The Battle of Ballyshannon 1597

Pontus Milivio: 

Epilogue

 Introduction

...its been a while since i wrote about this project. It had its challenges in places, particularly when your visually juggling a number of elements & bringing to life the Authors concept for the plates, compliment the text, the work has to be dynamic enough to be interesting, capture the essence of the event, but accurate enough to be useful etc.

 

So with the 3 paintings complete, it might be interesting exercise for me to discuss the work process, it may be of interest for the casual Osprey reader to get a nuts and bolts insight into how an Osprey book is produced?

...do i have a process you ask? I do, but i try not to get bogged down or become too dogmatic in these or get into a situation where i cant work because i dont have the correct grade of paper or the point on my pencil is too long ;¬)

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Part II

Four step process

1. References

This is the first step of creating the artwork for an Osprey book is getting your reference pack. This contains document with a descriptions of each plate, the scene with a list of elements to be included. The second part of the reference pack are the visual examples of the weapons, clothing etc. These are the specific elements that are to be fitted into the plate. Depending on the scene, it will depend on how detailed these will be, for example there where many details in Plate C that didnt get put in as it was a birds eye view BEV, but they are suggested. So this is the starting point.

 

2. thumbnails

 initial thumbnails for Plate B

The next step for me as the illustrator is the loosest and most creative. To try and take the references and put them all together to create a feasible impression of the event that is to be portrayed. Now this seems easy enough, but at times it can be quite challenging, particularly if the view or perspective is restricted in some way. But its just part of the work and so you try to create something interesting or illustrative of a particular aspect such as a type of formation as with plates A & B, these both had a restricted view, but they allowed me to give a glimpse of what two various formations may look like meeting head to head. This title had a few formation versus formation plates Plate A & B, here you see a few thumbnails showing the evolution of Plate B

blue drawing of Plate B

a slight alternative of Plate B

a more developed composition for Plate B

Plate B

the final design, under painting of Plate B

Plate C
Below are few thumbnails illustrating the development of this plate, from thumbnail showing various versions of Maxentius' cavalry crossing the Tiber. I tried out a number of ideas and had some old paintings/drawings of the area and modern photos, so i felt it was worth exploring a variety of views. In the end up we decided a BEV would probably be best as it shows the scene in its entirety and allows for a view of the topography.

this thumbnail is beginning the process of taking a wider view, Plate C

initial idea, close up of rout, plate C

here is a more developed sketch of Plate C

final design Plate C (with some block sketches of horsemen)

Burgh type helmet

Conor, casting a javelin

Conor

A criticism i read some times of the artwork produced by Osprey is that it lacks scope or breadth, but with limited, time and quite a few poaintings to produce it is difficult to create a Detaille or Messonier, as CAMPAIGN book has a turn around of 2 months, research, create compositions, wrangle models if you can get them, then the serious work of painting, adjusting, maybe amendments etc. With Warrior you have 8 plates and a similar time frame. Some scenes are easy and problem free such as the "Speculatore" in Warrior, while others like Plate C in Ramillies was very problematic and difficult...

So i like to get the broadstroke of an event  or concept for a plates, "free draw" then eventually focus in on an aspect of the events being portrayed. I imagine a movie version in my head, i then run it through and take a snap shots, nudge back and forward (using thumbnails), i use a blue pencil for this stage (dont know why?), but you can draw over it and filter it out in photoshop. 

Once i have broad ideas done i gather refs (you have the accoutrements, equipment etc from the Author) but i have gathered bits and bobs up as well so once i get a green light for an idea i try if i can get a model, just to make life easier. Things like awkwards poses need a model IMHO, but for general figs i just whatever refs i can get same for horses, landscapes etc. The project did require looking at water in more depth than usual.

In order to keep the ball rolling i send the thumbnails as i progress to the editor and author and somewhere along the way we settle on a composition that compliments the book. 

Crossing the Tiber...

This job we obviously look at the Battle of the Milvian bridge, i learned alot and my ideas of that renaissance scene of Maxentius death is swept away by the waters of that most illustrious river. When tackling the final plate one of the debates was how do we show this scene. Maxentius and his retinue make a break for the ford of the river apprx. 1000m from pontoon, they are pursued by some of Constantine's troops who break off from the main force to pursue them. 

My preference is close up and in the midst of the action, this allows for detail for a sweat & dirt effect...but there were a number of elements in the landscape the Author was keen to show, such as the villa on the hill, the horti and the Tori Quinto mausoleum on the plain. So we decided to take a BEV of the scene. 

One of the challenges of this was the horsemen crossing the water, i managed to find a good source of reference for this online and used this source but attire the riders a la Royal Lifeguard, the most persistent element which i had to readjust a few times was the colour of the water which is coloured by the alluvial deposits and was known in Roman times as the flavus (the blonde)...

Three pillars..

The plates where divided into types of combat, 

1. Infantry vs. infantry, 
2. Infantry vs. Cavalry 
3. Cavalry vs. Cavalry. 

This simplifies the theme of the plates and illustrates various types of combat engaged in, during the battle. I find it useful to conceptualise these scenes macro shapes (blocks) if you like and then within each you can subdivide. Particularly with the formation compositions such as the infantry engagements of cavalry vs Infantry i used blocks as a big form to represent the mass of soldiers, how it fills the space and move this around within the specific environment.

Materials

For the initial stages i dont use anything special or unusual apart from a preference for blue pencils for the thumbnails. But to do studies i like to use Indian red, or sometimes with a black as highlights or emphasis, but i am not dogmatic on this. As for paper i only use Arches smooth HP paper, stretched and gessoed then sanded smooth. But for drawing paper its just Daler Rowney A2 cartridge paper or marker pad. 

The paint is Artist quality Windsor and Newton Acrylic, with a little flow enhancer in the water (helps avoid that streaky look and make it handle a little smoother on the brush), i used Sceptre Gold series II brushes, great point and last longer than Kolinsky which i prefer (practicality dictates). To transfer the drawings i first make a trace using tracing paper or marker paper, once the drawing is ready i transfer it to the painting surface i use a piece of graphite paper, have been using the same 2 pieces since 1997 (bought in Blackpool). 

Over the years I have used projection and OHP to transfer the drawing on to the painting surface, but i find they move and shift and you can end up with a slightly wonky drawing. I trace my final compositional drawings only as i try and do it the old fashioned way. Its important to take as many steps out of the production otherwise you get caught up in a vicious circle of processes.