Karl XII of Sweden

[garyjd]

The armature Here is the armature the bust will be built over. This is probably the most important part of a figure/ bust. It's the one part that has to be right. Even if the face, clothing and equipment are perfect, if the proportions are off you'll be left with a finely sculpted ill proportioned figure/ bust. Given that, the shoulders on the bust will be raised a bit once I begin that portion.

 

[garyjd]

Bolcking in In looking at books on sculpting techniques the sculptor roughs in the majority of the subject's features and then refines them. What I think is important, especially with a bust in this scale is devoting equal time to all parts of the face. How often do you see a figure/ bust that looks good from one angle but not so great from another?

 

[garyjd]

I'm going to go now and add a bit more to the back of the head and add some sculpey to "suggest" the ears to help keep the features in order.

 

[Anders Heintz]

Great Stuff Gary!!

 

[Automata]

Alright, I thought I had the bust thing out of my system. Your SBS is tempting me to start another one. This is looking very nice.


Barry

 

[garyjd]

Barry, ~Gary

 

[garyjd]

Refining the features I have started to fill out the facial features and I am now in the process of trying to get the best possible likeness of Karl that I can. Fortunately I've located a three quarter view of his death mask which I've been looking for. Here are the additional references I'm using today.

 

[garyjd]

I'm still pushing clay around, and this is how the bist currently looks. I'm open to any and all suggestions as to what I might want to do in order to achieve the best possible likeness with the references at hand.

 

[garyjd]

Here's a color picture.

 

[garyjd]

Frontal view.

 

[Guy]

Awesome work Gary.........having pictures of his death mask must surely help.

 

[Johan]

Interesting project Gary, I'm curious to see how it will turn out.

About that death mask, is it just my imagination or did Karl XII look like Dutch actor Rutger Hauer ?

 

[Jason W.]

Looking great my friend!

 

[garyjd]

Guy, Thanks a lot. Yeah, the pictire of the three-quarter view of the deathmask was a great find. My only concern with the deathmask is what happens to a person's muscles when they die? The painted portraits show a somewhat long face and the deathmask seems a bit more square. I'll probably settle on something in between.

Johan, thanks, I'm just as curious to see how it turns out myself. You're right he does look like Rutgar.

Jason, Thank you.~Gary

 

[Johan]

Originally posted by garyjd@Nov 21 2004, 03:49 PM


Johan, thanks, I'm just as curious to see how it turns out myself. You're right he does look like Rutgar.

Well... I did a google to see pics. of Rutger Hauer, and yes, there's definetely an uncanny likeness when you compare with those pictures of the Karl XII death mask ... !! Strange !

 

[Automata]

I think he kinda looks like the German tank commander in Kelly's Heroes.

Barry

 

[Manfred]

Excellent work and saved for future reference.
There IS some disparity between the death mask and the portraits.
Seems the chin is not as long as on the pictures. The face being wider may be atributed to him lying when the mask was done ?


There is a slight piece of Hauer in the face but I go for Barry's comment.
Looks like the well fed Tiger tank commander :" Bitte nicht rauchen, unsre Benzinleitung ist beschädigt" - "Please don't smoke, our fuel line is damaged" or so
:lol:

 

[Johan]

... Hmmmm... the tank commander in Kelly's heroes, well yes ... :lol:

But really, the first thought that flashed through my mind when I saw the death mask was "hey that's Rutger Hauer" .

---------> http://www.rutgerhauer.org/


I agree also that the death mask has a more masculine, fuller, stronger-jawed face than the portraits ... perhaps the portraits were painted when he was much younger ?

... Off topic, but since I've seen that death mask I'm always thinking of that movie "Turkish delight" and Monique Van De Ven ... Think I need to go out more :lol:

 

[garyjd]

Here is where the bust is today. I'm still working on his features and have placed the basic upper eyelid that needs a bit more mork.

 

[garyjd]

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