Caligula

[Nap]

Hi Guys ,
Some pics of the great Ademola22 bust , very much a trial and error , especially with the whites !!!! Really enjoyed this and as normal the quality is outstanding .Painted using oils for flesh with acrylics for clothing .

Nap

 

[megroot]

great painted bust

Marc

 

[Guy]

Beautiful painting Nap.

 

[tonydawe]

Hi Nap, That's a wonderful bust mate. My only comment is that the flesh tone could do with a bit more contrast, in my opinion. I'd like to see some more highlighting on the nose and brow. The purples and whites are spot on.

 

[Nap]

Hi Guys ,
Thanks for your comments , appreciated ..first time in oils for flesh , so I think you are right Tony , but looking at the actual bust there are highlights on the areas you mentioned , they just need a little more ...or its my pics !!!! ..its all a learning curve ..but I certainly enjoyed this one ...especially the purples and whites .

Nap

 

[je_touche]

Wasn't Caligula murdered as a man of under 30 years? So this cannot be him.

 

[theseeker]

Nap,
This is a very nice bust, I have him on the shelf. The eyes are outstanding, they truly look real. Please let us know how you painted them. I think your flesh tones are spot on. I am guessing you took these pictures shortly after you finished the bust? Oils take so long to "set in" but I think you have done an outstanding job all around.
Rocky

 

[Nap]

Wasn't Caligula murdered as a man of under 30 years? So this cannot be him.

Yes he was murdered , all my references show him with greying white hair ,,and considering what he got up to I should think so , he also suffered from various disabilities which some historians think account for his recorded hair colour . I am sure that Ademola have also fully researched this before painting either way it was a great bust to paint .

Nap

 

[Nap]

Rocky,
Hi thanks for your comments , yes the oils are still drying !!! eyes make a model , sometimes they seem to work better , but what helps is the sculpt and this is a great sculpt .
How do I do eyes ...well I have lots of pics of my family's eyes ...all ages so that's a good reference to start with , another good reference is Historical Miniatures Magazine No 27 page 14 - article by the late and great Bob Knee also Figure International No 15 - good for all scales .
What I do is use a very light gray initially and then use a very diluted Cadmium Red , this will work into the corners ...have a look in the mirror. also I line the top of the eye with black and the bottom with umber , make sure you put a light in (titanium white) where it catches .
When I paint a pupil I also put a additional highlght colour in , leave it to dry fully and then put the watery effect on either using gloss varnish or as I did on this one Liquin .
I also find it helps if you paint around the eye area with a base colour (I normally use Lifecolours Matt Stone UA 097 /FS 30266- but this depends on how the flesh is required to look)
We all have our own way to do eyes , this is mine ..but I do adapt as required.!!

Nap