I entered this mini in the 2003 Chick Challenge IV contest, where I took 1st place in the CCIV Mini category. This mini was sculpted specifically for the CCIV by Steve Buddle of Spyglass Miniatures. I loved the look of this mini from the minute I saw it online... Being Hungarian, hussars push my buttons ;^), and the excellent sculpt by Steve B. didn't hurt either!

I decided to go authentic on her (well, as historically accurate as was feasible), so I decked her out in full hussar regalia. I based her on an illustration of an 18th century Hungarian hussar in full dress. (Yes, the red, blue and yellow color scheme is real!)

The hat came from a Vampire Wars' cossack and was carved out to fit her (filed) head. I added a ponytail from GW's Bretonnian Sorceress and sculpted hair in to blend it into her head. The base was constructed with Das Pronto air-dry clay, a model-railroad stump and a dollhouse miniature plastic wheel.

Painting was done with lots of glazing over the original blending, as I wanted her to have the same pop that the uniform illustration I was using had. I used a ton of glazes on the base as well, which helped give it a realistic look that I'm very happy with.

In my mind I called this project 'The Spirit of 1848', after the short-lived revolution the Hungarians staged against their Austrian rulers that year. In that vein I tried to give her a very defiant look, like a soldier who has seen victory slipping away, but would still fight to the bitter end... I had originally intended to add a Hungarian flag and slogan from that era, but found myself drifting on to other projects. I plan to go back and add these details later, but wanted to get her up on my site (finally!)

I would like to dedicate this miniature to the memory of my father, Laszlo Jakusovszky Sr., who passed away in April of 2003. My dad was always a Hungarian patriot at heart, even though we lived in the United States since 1973. His thoughts were never far from his homeland and I think he would have appreciated the hussar and her beauty ;^)