Napoleon in an unusual dress

[gforceman]

here's a picture of a new Napoleon figure by Corso from Spain. It will be released by the end of this month. It's hard to come with an original Napoleon figure since there are so many already available, but Corso have hit the bullseye with this one. It has the Emperor in his nightdress, dictating a letter to his secretary. The kit will be a 80mm white metal casting. I know for sure I'm going to paint one, I'll keep you updated as I progress.

Best wishes,

Gino

 

[gordy]

Superb

 

[garyjd]

It's a beautiful figure, I'm sure there will be several done, especially by those artists that do a fantastic job painting white.~Gary

 

[btavis]

Gary, some of the folds look like they were applied as strips and then softened instead of impressing into soft putty. Have you ever tried sculpting clothing this way or are all of you sculptors going to tell me, "well yeah Bob, that's how it's done." This is all new to me as a novice.

I have been using this technique lately and it works out really well. Basically you create the underlying anatomy a little thinner than normal and make it very smooth, then build up the folds in rolled sausages of putty that are blended out into the underlying form. You can also create impressions into the soft putty to create the zigzag fold effect very easily. It also allows you to work in smaller sections at a time which I prefer since I start to panic if the area to sculpt is too large. Another benefit to me at least is that this method does not destory the integrity of the underlying anatomy by making a crease to deep or anatomically deforming.

 

[LCoote]

Another benefit to me at least is that this method does not destory the integrity of the underlying anatomy by making a crease to deep or anatomically deforming

.

Bob, exactly right, I think this technique is best used for tight fitting clothing.

 

[gordy]

Originally posted by LCoote@Oct 22 2003, 03:06 AM
.

Bob, exactly right, I think this technique is best used for tight fitting clothing.

one of the best examples i've ever seen is the Verlinden (one of the early figures) of the downed Navy pilot in the dinghy, I believe it was sculpted by Roger Saunders..

the foldwork and wrinkles portrayed precisely a wet flight suit ( khaki pants and shirt really WWII navy pilot)

the effect was vey convincing as you could clearly see the underlying anatomy...

you know kind of like a wet t-shirt

 

[garyjd]

Bob, I do folds using both methods. Which way I decide to do it in normally depends on how I feel like doing them rather than what is the best way. Does this make sense. Anyway it's a great figure and study model if you're interested in drapery effects.~Gary

 

[btavis]

What really blows my mind is something like the Pieta by Michelangelo and seeing how he did draping garments chiseled out of marble. Or Bernini's work. I find that utterly incomprehensible.

 

[gordy]

absolutley, foldwork makes or breaks a figure...

 

[LCoote]

Bob, what a breathtaking piece of work, I have never seen that before, do you know how big it is, lifesize ?

gordy Posted on Oct 22 2003, 01:10 PM
absolutley, foldwork makes or breaks a figure...

Gordy, I agree totaly, some sculpters don't give it enough attention with just a few general creases here and there though it can also be overdone.

 

[btavis]

I have only seen it in person once many, many years ago (before some maniac broke the nose off of Mary with a hammer) and if I remember correctly it was lifesize or slightly larger.

 

[btavis]

Originally posted by gordy@Oct 22 2003, 01:10 PM
absolutley, foldwork makes or breaks a figure...

Draped clothing is obviously essential as long as it conforms to the natural laws dictated by the pose and the type of fabric being represented. In the Michelangelo piece the folds are doing an additional thing which is to give the overall sculpture its "flow" in design. If you follow the patterns of the figure poses and how the folds accentuate and reinforce the poses you will see how truly masterful the composition is.

As a novice sculptor I am lucky to pull off a convincing fold/crease much less concern myself with how it is aiding the overall composition. That would come from experience even though I know these things in advance intellectually.

It would be nice to have a critique section of the web site where "artistic" topics could be discussed with examples. It might help others to start "seeing" some of the elements that not only make a good sculpture but good design as well. Quang's pieces for example demonstrate all of these things in my estimation but there are numerous examples like Michelangelo's Pieta that could be used to illustrate some of these points.

Just a thought. I am an artist so I tend to see things this way anyway.

 

[Guy]

I like that idea Bob, I have gained alot of valuable info here from experienced painters/sculpters while sculpting my first piece (bust)

Guy

 

[garyjd]

Guys, Here's the painting the Corso Napoleon is based on. The pose is slightly different than in the painting, but it's a great figure anyhow.~Gary

 

[gordy]

In the works is a feature studying the laws of drapery, volumes can be written on the subject. I'm assembling photo's of live models with detail study on drapery with various materials (thin, thick cloth, leather etc.) with focus on various poses and closeups of the mechanics of draping... stay tuned.

 

[btavis]

Originally posted by garyjd@Oct 23 2003, 09:27 AM
Guys, Here's the painting the Corso Napoleon is based on. The pose is slightly different than in the painting, but it's a great figure anyhow.~Gary

Gary, Personally I think the feel of the sculpted version is better. The painting seems less elegant and the change in the poistioning of the head looking up instead of down gives a much nobler (haughtier?) sense of the man himself.

 

[bosko b]

Personally I think the feel of the sculpted version is better

 

[bosko b]

As i tried to say before (but was beaten by my "Add reply finger") i too think that the sculpted version is beter on account of the things btravis mentioned. On the other hand there is a thing that bothers me on the figure and that is the size of his head, i think it is to small, the figure looks like it's a big guy and not a 5 foot tall man of mediteranian origine. In that aspect i think the painting is better. Still a great figure though.

Luka

 

[LCoote]

I think it's hard to tell from the picture if the head is too small but the shoulders and chest do seem pretty big.

Actually I don't think the folds on the torso are very well done at all, the creases in the over garment are not really coming from the correct points ( should be stretching from the buttons to where the wrist is pulling it back) not in parrallel lines.
Those vertical folds in the belly area are also very off putting to me.
The creases in the upper arms also look to me to be going in the wrong direction( if the arm is behind the centre line of the body as it looks, the material should be stretching from the front of the shoulder and vise versa.

I think the painting is better in this respect.

Sorry, but I'm picky when it comes to drapery as Gordy said it makes or breaks a figure

 

[btavis]

Maybe not "picky" but discriminating. All good points.