Battle painting in Oils. (Landsknechts again!)

**Phil Moss** · March 24th, 2007, 05:57 PM

Hey up,

This is a new painting I'm doing based on sketches I made at the Royal Armouries in Leeds (check out my sketchbook at the bottom for the original sketches). It's in oils, I started off trying a technique of colour wash, but i found it didnt suite me, so I returned to my umber underpainting ways!

Attachment 112874

the old workstation...
Attachment 118345

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Thanks for looking, C & C welcome and appreciated - will update as and when!
Cheers,
Phil.

**B Anne** · March 25th, 2007, 05:24 PM

Wow. Very impressive so far. I've never been able to do tonal-style drawing/painting. It takes too much thought for me, as sad as that is. This is turning out very nice. I have a question though, on the man farthest from view. Is he being painted over, or are you doing something different with than the others? I noticed he sort of blends into the scenery now.

I don't have anything to say as far as improvement goes, so keep up the great work. Can't wait to see the finished product!

**Phil Moss** · March 26th, 2007, 10:17 AM

Thanks! That man on our left is being removed - I quite like the figure as he is, but the way I positioned him on the horizon line was throwing the whole image out of perspective - plus he was slightly hogging the focal point, and I wanted something more impressive in his place.

This is the next stage anyway:
Attachment 113766

I've begun to block in characters in the background with wash, and then I've begun the first stage of colour on the foreground figures (working from the inside out). I'm having a bit of trouble with the face of the central figure - I've left it as it is for now, I'll revisit it when I've got though the other characters (hopefully I'll have a eurika moment at some point and the problem will be as clear as

)

Cheers,
Phil

**nickmarshallvfx** · March 26th, 2007, 01:26 PM

Lookin great! Im gonna have to get myself to the Royal Armouries soon and do some studies like this. Cant wait to see finished piece!

Nick

**Phil Moss** · April 5th, 2007, 01:11 PM

Latest updates.

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Being the first time I've attempted a 'full scene' painting, with foreground and background, sky etc, i'm having a few troubles with the overall feel of the painting, but I'm learning as I go

Any comments and advice most welcome!

Phil

**fragmentedchimp** · April 5th, 2007, 02:44 PM

Its all eye candy to me, and im in no position to give advice about oils so ill give you the 'go get em!' Its interesting to see how people apply color after the toned underpainting.

i did think the cloudless sky looked interesting.

**Mishra** · April 5th, 2007, 03:28 PM

Nice work is this part of a project or is it just for your personal portfolio? any way looks real good looks like you have made different versions can't wait to see it done! Good luck.

**Phil Moss** · April 5th, 2007, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by fragmentedchimp

Its all eye candy to me, and im in no position to give advice about oils so ill give you the 'go get em!' Its interesting to see how people apply color after the toned underpainting.

i did think the cloudless sky looked interesting.

Thanks very much - You're right, the cloudless sky does have a good feel to it - didnt realise until i put the clouds in... i wont take them out though - took me too long to do them

!!

Originally Posted by Mishra

Nice work is this part of a project or is it just for your personal portfolio? any way looks real good looks like you have made different versions can't wait to see it done! Good luck.

Thanks - It's a project i'm doing at college, though the brief is of my own design (well, I tell a lie, i'm doing the painting, when it's finished I'll write a brief to suit it!!), so it's more or less a portfolio piece. I know what you mean about different versions; I thought the characters looked fine up until i put the background in, not I have to revisit them as all the colours and tones kick off, it's almost two different paintings!!

Thanks for looking

Phil

**Phil Moss** · April 23rd, 2007, 04:30 PM

Sorry I havent updated this in ages - i HAVE been working, just never got round to pass by CA.

Attachment 128033

Well, It's a bad photo, but it's finished!! My main gripe with it is that I chose the wrong surface - i tried oil board for the first time, and found that it''s texture was far to rough - so in future I'll sand it down before painting on it.
Please let me know what you think of it?

Thanks!
Phil