.html

If you are looking for a thicker super glue then try Deluxe although I warn you that their website is beyond tempting! https://deluxematerials.co.uk/collections/cyanoacrylates/products/roket-cyano-gel

I also use a superglue activator of which there are many to choose from but here is a link to one of them: https://www.buildandplumb.co.uk/building-supplies-c21/sealants-tapes-adhesives-c228/adhesives-glue-c231/bond-it-clear-cyanoacrylate-accelerator-p12994/s35830?utm_medium=organic&utm_term=bond-it-clear-cyanoacrylate-accelerator-400ml-size-400ml-size-400ml-646857&utm_campaign=froogle&cid=GBP&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB

Activator and superglue are available online and you can find different brands that are cheaper but for me the above tend to be my go to reliable brands.

Please also note that despite superglue setting super fast it actually can take a day or two to fully cure so be gentle with your model!
Most of my kits are self explanatory but where the kit is complex I usually add the directions to the listing on the website. If there are none then it means the item is fairly straight forward to assemble.

You may find a few hints and tips in the main description of the item.

Before gluing I strongly recommend checking each section for casting spurs - these are little bits of metal left over from the casting process. They can be snapped or cut off or filed. Each design has its own little casting spur etc but sometimes these are hardly noticeable.
This is OK to do and therefore you would need to choose free carriage on your second order assuming that it was not too large. I will then combine both in one delivery.

I combine orders when I print them. I usually spot them but occassionally customers may order using different names (eg their husbands account and their own account) - I wont spot these so please email me if there could be any confusion.
SPAIN & ITALY & ISRAEL & GREECE - please only choose tracking as we have many issues with parcels going missing. We can not post to these countries unless tracking is chosen.

International: If you wish to have tracking then this is an option at check out. Unfortunately our post office system does not email you with updates and the tracking number. However I shall have your tracking details and should you require them please let me know and I can email them to you.

UK: We send using MYHERMES / EVRI. They are reliable and on each delivery the courier will photograph an image of the delivery address as proof of postage. Since introducing this system it is rare that a parcel goes missing. You should also receive emailed updates as to the progress of your parcel.