VL Red Lancer Bust - Done

[KeithP]

Folks-

I think I am done with this bust. This was done all oils. First attempt at large scale and printers inks.

I wouild really appreciate critique directed at improving the shadows and highlights on the red and blue. Any other comments are appreciated too

 

[KeithP]

And another, pls

 

[KeithP]

And, last

 

[Guy]

Love your work Keith. The blue looks great and I feel you are spot on there. The red could be accented more possible with the use of a darker shade for the creases and around the arms. I used to have problems with doing red and found that I wasn't using a dark enough deep shade for red. I have saved your images you just posted as I have this bust in Verlinden and LeCimier too..............Great work!!!

 

[mikec55]

Keith,

Very, very nice. I especially like the cording & the emblem on his hat. Also, he has a pensive look, no doubt wondering where he left his arms & legs. Great job!

Mike

 

[y_wong]

Hey keith,

I concur with Guy regarding the red. I am an acrylic painter. For me i will add some brown to my red for creases and shadows. For highlighting, it will be yellow plus red. i would avoid white plus red as it will turn pinkish.

Anyway, great paint work!

regards

 

[gforceman]

Sorry Keith,

i can't give any critism. this bust looks GREAT! I know it's so hard to blend smoothly on large scale figures, and you have done a perfect job.

Congratulations,

Gino

 

[jitch0t]

Really great work on the bust Keith!

Nice piece!

 

[Patrick Kirk]

Kieth,
I like it a lot...really nice work with your blending and the flesh tones. I hope we can talk about these at MFCA this year if you are going.
I would offer one piece of advice...take a look at the chin scales and do you see where they meet the flesh tone..? The flesh tone "runs" right into the chin scales without any natural break...I would like to see you seperate the two tones with a very thin line of raw umber. Once you have the outline in, take a dry brush and scrub the hell out of it to soften the transition from the flesh tone to the chin scales.
This will do a couple things, first it will make the chin scales "pop out" a lil more and also show a break between your tones...
Bob Knee keeps pounding in my head about transition and contrast...give it some thought...take a look at the bust and see if you can pick up what I mean and if you need, shoot me a note at the house, and I can go in more detail, ok?
Hope this helps...

All the best

Patrick

 

[KeithP]

Thanks very much for all the nice comments and suggestions.

Patrick - Unfortuntley, I won't make it to MFCA. Little to far away from the left coast here! Just one question. What is a "chin scale"?

I appreciate all the encouragement I have recived from you folks. Keep 'em comin'

Keith

 

[Lou Masses]

Keith,

Very nice. Clean, crisp detail excellent craftsmanship. You picked two of the most difficult colors in the spectrum to highlight and shadow! I was taught that the key to these colors is that there really is no major highlight but as Guy pointed out, it's all in the shadows. If you try to highlight blue, it turns to sky blue and ends up looking like faded denim. Red turns pink or orange. If however you darken the shadows and paint the base colors a much darker shade, then you generally get the desired effect. For example (simplified versions, you can use different colors, I'm just illustrating the point)-

Prussian Blue-

Black shadow
Indigo mid tone
Prussian Blue highlight

Red-

Dark Violet (like Mars violet) shadow
Deep red mid tone
Cad red highlight
Cad Scarlet extreme highlight (if a scarlet uniform)

The goal is to use the color you are trying to portray as the highlight. The depth of the shadows will make the color look more natural at the highlight. The same method can be used for white and green.

That said, I would change anything on your bust, it is beautifully done. Chin scales are the straps from the chapzka (sp?) that tie under the chin.

Great stuff!

Lou

PS the face is awesome!

 

[KeithP]

Thanks Lou for the comments and suggestions. Is this the red combo you used on the Chota Sahib figs in the gallery? I really liked the soft and warm red tone.

I was blown away by the great blue and red on the 1835 Hussar in this months HM.
I'll definately give the indigo blue a try over the prussian.

Keith

 

[JP PRAJOUX]

Hello,
The bust looks very good.
I would myself insist a little bit more on the deep shadows on the red and yellows. Try to put green in your red to go further in the dark. Your shadow will be really deap and won't be a dark brown (green + red are complementary coulours).
A line of shadow would be nice underneath the "strap" (sorry for my english).
A last detail, I think that your red is a little bit too pink. Maybe you did use too much white for the highlights, try some orange and deep yellows with it.
When you put your shadows never forget that you shose a light coming from the top...
These are details that I think will add a liitle + to your beautifully painted bust.
Hope it helps
Jean-Philippe
(Etendard occitan website)

 

[Lou Masses]

Keith,

yes it is the method I used on the Colonel. David Lane's Hussar is spectacular. I don't remember exactly what color he uses to highlight the blue, but it was different and worked very well. I intend to try it on my Hussar.

I really enjoyed your bust. Fine piece of work.

Lou

 

[Jim Patrick]

As far as comments go Kieth, not sure what to say that hasn't already been covered. One thing is for sure though, your bust looks very good. No doubt about it. You have one fine finished product here. The one thing that keeps "popping" out to me is the blue. Last year at Mastercon I was fourtunate to set beside Andea Jula and Pietro Balloni (both sculpters and painters for Pegaso) and what they told me finally made painting the color blue work for me. They used a turquoise color to highlight blue. It worked wonderfully. For final highlights you can use a little light blue. Of course all they used were acrylics but I personally find color is color. One can learn a lot from oil painters and vice versa. A color (to highlight or shadow) will work for both mediums. Just my two cents. Again, regardless of which colors you used or didn't use, your bust looks good!

Jim Patrick

 

[olly_usafsoc]

i can't really criticise this beautiful bust........ i especially like how you've handled the strapping etc., looking forward to your next one.!!! :lol:

 

[KeithP]

Jean-Phillipe- Thanks very much for your critiques. I appreciate the input. I totally agree with you on the red. My last two highlights were cadmium red light which I felt was too orange and a touch of tit white which just muddied the whole thing. I will also try the green as a shadow too. I guess I better buy a color wheel, too

Lou - Thx. Love those Chota Sahib figs, too.

Keith

 

[Robin]

Supa work Keith

Robin

 

[KeithP]

Patrick - Now I can see why all of you say how valuable attending shows can be.

Lou-Thx for the follow up.

Oliver - Thx for the comments about the cords. Another memeber Johan sent me a color plate of the Red Lancer and that was a big help.

Robin - Thanks!

 

[Anders Heintz]

Hey Keith!

Great to see you finish this bust! I really like it, and can't add anything that hasnt already been said. I do love your reds though, I have to paint something red!

Now that you finished this one, what is next up?