Some inspiration is found ...and some more cover artwork

What the heck - got most of the base colours down on the cuirassiers and the casualty markers but haven't got any WIP shots yet.  Found an unreal reference source for the cuirass - Sacha Herm's website.

The man is a genius.

What he manages to achieve with the Perry figures has got to seen to be believed.  His site appears to also be hosted on the Perry one - click on the Gallery for the Napoleonic 1815, then on his name.  Herm's latest will come up.

The first you are greeted with is his mounted Poniatowski - its enough to make you weep its so... perfect!  I'm serious - take a look and you'll see for yourself.

Did I mention Herm even has his own DVD tutorial available?  Seriously thinking about ordering it myself!

For my part I'm using his 7th Cuirassier vignette as my reference.  When I studied art at school I was encouraged to copy the masters to improve my own technique.  I figure its the same with figure painting!  With the likes of Dave Imrie, Giles Alison and others we have a host of hugely talented painters to learn from.

That's been one of the joys about my belated discovery of blogging - all this knowledge and artistry is but a click or two away! And you can interact with these miniature painting Michelangelos' through their own blogs.

How good is that?

Here Endeth the Rave.  Back to the brushes!

No, wait... I feel more raving coming on...  not - done - yet...

Just 'cos I like 'em so much - such great original GW figures (Kislev Lancers) - here's another shot of my Polish Winged Hussars that I found when I rediscovered my old artwork. Enjoy.

Winged Hussars posted for no special reason other than the fact we likes 'em!

I decided to edit this post to add some matching (sort of) artwork...  the last cover piece I 'discovered' recently, medieval Russian super-troopers, the Druzhina. These guys were the bodyguards for knyaz or chieftains and lasted from as early as 800s until the 15th C - the one depicted is circa mid to late 1400s. A bit off topic for my usual but he was such a great figure I couldn't resist drawing him.

BTW - while I remember it, thanks to another great blog I found today - the BigRedBatCave (and yet another talented figure painter specialising in Ancients) there is a competition of sorts to vote for your fave blog at the Best Blog of the Year Award at the impossibly named Figoblogotheque site... blog... thingy.  Check it out and put your vote in.  There are some great blogs there such as those I've mentioned above and Yours Truly might even get a guernsey!

Cheers,

          Doc