Fancy a Knight out in Agincourt? (3 Viewers)

[Ivanhoe]

A couple more pics - showing my fifth figure for this time, now completed. He's Sir John Montgomery, whom I have given a lance for this charging pose.

jb;

That figure of Sir John Montgomery is great...painting is excellent, love the lance.

I have the unpardonable sin of wanting to pick up figures like this when I see them...at shows I keep my hands full to prevent this...looking at these pictures I wanted to pick this figure up for close inspection ! - first time for me that I recall.

Thank you for posting.

 

[johnnybach]

jb;

That figure of Sir John Montgomery is great...painting is excellent, love the lance.

I have the unpardonable sin of wanting to pick up figures like this when I see them...at shows I keep my hands full to prevent this...looking at these pictures I wanted to pick this figure up for close inspection ! - first time for me that I recall.

Thank you for posting.

I think we can all relate to that "itchy finger" feeling pal.

I can also confirm - he DOES feel very nice! {sm4} jb

 

[thebritfarmer]

The photos are not that clear. Can you mail the figures to me so I can have a better look?




^&grin^&grin^&grin

 

[johnnybach]

I've completed another Knight from my castings/spare parts - this time he's Sir Eustace de Ribemont - A French Knight, this time.

He's the figure in the top pic - at front left. I'm particularly pleased with how his arm, holding a Morning Star ( a particularly nasty type of mace, studded with spikes), came out. This is a non-standard arm/weapon made up from a paper-clip, arm parts from White-Tower Miniatures - and the weapon from Dorset Soldiers. With a bit of cutting, drilling the hand to accept the weapon - and some milliput used for the upper arm and sleeve - and gauntlet.

I've shownhim in with the rest of my recently completed bunch - at different angles - so you can get another view.

Last one, for now, is developing nicely so I'll show him too, when he is put together and painted. jb

 

[nmrocks]

I've completed another Knight from my castings/spare parts - this time he's Sir Eustace de Ribemont - A French Knight, this time.

He's the figure in the top pic - at front left. I'm particularly pleased with how his arm, holding a Morning Star ( a particularly nasty type of mace, studded with spikes), came out. This is a non-standard arm/weapon made up from a paper-clip, arm parts from White-Tower Miniatures - and the weapon from Dorset Soldiers. With a bit of cutting, drilling the hand to accept the weapon - and some milliput used for the upper arm and sleeve - and gauntlet.

I've shownhim in with the rest of my recently completed bunch - at different angles - so you can get another view.

Last one, for now, is developing nicely so I'll show him too, when he is put together and painted. jb

Man Johnny, your really good at this! The attention to detail, the colors, just great. Are you showing these any where else? I'm sure other would appreciate your work?
Ray

 

[Ivanhoe]

I've completed another Knight from my castings/spare parts - this time he's Sir Eustace de Ribemont - A French Knight, this time.

He's the figure in the top pic - at front left. I'm particularly pleased with how his arm, holding a Morning Star ( a particularly nasty type of mace, studded with spikes), came out. This is a non-standard arm/weapon made up from a paper-clip, arm parts from White-Tower Miniatures - and the weapon from Dorset Soldiers. With a bit of cutting, drilling the hand to accept the weapon - and some milliput used for the upper arm and sleeve - and gauntlet.

I've shownhim in with the rest of my recently completed bunch - at different angles - so you can get another view.

Last one, for now, is developing nicely so I'll show him too, when he is put together and painted. jb

jb;

That caparison on Sir Eustace de Ribemont's mount is fantastic !
The black edging on the pattern produces great depth...must have strained the eyes on that one.

Great job.

Thank you.

 

[johnnybach]

Man Johnny, your really good at this! The attention to detail, the colors, just great. Are you showing these any where else? I'm sure other would appreciate your work?
Ray

Thanks Ray - much appreciated - but no, I'm a Glossy Toy Soldier painter through and through - so what better Forum is there than this Treefrog Toy Soldier Forum?? Glad you like 'em - jb

 

[johnnybach]

jb;

That caparison on Sir Eustace de Ribemont's mount is fantastic !
The black edging on the pattern produces great depth...must have strained the eyes on that one.

Great job.

Thank you.

Yo dude!:salute:: Courtenay did one of his for this figure in similar colours - so I just followed suit! I did, however, give him a shield which Courtenay didn't. I also checked up on the Ribemont Coat of Arms - and included the rampant lion on the Yellow patch on the shield - though kept the caparison plain - just as Courtenay did. I substituted the Morning Star weapon for the lance though - as I just fancied doing something a bit different - and he looked too pretty with a lance. {sm2}

Yes, I tried painting the gold lining "frett" first without the lining - but it looked sharper with it - so I just took my time and did it a section at a time. My eyes are much better now - and I'm doing a wee bit more painting each day - although the Olympics ( and the great job all of the British Team are doing) eats into my painting time quite a bit.

