WIP Cossack Caricature #2

[Martin Antonenko]

11. Day, April 15, 2017

Lips...



...and as the crowning finish the drunk nose...:



The face of our hero ist ready!










(Translation: "The Russian Staff-Trumpeter")

 

[Martin Antonenko]

Small supplement:

My wife came home, took a look at the Cossack and said, "You wanted to paint a caricature and not a clown! - the nose is much too red!"

Haaah, yes, that is the annoyance of women: Where they are right, they are right.

So I joined again - and actually: Now it looks more real!

For photographing it is now unfortunately too dark - pictures I deliver tomorrow ...

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

These fellow looks great love the eye and the stubble on the chin ....as for the nose like yours my wife comments ...seemingly always right !

Looking forward to seeing the new picture

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

12. Day, April 16, 2017

Corrected the nose - and I think now it works...:

 

[Martin Antonenko]

13. Day, April 17, 2017

Today I painted the shoulder straps of my cossack - in russian they are called ""Pogoni"/Погони".

They were held in the traditional colors of the Don Cossacks, blue and red...:



The "4. д." on them means "Четвертый Дон Коссaк полк" (say "Chetvertij Don Cossak Pulk", 4th Regiment of Don Cossacks").

There was another variation in WW1, brown/green, but I don't like those Colors at all - and the blue-red peace shoulder boards were also used at war to the field uniform...:





On the war shoulder pieces the tresses were orange - here one "Pogon" of the Siberian Cossacks with yellow number...:



On the blue-red ones the rank insignia were made by silver fabric.

Here an overview...:



For, our wodka-loving friend wears the cocade of an NCO...



...he can only have - logical! - the rank of an NCO!

---------------------------------------------

And now lets make a litte Quiz:

Have a look at the overview above an then a second one to the figure!

What is his rank?

---------------------------------------------


Well, to paint those shoulder boards I used the following colors...:



First of all I have underpainted the spots, where the regimental numbers are, very thin with "Light Flesh", for making the red more shining afterwards...:



Then I finished the shoulder boards - now my little Cossack looks like this...:







-----------------------------------------

And here my quiz question again: What is his rank?

 

[Martin Antonenko]

14. Day, April 18, 2017

Looking for the right color ...

Now the "Gymnastiorka" (the field blouse) has to be painted.

In fact, during the First World War it looked "earth-brown", a color which occurred among the Russians in almost every game between light brown and dark green ...:





My problem: I simply do not like this color - besides, I have such a attracted Cossack already in my collection.

So it's close to looking for another color - and I'm falling for the dark blue peace uniform of the Doncosaks ...:



However, over time, I was also not concerned about this color selection:

Our friend will be presented - together with the Caucasian Wodkalover - in a small showcase, which I want to hang on the wall.
And the inside is black.

Hmmm - dark blue against a black background? This is certainly not the best choice!

What to do?

And somehow I then realized that I had the solution all the time in mind ...:

The white summer blouse of the peace uniform - that is it!


As can be seen in the next picture, this white "Gymnastiorka" was also worn during the war - and parallel to the earth-brown variant ...:

So I gave my Cossack just a background of three very thin layers of acrylic white ...:










That is why I like to paint Cossacks! One has (nearly) almost always several possibilities ...

 

[Nap]

Martin

How I wish these were commercial !...a great SBS love the choice of white ..really works well with the cap colours


Your Cossack references must be amazing my friend

Following with interest as always

Nap

Is his rank Staff Sgt ?

 

[Martin Antonenko]

Jep, Staff Sergeant - "Vakhtmistr" (funny, this comes from the German word "Wachtmeister", the term of a "Feldwebel" in cavalry units).

Cheers


BTW: There is a good chance to see a third caricature soon. I have asked my friend in Belgium, for working with these guys is real pleasure...
If it comes, it will be the great master of the others - of course even as a bust...:

 

[Nap]

Like the sound of that next one hope he has a lance !

...you can feel the enjoyment and fun you are getting when working on these pieces and with your knowledge and additions making them very special othe for you and for the other guys on PF

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

Thanks für your kind words, Nap!

