Shkuros Wolves...

[Nap]

Hi Martin

As always the bath is in use ........nice bit of masking as well

Have a good weekend and enjoy the workshop...look forward to the result

Safe travelling
Nap

 

[Wayneb]

I think it looks good......As far as the idea on the fur goes.....I think I'm gonna go back in the woods and pound some salt.....keep up the good work

Wayne

 

[Martin Antonenko]

29. Day, Workshop at Goslar, February 28, 2020

As always with my heads, I start painting my eyes!

Before that, I was thinking about a "dramatic" facial expression as possible: Our friend is sabotaging for an opponent who is right next to him.

And - just like the horse's eyes - the look turns to this opponent despite the turned head! Means: The Irisse sit as far as possible in the right corner of the eye!

Second, our friend is in a fighting situation, so he should look "bad" as possible. That means I have to paint the Irisse as small as I can just now ** aaarrrggghh! **, because the smaller the Irisse, the more pungent - more evil - the expression appears!

The colors ...:



The result...:



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

30. Day, Workshop at Goslar, February 29, 2020

The first thing I did was to paint the Irisse a bit smaller and now I moved it to the very corner of my eye!

That makes my hero's look even "bad"!

Then I rummaged in the paint box for the ingredients for the skin color that I want to use. The consideration: Our friend is Caucasian and has a clearly perceptible darker skin tone than a Germans-safe Central European.

Second, he has black hair and very dark, almost black eyes.

In Russia, Caucasians are unfortunately often called "Tschornije" because of their appearance, which literally means "Blacks" - and corresponds in meaning to the American slogan "Nigger".

These colors are used:



I paint the beard with ...



Lips and tongue ...:



Teeth...:




And this is what the face looks like at the end of the day ...:






The final "finishing touch" is still missing!

The whole thing still looks pretty "flat", which will change with the application of the highlights (forehead, cheekbones, tip of the nose) - as well as the deep shadows, which will change especially on the lower part of the cheeks and temples!

In addition, I have to make a few corrections on the beard - especially on the left corner of the mouth (in the photo!).

And - unfortunately only on the photos here - I noticed that the right iris (in the photo) is not completely round. I have to do it again!

The reflex points in the eyes could also be a little smaller ...!

Actually, that would have been my workload for the third day of the workshop - but unfortunately my cat sitter herself travels on Sunday.

So I have to paint the finish at home ...


Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

31. Day, March, 2, 2020

The final lights and shadows are done - for the lights I increase the proportion "Naples yellow" and "white" of the basic color, for the shadows more "burnt umber" is added ...:



The corrections to the beard and both eyes have also been made.

I think our friend now looks REALLY angry as requested ...!








Cheers

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

A good weekend in Goslar for sure

After the 2nd update ....he looks angry ...might be pic but the front teeth looks like it could need tightening up on the left as you look

Will you add a touch of red in the White corner of eye?


Fine fleshtones as always with your faces .....very lifelike

Thanks for sharing

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

Will you add a touch of red in the White corner of eye?

They are there - but very tiny!

Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

32. Day, March 3, 2020


First: The upper incisors have been corrected - they now look much more even.

Second: tried to implement a friend's suggestion ("more highlights in the highlights!"). As imperfect as this may be, it really does matter a lot!

Third: painted neck and ears

Fourth: head hair painted.












From tomorrow it will be "wolfy" - I will continue with the papakha.


Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

33. Day, March 4, 2020


It gets "wolfi" - I paint the papakha!

The raw material - Siberian wolf. Not quite as big as an American Timber, but still significantly larger and grayer than the critters in my country ...:






The role models ...:










The colors ...:




The result...:














Cheers

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

Looking at the completed flesh and beard ...good suggestion from you friend ref highs ...works well

Today's update is as usual full of references ( bit worried seeing the actual wolf initially ...lol )

I like the ways it's looking ...will you add more browns ?

Thanks for update

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

will you add more browns ?

Don't think so...


Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

34. Day, March 5, 2020


First I refined the wolf skin of the papakha a little - the transitions are now a little finer and two or three more brown and ocher tones are hidden in the color mix of the fur ...:





Then the top of cap was on!

They were made of fabric and provided with the traditional (Christian) cross at the Cossacks.

You can paint it blue (Terek Cossacks) ...



... or red (Kuban Cossacks) ...:



But you can also paint it black ...



... for the "wolves", as we know from several reports, attached great importance to the darkest possible appearance in order to intimidate their enemies by the external appearance.

So black!






Cheers

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

That looks just great now ...will you be putting the design on the top like in the picture ?

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Romariogendalf]

I like to see and to read your topics, because everytime you take care about historical details and facts.

Thank you Martin.

 

[Nap]

I like to see and to read your topics, because everytime you take care about historical details and facts.

Thank you Martin.

Agree there ...excellent references and SBS details no matter what is on the bench

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

35. Day, March 6, 2020


Almost a week ago I started to paint the head of our hero - today I'm going to shoot it!

What is still missing is the cross made of tresses on the crumpled top of the Papakha.

For simple Cossacks, these braids consisted of ordinary white strips of fabric ...:



Officers - and our petro is an officer - wore silver braids, some of which could have been extremely laborious ...:



So silver!

At first, I took some gray tones to underpaint the tresses cross ...:





Finally silver was used - but only in the places where the highest lights are!

I used silver to paint only the edges of the braids, which are exposed to full light.

I blended the transitions between silver and gray with a very thin mixture (50:50) of these colors ...:



Everything together (in addition to a black outlining) results in a nice shimmer effect of the wefts, with which I am quite satisfied ...:



The finished head is now on horseback and pedestal in the closet - and next week it goes on here with the body of our Petro ...
Cheers

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

Looks very good , interesting you mix metallic and non to achieve the effect

Thanks for sharing

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

36. Day, March 9, 2020


I start with the torso today!



First it is prepared for painting.

First I drill three 3 mm holes on the underside ...:



Then the torso moves into the ultrasonic bath - and after drying, I glue a toothpick into the pre-drilled holes with two-component adhesive ...:





You could of course make a big light for ONE pin instead - but if the glue then comes loose due to the constant movements while painting - and the figure turns out of time by its own weight ...


After the adhesive has hardened ...



"Petro" with the toothpicks is then glued to a work block. You just have to make sure that the toothpicks are parallel to each other, because later fixing to the work block "under tension" can lead to annoying circumstances (cracking)!





**continued next post**

 

[Martin Antonenko]

Now there is the question of the primer - which color do I use for it?

Of course there is a uniform color chart for the "wolves" ...:



Only this color chart seems to be based on individual examples and is highly theoretical!

Members of this group did not run around so "colorful"!

There are written sources that consistently describe that Shkuro's "wolves" tried to be as dark and intimidating as possible, a kind of "psychological warfare" that should underline the wild and cruel reputation of unity!

Accordingly, the few original images available show that members of the division were mostly dressed in black and dark gray Cherkesska skirts - and their officers wore black throughout!

Only the colors of the shirts called "Beshmet" in the Caucasus varied ...:










#

When painting Beshmet and Tscherkesska, I will therefore use the only original color templates that exist - and these are two portrait paintings by the commander of the "Wolves", Major General Andrej Grigorjewitsch Shkuro himself ...:



This also answers the question of the primer:

I take black ...:




Cheers

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

Interesting using the 3 cocktail sticks ...all safe and sound ...I woukd have broken them ...several times ....any particular reason for like this rather than a larger centre one ?

Also very interesting there are medal ribbons being worn in some of the pictures ...that version would be different IMO ...

Can you posibly explain the markings ( bars ) on the left lower arm in sone pics if you don't mind ...intrigued !
Fantastic pics as well woukd love to get into your library...lol

Thanks for sharing

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Joe55]

I agree with Kevin, very thoughtful to use 3 sticks. Nice and secure setup.

Joe