Faces (1 Viewer)

[blaster]

Added a surcoat for the Official. Sculpted a different summer hat for a prince.

Added flowers for the two handmaidens. Adding other hair ornaments to the other women.

 

[whdamon]

impressive Skills I wish I had

 

[blaster]

I was lucky to acquire some of these skills. Learning from hundreds of failed figures helped. Remember these pieces were finally developed from expt armatures made many years ago (see the beginning of this thread).
So basically, I suffered. hahaha.

Here's the penultimate sculpts undercoated with primer before I start the painting.

 

[Obee]

WOW, looking good now with the undercoat, but I bet they will be VERY colourful when completed?

John

 

[blaster]

Hi John,

Im going for the full technicolour look...hahaha. Here's the basic underpainting in acrylics to identify a specific costume for each fig. I drilled two metal pins for each fig and secure them to a platform for easy painting.

 

[Horus]

Very nice Victor, they certainly liked colour and amazing when you see how the Silk cloth is made.

 

[blaster]

Hi Steve,

thanks for yr kind comments. I want to do a very colourful display of their costumes so I decided to do a scene of the retinue surrounding the Dowager. Most of her time was spent in the Summer Palace where I visited. Really desolate lives for them if you tk about it. Anyway thx for reminding me that the gowns are mostly silk. Ill try to simulate the sheen on the gowns.

Here are some of the figs WIP. Im trying to create little personalities for each of the figs.

 

[Horus]

Yes of course, the sheen of the silk, as movement catches the light, and you're doing a good job of capturing it.
The little pekingese dog, looks fun !
Very nice

 

[blaster]

Hi Steve,

Thx. I was busy painting up the figs to get them ready for a short meeting over the weekend. Not completed but the main elements of each piece have been modelled and painted.
As I have various books just on the Qing Dynasty and costumes, I'm painting a specific costume for each figure.

Here are the WIP. 1-7 so far.

1. Dowager Cixi - I'm ptg here in the famous phoenix robe. She has a white cloth neatly wrapped around her neck. Carrying her Pekingnese. She had a kennel of these types of dogs.
2. A nobleman - Wearing a brown dragon robe. The summer hat differs fro the other two officials in the grp. This shows the modelling of the cloak folds.
3. Consort - wearing typical hybrid-Manchu robe. These are always bordered with bold embroidery along the neck and sides.
4. A Eunuch - He wears a long surcoat which covers most of the dragon robe worn underneath. In the presence of the Dowager and nobility, most of the officials had to be less ostentatious.
5. A senior official. 1st rank Mandarin as shown by the white crane square worn on his shorter riding surcoat. This shows part of the dragon robe and some belt accessories. All the men wore pigtails.
6. Consort - I made her whispering int the ear of the other consort (3). She is wearing a plainer bright red robe but is covered by another sombre short surcoat. The Manchu headdress for high ranking consrts were very striking headboards which could be adorned with flower, tassels and various hat pins.
7. Consort - A younger more attractive lady in vogue wearing a rather flashy robe. Perhaps the Prince latest paramour? Old photos from the court shows unattractive older women and I guess the harem would be enlivened by occasional new transfusion.....hahahaha.

I;ll be adding at least 3 more figs to this grp and am thinking of how to place them in a shadowbox scene.

Rgds Victor

 

[Louis Badolato]

Wow Victor! Terrific paint work!

 

[Horus]

Fabulous Victor

 

[blaster]

Hi Louis and Steve,

Thx. Still a lot of work ahead. Here are 4 figs almost sculpted.

1 Nobleman- I reworked most of the robe and added belt accessories.

2 Two servants - simpler headdress and clothing. Short surcoats worn over a robe or pleated skirt.

3 Consort - hybrid semi-formal dragon robe with large horse cuff sleeves. The details will be in the painting.

 

[Horus]

Looking at the ones you've already painted Victor, the Pekingese dogs came out well.
As has the Cranes you've painted, well done again Victor, you have a steady hand and good eye

 

[blaster]

More ptg done. Awaiting the oils to dry out before I do further touchups for the first lot. Will redo the dowager's face. Hope you can see the phoenix motifs emerging....

Starting on the nobleman. Notice the placement of the dragon motifs and the main colour blocks for a typical dragon robe.

 

[Horus]

Looking very nice Victor

 

[Louis Badolato]

Again, fantastic paintwork, Victor!

 

[blaster]

Hi Steve and Louis,

thx. I was examining the Dowager's head and decided that it was too pedestrian. So I resculpted a new head carefully, looking at a photo of the Dowager.

 

[blaster]

Subst the new head for the dowager fig.

 

[blaster]

further minor conversion.