Glad you like 'em too. jb

 

[johnnybach]

I have finally completed my seventh Knight from this bunch of castings - so have included them all in the pics below.

My last figure ( front row right in the top pic., - is Sir Amyan Brett - in the livery he bore at the Seige of Calais in 1346.

His blazon (written description of his Coat of Arms),reads: "Gules, in Chief a Lyon Passant guardant Or" - which when deciphered reads A Red field with a Golden Lion in the top part of the shield (the Chief). The lion passant guardant refers to the pose of the lion, which in this case is on his feet with one paw raised.

Most of the seven below are my own versions of figures that I have seen online at Auction sites - and I'm particularly grateful to Vectis Auctions - which I frequently look at online - for their photos of such figures, by Richard Courtenay - or Freddy Ping, which are particularly inspiring - although the prices these original figures go for nowadays, means they remain out of reach for me. But.............this doesn't mean that I can't have a version of my own - and it's great fun to work out how to do something like them, and whip out the paint brush!

This last figure, however, came from the pages of a book I particularly treasure : "The Dictionary of Heraldry", by Joseph Foster, 1989 - which was reprinted from the original black and white version (Originally titled "Some Feudal Coats of Arms" - 1902). The difference between the original and the more recent version - is, of course, the Coats of Arms have been reproduced in full colour - which is most helpful - and I chose Sir Amyan from there as my last Knight to make up in this latest series. I chose a raised lance for this last figure - and remade the arm to include a short sleeve to his jupon - which also bears his "Coat of Arms".

Here they all are - and I hope you like them.

Until the next time............ jb:salute::





And here a view - showing the detail at rear of the figure.

 

[Ivanhoe]

I have finally completed my seventh Knight from this bunch of castings - so have included them all in the pics below.

Here they all are - and I hope you like them.

Until the next time............ jb:salute::

jb;

Amazing "series"...you should be quite pleased...Thank you for sharing the pcitures.

All of them are excellent !

A joy to view your work.

Haven't asked you this before...Do you paint the Heraldry; Eagles, Lions etc. freehand ?

 

[johnnybach]

jb;

Amazing "series"...you should be quite pleased...Thank you for sharing the pcitures.

All of them are excellent !

A joy to view your work.

Haven't asked you this before...Do you paint the Heraldry; Eagles, Lions etc. freehand ?

Hi - and yes - I'm quite pleased with how they turned out. I enjoy posting the pics too - and it helps to get an enlarged view of them myself -to check for any errors or omissions too.

As to painting freehand - yes, I always paint freehand - but if I'm doing something new for the first time, I will frequently practice drawing the figure first - a few times - and then practice painting at the size I want, on something like the inside of a margarine tub lid. This seems to work for me - and the practice helps get the figure "in my head". ( hope that makes sense).

When I'm satisfied it's coming out pretty well - I have a go on the figure.

Errors can always be removed or overpainted if it isn't quite right - but it usually goes okay. All seven of these were done freehand - and came out okay first time. However, I know my way around these castings pretty well by now, and I know how and what to paint - and in what order, so they aren't that difficult any longer - and the Glossy Toy Soldier style is quite forgiving.

I know you also have some of these figures - so I'm pleased you enjoy them too. jb

 

[Go for Broke]

Hey JB, how about showing us some of your drawings and margarine lid paintings? You must be quite the artist!

 

[johnnybach]

Hey JB, how about showing us some of your drawings and margarine lid paintings? You must be quite the artist!

Hi buddy - Just saved this from the bin - as I usually don't keep anything that is prep-work.

As you may be able to see - this is the first "ideas" stage - when I'm trying to make up my mind who I am going to represent this time. I just jot down ideas or images on a piece of scrap paper ( or literally, the back of an envelope sometimes) - and take them on from there.



I didn't do any "margarine tub lid painting this time - as I was quite familiar with all of the heraldic devices - such as lions/eagles/horns etc, used this time. So.......nothing to show - although I bin them too, once I'm happy with how the image developed.

I also have a look at the Vectis Auction site here in the UK - for ideas on who to select - and showed one of the pics I used earlier in the thread ( of Sir Rafe Beaupre). From these - and books, like my Foster one - or the internet - I get the inspiration for, firstly the shield of the knight - and from that I get the devices used on the caparison of the horse - which is most usually the same.

