Posted by k.b. on 30 Mar 2023, 21:34
Thanks a lot Peter, Bessiere, Chris and Minuteman for your kind words. I would agree that they’re not bad……. as I think Bluefalchion once told me some time ago referring to my Napoleonic Cavalry. In all truthfulness these hussars were painted long, long ago.
If I’m not mistaken the riders were painted in humbrols and the horses in oils. At this small scale I would probably be painting my soldiers in humbrols until today if I still had the full range of colours at my disposal. Needless to say I don’t . Indeed, they’re a rarity here in São Paulo… One thing’s for sure, my productivity would definitely be much greater if I did BUT unfortunately I have no choice other than to stick with my oils, which are far easier to come across. Undoubtedly oil colours are deeper, richer and easier to blend but on the down side I am resigned to never being able to paint even a quarter of the figures I own in this lifetime.
If I look at the figures critically today I can immediately see that my eyesight was much better when I painted these fellows. It’s crystal clear in the subtlety of the faces, precision of the eyes. In those days I would invariably get the eyes spot on at my first attempt. Aaah those were the days…… However, on the down side I could certainly have deepened the shadows, tweaked the highlights in the pelisse, blended the blue overalls better. Improved the horses eyes. Added a few buckles to the halter and reins.
I suppose to compare my painting then and now I will just have to paint a few more of them afterwhich I can compare the two. This aging process is sometimes cruel. But can we make up for it using an optivisor and years of experience? Let us see.
In the meanwhile… I’d say we should focus our minds on enjoying the present. Am not sure where I once read a proverb saying something along the lines of “We cannot let the sadness of the past, nor the fear of the future, interfere in the happiness of our present.”
Paint on my friends.