WIP Critique Zaporozhian Cossack on foot, 75mm

Hey All

This is the first of the three cossacks I started in the other thread.
The ground work cast with this fig is dryland but I thought I might try something different... The Zaporozhians were river based, creating a stronghold amongst the islands on the Dnieper River and used these as a base for raiding down into the Black Sea against the Turks and Tatars. To this end, I'd like to create a section of riverboat with the cossack standing with his foot up on the bench. No so much the usual steppe scene but more the Zaporozhian "river pirate".

The flesh is more or less done short of minor adjustments as I go further into the project. The white blouse is done using Andrea's white set with a touch of German grey added to the final shade. The shading is much darker than what shows up in the pics... no matter what I do, the white always looks washed out in the photos As I mentioned in the other thread, I will NOT be trying to paint embroidery on the shirt. I tried it as a practice and found it way over my head.

The blue is just base coated at this point. The colour is created with Dark Prussian Blue+Medium Blue+ English Uniform+German Grey. I'm dubbing this new mix (for me) "Dnieper Blue"... *TM* I used three very thin coats to get a rock solid base and was pleased when it dried absolutely flat... bonus!!!!


All comments and advice are happily welcome

Cheers

Colin

looking good

Thanx for looking in Ralph

Update...
I've added the first two highlights. For the first I added Neutral Grey to my "Dnieper Blue" mix. For the second, I added Sky Grey to the 1st highlight. I might do a 3rd highlight just touching the edges of the vertical ridges in the pantaloons.

When I start shading I think the depth of the folds will really show and allow the highlights to "pop" more.

Thoughts?

Colin

nice start.

marc

Update on the cossack...
The blue of the pantaloons has be shaded. As with the same blue on the Taras Bulba figure, there are three layers of shading... 1st by adding Dark Prussian Blue to the base then more D.P.Blue and German Grey and finally adding black for the deepest recesses and to create a hard contrast between the blue and the adjoining colours.

Once the sash is done (next step) the main blocks are done and the task of painting all the detail of this figure begins. The fig looks pretty simple at first glance but all the bits of equipment and up to a TON of finnickety detail painting.

Wish me luck

Colin

Luck

Progressing very nicely Colin.
You have really cracked the blues Mate, excellent work.
Cheers,
Keith

A little progress... The sash in Carmine.... Adding Sunny skintone to highlight and Red 926 to shade. Red Black for the deeper shadows, under the arms, etc.


Colin

Your flesh tones work well Colin, good choice of colours.
Keith

Update...
Picking away at the details on this guy. I added a grid pattern in dark red on the red sash... hard to see in the pics. Did the black leather belt and silver hardware. Also the steel, wheellock key and the pewter drinking cup hanging from a chain behind his left hip. From the way it was explained to me by my Uke friend Mushka, these cups had a ball or a spike on the bottom so that when it was filled with vodka, it couldn't be put down on the table until it was empty or it would tip and you'd spill... unacceptable!!!!
The canteen is done... brown leather strap, wooden outer ring and stopper and a tooled leather center insert. I washed the insert with dark green wash (Citadel Thrakka Green) to give the impression of very worn green dye on the leather.

A few odds and ends left, the satchel (going to be a red-brown leather), the two powder flasks, the wheellock musket and the boots (undecided, dark brown or black leather). And of course the base .

Cheers

Colin

I really like the progress you have made Colin,
The canteen is incredible and the metalics, chains especially, look superb.
Good painting Mate,
Keith

Cool progress, Colin! The details are starting to pop up.
Just a suggestion on the blue pants. I think that adding few tones with royal purple and violet will create a nice effect.
Keep up the good work, my friend! Will follow closely.
Cheers,
Zeno

Thanx Zeno
Would you use the purple and violet mixed in with the highlight mix or as an all over "filter" to modify the general tone?

Colin

ChaosCossack said:

Thanx Zeno
Would you use the purple and violet mixed in with the highlight mix or as an all over "filter" to modify the general tone?

Colin

Click to expand...

As a filter applied only on few selected areas over the base color and transitions between base colour and shadows. This is just to add a little dynamics to the solid blue. It is optional but I think will add more chromatic interest.
Cheers mate.
Zeno

Thanx I may give it a try... Never would have thought of that, Hmmm

Cheers

Colin

ChaosCossack said:

Thanx Zeno
Would you use the purple and violet mixed in with the highlight mix or as an all over "filter" to modify the general tone?

Colin

Click to expand...

Hi Guy's
I had heard of using Purple and Violet for under toning all sorts of colours but could never bring myself to try it. So I will trawl back through Zeno's posts and follow the Cossacks with additional interest.
Good tip Zeno, thanks.
Cheers to you both,
Keith

You are welcome, Keith!
I don't want to pollute Colin's thread, but just to show you what I meant by those tones and how I used them. The cape is done in fieldgrey and added the royal purple and violet tones. The black tuck received some burnt cadmium red and royal purple.
Hope it helps
Cheers,
Zeno