Tuesday, March 01, 2005

REDCOAT

Here is a redcoat for the aforementioned book. Notice that his uniform isn't clean. It's dirty and there are buttons missing--exactly as there would be. The British were well supplied during the Revolution and their red coats were often stolen and turned inside out and then re-dyed by the rebels. One thing that REAAAAAALLLLY bugged me about THE PATRIOT was how clean the uniforms were. There were no sweat stains or dirt visible. No missing buttons. Certainly not at all the way it would have been.

6 comments:

Jared Chapman said...

Damn James. This is FANTASTIC! Everything about it. The draftsmanship, color, details, pose... I can't stop looking. Can't wait to see more. What am I saying? I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS BOOK!

Jason Newkirk said...

yeah I was gonna say the same thing. Really amazing draftmanship. You must make your parents proud. Really great work. Cant wait to see what ends up of this stuff too. Keep sharing!

Ward Jenkins said...

Okay, I've got to ask...what sort of reference are you using for all this? Are you getting people to dress up in historical gear and then painting from it? Did your parents provide you with a lot of the costumes, etc.? Just curious as it just looks so authentic. I love it. I really am digging the colors. Very bright colors where they need to be as well as the dirt and grime. Great details. I love the dirt on the pants there.

James Palmer said...

Thanks for all the comments y'all...
Jared, I'll see that you get a copy. Who knows when it will be done.

Newsquirt, thanks to you as well. I'll keep everyone posted as to the progress. Mom and Dad are pretty pleased thus far.

Ward, I have a pretty extensive collection of references--figures weapons and uniforms. I usually eyeball a geture figure, create a nude figure and simply add clothing... I might post a tut on that so people can see how it all comes together.

Anonymous said...

James,

Great piece of art. I am a reenactor in the 55th Regiment of Foot (a Rev. War British unit). The only criticism I would have is that the waistcoat is circa 1800s;it needs flaps (a forgivable oversight). Also, this figure is pretty close to wearing regulation uniform pursuant to the Royal Warrant. There is evidence that many regiments made field modifications in the southern campaigns so if you had the inclination you could also draw redcoats with cut down coats, lace removed and cut down hats. I am enclosing a few links of reenactment groups with documented modified uniforms in case you are interested:

http://www.brigadeofguards.org/

http://www.najecki.com/40thfoot/40index.html

It's great to see such a talented artistic interested in historical accuracy. Keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

Hi!

Amazig work, thank you for this...And when and where can I get your book?

About the dirt:
I'm Reenactor, and I'm dealing with many attitudes and habits of the reenactors.

Many of them are lazy regarding the work of cleaning the uniform...

The cloth, so All the Uniform would become dirty after a short time,and this dirt was not removeble from it at that time, only letting it dry and try to brush it out.. but to look "clean", very much attention was given to all the leather stuff and metal....

So the leatherstuff, like shoulderbelts, cartridgepouches and shoes, the musketsling too, would have been white or black, because it's very easy to use the shoepolish (blackball) or the whiteningstuff (pipeclay) to have the leathersurfaces a clean and white or black look.

Also, with ash from campfire, "sweetoil" and brickdust, every piece of metal like iron, brass or pewter, was extremly highpolished, and the british soldiers where proud of their arms beeing amazing polished.

Personalle, I'm using only these old techniques, which most reenactors do not, and I'm looking clean, because the laether and the Metal is always greatlooking and clean...(After a battle, there's enough time to clean up the kit)

The gaiters, for example, where painted black and then keept waterproof and black, and shiny using the shoepolisch...

So, finally, it's wrong to bee absolutly clean, but, it'S wrong too, to be dirty everywhere...

And the White cloth, from the smallclothes (waistcoat and breeches) was easier to keep loking clean, than the old red ones....amazing, but easy to explain....every dirt, which could'nt be removed by brushing it out, was simply painted over with pipeclay, so they only covered the green, red, black, ehatever smug with the same white "coulor" they used on their leather.

But, beside this, a very great work.

regards,

Alex