An ingenious and excellent addition to the base.
I've used pearlescent acrylics (FW Pearlescent) to achieve silk effects and, needless to say, realistic looking pearls.
Very well done Martin.

Cheers,
Andrew

60. Day, May 28, 2018


The longer I look at my little church banner, the more I'm satisfied with the result so far!

So I finally decided to use the thing as a base decoration!

Therefore, today was again "kneading" with "Milliput" announced.


Previously, a few words of explanation:

In the Empire's Roman army, such a "vexillum" standard was probably the field symbol for individual cohorts and / or detached units.

Also these standards already showed (mostly at least!) Llterally hanging ornamental elements (here a reconstruction!) ...:



These field signs came to East-Rome - and the Byzantines also used them, but mostly in a double function as religious banners and Military standards!



The lateral decorative elements had been preserved ...:



With the spread of Christianization, the Banners reached Eastern Europe and the Kievan Rus, the precursor state of today's Russia!



There (as well as in the so-called "Hetmanat", the Cossack state in today's Ukraine) they were finally consecrated to religious banners, which were accompanied by armies as auspicious symbols in addition to the troop flags and field signs!

The shape was retained as well as the two side ribbons - which were usually decorated with tassels at the bottom ...:



To complete my church banner, today I made the two side ribbons as well as the two brass balls, which usually completed the crossbar of the banner to the outside, as you can see in the photos above.

Finally, I made the two brass fittings that attached the eyelets to the crossbar, which in turn had the cords (or ropes) to attach the banner to the actual support bar.

The two tiny eyelets are made of 0.5 mm thin solder ...:



They almost drove me crazy when bending and fixing!


This is what my banner looks like now - and now it's allowed to cure in peace ...:









Cheers

Must agree... A delight to follow, easing the pain not to be so inspired as you...

61. Day, May 29, 2018

Today I have first primed the ribbons of my banner with a brush ...



...... and then painted.


The colors are the same as the flag cloth ...:




The only exception:

The fittings on the crossbar I've painted as "metal" - with this ...:




Finally, the ribbons also got a thin finish with pearl effect varnish ...:




The paint is still wet in the photos because I just finished. In the dry state it will - as you can see the flag cloth well! - even a bit dull and completely transparent.

Then you will also be able to see the pattern with "old gold" on the decorative ribbons ...:








Tomorrow I will start with the carrying rod.


Cheers

62. Day, May 30, 2018


The last detail, the carrying rod of my church banner is now the turn!

I make this out of a brass tube, for later stability.

When choosing the diameter, I oriented myself to real templates - these rods were not filigree walking sticks, but rather thick!



Such an embroidered or painted double silk banner weighed a lot ...

Incidentally, a few of those rods can be seen in the background of Ilja Repin's painting ...:



The diameter also meets today's templates...:




At the top of the pole, I first make a "brass fitting" for the two eyelets, into which later the ropes (or the cords) are threaded, which hold the actual banner.

Above that there comes as with the templates...




... again a "brass ball", but a little more voluminous than the one on the crossbar.

And then the whole is crowned by a Christian cross.

But: which cross?


We have to talk about religion!


The "wild field", where the Zaporozhian Cossacks lived, was wedged between three different religions, all claiming an absoluteness claim for themselves:

In the west and northwest was the "Reszposzpolita", the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. There they belonged to the "uniate" (then Roman-Greek) church.

In the south and southeast were Tatar khanates, the Ottoman Empire - and beyond Persia.

There lived Muslims.

And in the east was Moscovia (later Russia) - there was the Russian Orthodoxy, which had developed from the Byzantine religion - why Russia also understood as "the third Rome".



All three religions understood themselves first of all to define their own group ("We believe in XYZ and therefore are the good guys!") And to differentiate themselves from other groups ("The others believe in ABC and therefore are the bad guys!") And were each other hostile!

And the Cossacks were ...: Russian Orthodox!

We know exactly when they were that, because a Zaporozhian Ataman named Petro Konashewitsch-Sagaidashnij ...






... submitted to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1598 during a public ceremony!





Of course, at the place where this happened (a hill near the town of Khotyn on the Djnestr in today's Ukraine) stands a monument today...:



Ataman Sagaidshnij did this not only for himself but also for the entire Zaporozhye Cossack host!

However, the Cossacks largely took over only the formal rites of this belief (including the church banners). The religion itself lived them out in "Cossack style":

"Charity" for example, they practiced so that they were themselves the next ...

So flags and banners of the Cossacks wore a cross on the top - and as usual with Russian orthodoxy this cross could look quite "normal", as we know it, or the more complex shape with the additional small crossbar above and also the little bit crooked ("Left is up and right is down!") have crossbeams below.

Here is a selection of such crosses that once adorned Cossack standards and banners, in the museum on the island of Chortyza ...:



I chose the complex cross because it will do more on my banner - even though it was extremely difficult to model the thing in one piece ...:




So much for today.


Cheers

63. Day, May 31, 2018


Today there is only small stuff to report - but important stuff, because it will later contribute very much to the overall impression!

First, the brass tube was set to the correct length and then the cross was mounted on top.

Then the whole thing was tested for its later effect, once at the working block ...







...... and a second time - very carefully provisionally mounted! - on the right base ...:






I know, I'm doing a lot of work just to pimp a simple wooden base.

But first, it's fun, second, it comes to a great bust with a very neatly successful painting to the good - and third, I like very well what I see in front of me ...


Cheers

No, only "soft" glued in a matching hole I've drilled in the ball before.

Then it breaks off - if - at least in one piece ...

And I think it's easier tfor me o re-glue the part than to make it new ...


Cheers

64. Day, June 1, 2018


My today's work again without words...:




















One last Detail ist still missing.: the "bracing"...


Cheers

65. Day, June 3, 2018

Sculpting the last Detail...:
















Cheers

Superb

Only one beer? A whole lot of them! Wunderbar! ¡Genial! Wonderful!

66. and last Day, June 4, 2018


First of all, I primed the cords, on which my church banner hangs, with a brush ...:




Then they were painted with my tried and tested "old gold" blend of black and "Andrea Gold NAC-55". The bust was upright and I took advantage of the capillary effect:

The color broth "crawls" around the "cords" around, most settles down - and so creates a natural-looking shadow.


And now my "Artjom" is ready!








That was a nice project, which I really enjoyed, even if the painting of the caftan and the church banner was rather difficult!

Thanks first to Pavol (Offo) for the beautiful sculpt and many thanks to you, for reading, commenting, praising (very important, the motivation increases enormously!) and also for critical questions.

Tomorrow I will build my photo "Studio" and take some final pictures.

And then my workbench sinks into summer sleep.


Cheers