Soldiers Gunther von Schwarzburg - Update 5

Well as you can see from the photo above, I have gotten a bit further with this project. This is where he is at today. I hope to get some painting time today and tomorrow so I should progress further on the red leather and gold armor.

In the first three pictures below you can see that I had begun to build the highlights on the helm as well as paint the surcoat base color of blue. Prussian Blue with a bit of Titanium white was used for the base with highlights of Cerulean Blue. I did tone the blue mix down with a bit of lamp black but it doesn't appear in the photos, that's for sure. Once dry I applied the base red trim color. My next painting session will be further shadowing the surcoat and applying some highlights to the red. Then the fun of painting little lions will begin.

Repeated layers of Titanium White glazes were applied to the steel of the helm to build the highlights. You can't see it in these photo angles but as with the bascinet helmet I applied some reflected blue to the steel where it is directly facing his surcoat. Once the lions are painted I will know whether there should be a bit of yellow as well (If a lion is close to the helm.). A final thin outline of black was applied and attention turned to the brass work on the facial cross and the lion crest.

The first highlights were Yellow Ochre and Titanium white lightened with more white each time I worked the brass. I didn't like the tone I was getting (too yellow), so I gave the whole thing a light thin wash of Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna to redden the colors. Finally the crest and helm rivets were painted to the same coloration.

Finally a wash of Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna was applied overall to the armor remaining, as this will be red leather with gold armor appliques. I have spent a long time looking at the helm trying to decide how to further develop my highlights and shadows. While doing so I repeatedly have looked at Igor Dzis' painting of this subject and have noticed that he chose to do the lion crest in what appears to be either red paint or covered with red velvet. I am leaning toward changing the crest to better match his painting even though other versions of this figure have been done in gold as well as a period memorial. Honesty will force me to admit that this is partially driven by my dissatisfaction with the appearance of the crest as it currently stands. I feel that I have lost the cylindrical transition in highlight and shadow tones, top to bottom and either way I choose to go I will have to do more work on the crest while I work on the peacock feathers.