Uruk-Hai
PlanetFigure Supporter
Dear Friends
I felt I had to write some more and hopefully some of you guys might be inspired to experiment with your paint mixes and even to try to do a vignette!
I have here included two 54mm vignettes, the first is another one from the battle of Agincourt (yeah, I know, no surprises here!)
This is like smaller sized version of the 120mm one I had done some 5 years ago.
And as you can see, the very same rules apply here. To make the figures appear as one, to make the composition as tight as possible. Once again, I choose to show the main character, the "lead actor" without helmet. Note the body language of these French knights, their desperation and frustration knowing that the battle is lost as well as their honour... Or in the words of Shakespeare "Shame, nothing but shame".
Also note the use and composition of colours, the white jupon of Boccicault, the French knight on his knees and the darker, supporting colours of the knights on his each side.
The in progress photos shows the different materials I use, from Magic Sculp, Duro/ M S mix and some resin cast parts of the armour. (these parts I had sculpted before and cast up in resin, to save some time for future medieval projetcs).
If the first vignette was something very familiar and well known to me, the second was not. And as you know, there is nothing like trying something new to challenge your painting skills! (and patience!)
Here we have the last charge of the highlanders at the battle of Culloden, a battle that must have been decided before it even begun...
I jhave had an interest in the Jacobite rebellion and have read several books on the subject, as well as watching the classic BBC 1960s film about the Culloden battle and aftermath.
Now I must shamefully confess that I have never painted a tartan during all my years in this hobby... until now!
So for the World Expo show in Chicago I decided to do a vignette showing this last, and doomed charge at Culloden.
And the key to panting tartan is indeed planning, to build up the pattern bit by bit. It is important to seperate these tartans from the ones in the late Victorian era. No bright or vivid colours here. Quite the opposite. And if we consider the condition of this highland army it must have been an army in rags, tattered, tired and worn out...
It was also interesting to check out how these tartan where made and how they were worn on the bodies.
All the painting was done using acrylics, and they where indeed perfect for a novice like me when it comes to painting tartans.
All the misstakes, and there quite a few, where easliy corrected. A final touch was to add several very thin whashes over the tartan painted parts, and for this I used several earth colours to mute down and to blend in all those lines.
I must confess that it was not so difficult as I had expected, like most things in life, the intial fear of doing something new is usually the worst part!
Now lets see if i have the guts to paint a samurai, now that I feel a little braver... !
Stay healthy, wash your hands and keep painting. And sculpting!
Mike
I felt I had to write some more and hopefully some of you guys might be inspired to experiment with your paint mixes and even to try to do a vignette!
I have here included two 54mm vignettes, the first is another one from the battle of Agincourt (yeah, I know, no surprises here!)
This is like smaller sized version of the 120mm one I had done some 5 years ago.
And as you can see, the very same rules apply here. To make the figures appear as one, to make the composition as tight as possible. Once again, I choose to show the main character, the "lead actor" without helmet. Note the body language of these French knights, their desperation and frustration knowing that the battle is lost as well as their honour... Or in the words of Shakespeare "Shame, nothing but shame".
Also note the use and composition of colours, the white jupon of Boccicault, the French knight on his knees and the darker, supporting colours of the knights on his each side.
The in progress photos shows the different materials I use, from Magic Sculp, Duro/ M S mix and some resin cast parts of the armour. (these parts I had sculpted before and cast up in resin, to save some time for future medieval projetcs).
If the first vignette was something very familiar and well known to me, the second was not. And as you know, there is nothing like trying something new to challenge your painting skills! (and patience!)
Here we have the last charge of the highlanders at the battle of Culloden, a battle that must have been decided before it even begun...
I jhave had an interest in the Jacobite rebellion and have read several books on the subject, as well as watching the classic BBC 1960s film about the Culloden battle and aftermath.
Now I must shamefully confess that I have never painted a tartan during all my years in this hobby... until now!
So for the World Expo show in Chicago I decided to do a vignette showing this last, and doomed charge at Culloden.
And the key to panting tartan is indeed planning, to build up the pattern bit by bit. It is important to seperate these tartans from the ones in the late Victorian era. No bright or vivid colours here. Quite the opposite. And if we consider the condition of this highland army it must have been an army in rags, tattered, tired and worn out...
It was also interesting to check out how these tartan where made and how they were worn on the bodies.
All the painting was done using acrylics, and they where indeed perfect for a novice like me when it comes to painting tartans.
All the misstakes, and there quite a few, where easliy corrected. A final touch was to add several very thin whashes over the tartan painted parts, and for this I used several earth colours to mute down and to blend in all those lines.
I must confess that it was not so difficult as I had expected, like most things in life, the intial fear of doing something new is usually the worst part!
Now lets see if i have the guts to paint a samurai, now that I feel a little braver... !
Stay healthy, wash your hands and keep painting. And sculpting!
Mike
...many moons ago…..
