Masterclass

Landsknechts Step by Step

MASTERCLASS

This page explores some of the more intricate aspects of painting Landsknechts. There are many different styles and cuts of Landsknecht clothing; some of which present their own particular challenges and require different techniques to conquer them.

The figure I have chosen has a good representation of such clothing and is a handy one stop method to explore these techniques.

Having prepared the figure as per the step by step guide the breast plate, skull cap, two handed sword and katzbalger are painted in black ink and left to dry.

Once dry, take a soft wire brush and scrub the figure gently (if you do it too hard you will damage the figure), this will bring out the inked areas in a brilliant polished finish. You can pick out any smaller areas such as the roping at the top of the breastplate and the handle of the katzbalger with the tip of a scalpel.

The figure is given a black undercoat and left to dry. There are two washes on this figure, the flesh and the right arm. If you do the flesh first there is a danger that the other wash may run onto it.

This figure's right arm is quite heavily ruffled, I have chosen to paint this a deep yellow with a wash to start to give further depth and to emphasise the cloth.

First a layer of Ochre 4A is applied taking care to allow the black undercoat show through. Once this is dry a wash is prepared comprising of Deep Brown Leather 45B a spot of Ochre 4A and a little water as I want this wash to be fairly dark (proportionately 3:1:1) be careful to avoid any bubbles forming in the creases, allow to dry.

Paint any areas of flesh to full completion. Start with a base coat of Flesh 5A, being careful to leave the eyes and a thin line underneath the lower lip.

Mix Scarlet 38A, Bay Brown 42A and water in equal proportions. Apply this thin wash to the flesh painted areas and allow to dry fully.

Re-apply 5A to the lower lip and also the left leg but allow areas of the wash shade to show through. Now apply the main colour, 5B. over the shade / wash colour being careful to leave the creases and shadow areas of the face and leg in the darker tone. Pay particular attention to the eyebrows, eyelids, nose, nostrils, cheekbones and chin. Be careful also to delineate the fingers and knuckles.

Finally, use 5C sparingly on the bridge of the nose (not nostrils), eyebrows, chin, knee, ankle, toes and knuckles.

The moustache was painted in the three colours of Bay Brown 42 and given a final highlight of Spearshaft 13B.

Painting the flesh fully at this stage gives the figure an early focus and gets one of the harder jobs out of the way (which if you mess up you can easily re-undercoat and start again without too much loss).

Remember to work from the inside out, as though the figure is being dressed. I started with the shirt at the back of the figure then the blue inner of the left arm; if you go over it doesn't matter as you can re-apply black ready for the outer part - in fact that's one of my top tips !

I then applied the rest of the colours, the right arm was given a careful re-application of Ochre allowing plenty of the shaded wash to show through, notice that the shaded wash appears to soften the black creases once you have done this.

Apply the midtone colours of each area with care. The blue areas of the left arm are left un-highlighted, only do this if a lot of the lower shirt is pulled through, otherwise either leave it or use a very fine brush.