Redheaded Pirate (Mars)

This figure began with seeing a picture of a new redheaded pirate on Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ride.  Her design was distinct with lots of red!  This made her a pirate character, or a decent camp follower for the British Army.  Besides, how could a blog named Red Coats & Ruffles not add a figure who sports both?

After a long and involved search, no suitable figures of the redheaded pirate were found.  She has a fair amount of her own merchandise, but not in 54mm.  Clearly, some heavy conversion of an existing 54mm figure would be required. 

She began as a Mars female pirate, actually as the same figure as Arabella Smith. (Meet Arabella at http://redcoatsandruffles.blogspot.com/2022/05/arabella-smith-mars.html).  Arabella's conversion was relatively easy, but this redheaded swashbuckler would need more than that.  Her hat (including plume) had to be sculpted, her sleeves needed ruffles at the wrists, and most importantly, she needed a skirt with two separate layers, a belt, and a decorative waist-mounted pocket.

Her skirt was easily the most challenging thing to sculpt, but it turned out well.  The ivory-handled, brass-barrelled pistol in her belt is one produced by Helmet Soldiers (http://www.helmetsoldiers.co.uk, whose website seems to be offline).

I envision her as a pirate when it suits her, but a smuggler and businesswoman far more often.  Perhaps she is the one trusted by other buccaneers to turn looted items into cash--for a price, of course!

Figure by Mars, painted with acrylic paints.