-----------------------------------------

Today I began to paint the white "Gymnastiorka" of the small Cossack.
For white this is similar to black:
If you brighten black with the obvious variant only with white, it looks flat and boring (I think).That's why I had "pimped" my "black" of Markus' Cossack bust by the addition of some violet, which I still like ...

Similarly, but vice versa, it is white. Just taking shades of gray to darken will lead to a rather unsightly and optically "flat" result.
So I've rummaged through my color box for suitable alternatives.
And then "Paynes Grey" by "Schmincke" has fallen into my hands!This color is, on the one hand, gray, but has a good part of violet pigments. Just what I was looking for!
So I tried to take these two colors, by the way, using pure white only at the highest lights...:



On the next pictures you can see the difference well, I mean: The left side (in the photos!) of the Gymnastiorka is painted ready - depending on the angle of vision and the light incident, the Violet appears in Paynes Grey times more, sometimes less.
I really like it!

 

[Martin Antonenko]

16. Day, April 20, 2017


Front of the white shirt is ready painted!

I must say, I like my "white" more and more...:

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

Must admit I agree about the whites , really suits the sculpt

Looking forward to seeing the medal

The question is will we be seeing the 3rd Cossack ?

Thanks for sharing

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

If the third one is realized I will post here an sbs...

Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

Dear Planeteers!

While researching on the white shirt of our Cossack I found this Russian painting "The First Riding Hour"!

I do not want to deprive you of it, because I find it so beautiful ...:



Cheers

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

Thanks for sharing a really fine painting , love the storyline here ..

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

17. Day, April 21, 2017

Backside of the shirt is even ready.

I have tried to suggest a little "anatomy" (eg the scapulae) with lights and shadows...:








The two places on the shoulders, where the arms are actually beginning, are not painted, for I have a question to you:

In what color would you paint these two spots?

- also white?
- or black, like the "invisible side" under the figure?


Opinions very much requested!

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

Looking good on the whites

As for the arms ..for me definately a satin black to give the bust some strong definition at the sides , this will IMO guide the viewer to the actual bust itself and. .....cleans the whole thing up nicely

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

18. Day, April 22, 2017


The first thing I did today was the two sides of the bust - where the cut off arms would start - painted black, which looks very good to the figure , I think ...:




Next step: The leather!

In the Imperial Russian Army leather goods had a very peculiar red-brown color ...:




It is still worn today again by the Cossacks ...:





Here an original museum piece from the First World War ...:




This red brown I have mixed with these colors ...



... and underpainted with it the belts...:






Well - and now we're off to the first vintage car event of this year ...!

 

[Martin Antonenko]

19. Day, April 23, 2017

I just painted the leather of my little Cossack - acryls for the buckles and oils for the belts ...:



I think the reddish original color I've met pretty much...:












Only the order is still missing - then it is finished!

 

[Martin Antonenko]

20. Day, April 24, 2017

Last step: The Order.


The Order, which our vodka Lover carries , is the "Krest Svyatogo Georgiya 4. Klassa", the "St. George's Cross 4th Class", a courage award, which was awarded only at wartimes...:



It is quite comparable to the German "Iron Cross" - albeit with an important difference!

While the "Iron Cross" was awarded without distinction of rank the Russian society and army was divided into strict grades since the time of Czar Petr tzhe Great!

Enlisted men and NCO's coult only get the 4th class...



...and the 3rd class...:



For higher classes, one had to be an officer - or the award of a higher class of this order - for example of the 2nd class ...



... went along with the promotion to the officer.


But back to our little Cossack!

The ribbon, on which the cross hangs, is the so-called "Georgs-Ribbon" - the colors orange and black symbolize Saint George, the protector of Russia ...:



The cross itself was stamped with tinplate and shows on the front also Saint George, who kills the dragon ...:




Especially the order ribbon is not so easy to paint on this scale!

I've taken for the cross these colors ...



... and for the ribbon this ones...:




And now my little Cossack is ready!








Thanks for listening and the comments!

Cheers