Here's a sample to scroll through

http://www.vectis.co.uk/Page/ViewAuctionLots.aspx?AuctionId=482&DayNo=3&Section=7488



There are some useful "Rolls of Arms" to be found online - here are some examples - which show shields (Coats of Arms) and are also helpful.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll_of_arms

All help to identify a knight ( and Coat of Arms/ date etc) and then I can follow up with any research I want to do about the Knight in question - again using the Internet.

Maybe next time I do some more Knights for my collection - I'll add in a bit more of the background stuff that I do - before choosing who I'm going to portray - and how I go about it. Thanks for the question - I'm afraid I had rather taken for granted that such preparatory stuff wouldn't be of much interest to anybody else.

All the best - hope this scrap that survived the bin helps - jb

 

[Go for Broke]

JB, just like Da Vinci. Thanks for posting.

 

[johnnybach]

JB, just like Da Vinci. Thanks for posting.

Ha-ha! - just call me Leonardo-bach

 

[JD1990]

I'm hijacking this thread to post my latest project here. Here are some progress pictures.

 

[JD1990]

Here are the photos of the completed project. I painted him as geoffroi de charny. He died at poitiers in 1356. Here he is charging with my version of the oriflamme.

 

[johnnybach]

I'm hijacking this thread to post my latest project here. Here are some progress pictures.

View attachment 217040View attachment 217043View attachment 217044View attachment 217045

Well - it's adding a splash of colour to an otherwise barren thread now - thanks to our chums at a certain Photo-storeage facility!

Well done - keep at it! Are these re-casts from Dorset, perchance?

I have a couple of Knights with Oriflamme - but haven't one of de Charney yet. Here are mine below - both of which originated as castings from Dorset - but I've changed them both somewhat, by grafting on other parts/weapons etcetera, before painting. Note that I have chosen to depict them both with flying banners attached to the pole. As the banner no longer exists, having been destroyed during the French revolution - I think it's fair game for some artistic licence.

There's an interesting account of the Oriflamme (Gold Flame) at this website - which might be helpful if you try out some further figures with this banner at some future point.

http://www.xenophongroup.com/montjoie/orifl-fa.htm



My favourite is Gui Sieur de Tremoille (killed at Crecy 1346) - my other knight being Miles de Noyers. jb

 

[JD1990]

Well - it's adding a splash of colour to an otherwise barren thread now - thanks to our chums at a certain Photo-storeage facility!

Well done - keep at it! Are these re-casts from Dorset, perchance?

I have a couple of Knights with Oriflamme - but haven't one of de Charney yet. Here are mine below - both of which originated as castings from Dorset - but I've changed them both somewhat, by grafting on other parts/weapons etcetera, before painting. Note that I have chosen to depict them both with flying banners attached to the pole. As the banner no longer exists, having been destroyed during the French revolution - I think it's fair game for some artistic licence.

jb,

This one happens to be an original hollowcast, rather than a Dorset purchase.

As for the shape of the banner, I was inspired by this stained glass window showing St. Dennis handing off the oriflamme. I believe this panel is from a cathedral in Chartres. Enjoy!

 

[johnnybach]

I'm impressed that you managed to find an original figure to repaint - these are getting more difficult to find these days.

I just LOVE old Stained glass windows - and have seen many beautiful examples in France - having lived there, off and on for around 25 years or so.

Chartres is a beautiful cathedral with nearly 150 such stained glass windows of various shapes and sizes. This window can be found in bay 116 of the Cathedral. When I visited it some years ago - I noted that their particular version of the Oriflamme had five tails - and indeed, used that as my preferred shape and style for my own two versions that I posted earlier, below.

The Oriflamme was the ancient Standard of the Vexin ( an old part of north West France) - and an old folklore had it, that it was originally soaked in the blood of Saint Dennis ( so, mainly red in colour) - and thereafter kept in his Abbey, to the North of Paris.

Adopted by Phillipe Augustus of France as his Battle Standard, it was carried at the Battle of Bouvines (27 July 1214), where the French forces were victorious over a combined Alliance Army of mainly German and English troops.

A custom developed thereafter, that whenever the King went to war, his Standard Bearer (Porte Oriflamme) would collect the Standard from the Abbot of Saint Dennis - to be carried into battle.

The window at Chartres indeed shows Saint Dennis handing over the banner to a French knight - who can be identified from his heraldic device on his coat ( and also in the panel below his image), as Jean Clement of Mez, who was appointed as Marshall of France in the year of the battle, 1214.

It also appeared in the famous battles of Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt.

jb