This is my first try to make a composition of two figures. As well as the first melee scene at all.
It made in 75 mm using Apoxie Sculpt . For several parts and details I used Quick Wood putty and Tamiya epoxy putty as well.
Costime details are basing on Christa Hook's illustrations to Osprey books.

Very very nice work . Ilike the fact that its pretty tight as a compositionand i would definately would paint it if it was commercial
Bravo

Hi Vlad,

your vignette looks absolutly good to me. I like the dynamic of the both figures. The folds are outstanding.

I´m looking forward to see this vignette painted.

Cheers,
Markus

They look beaytiful!Great work!

You've done an outstanding job with the interaction between the two figures. Looking forward to seeing it painted.
Pete

Looking very great Vlad! Great sculpting! Folds look very realistic. How did you make turkish shield?

Cheers Mikko

Thank you, friends, for your feedback.
I still don't know if it will be avialible commercialy. First I have to find someone who'll be intested to cast it.
As to paintihg - I'm wery poor in it that's why I'm not planning to paint it by myself.

Mikko
A usual way of making a shield you can see here.
In a short words first I put some sculpey for its inner side. Then I put a thin layer of Quick-Wood as a wooden base of a shield. Don't bake Sculpey - otherwise it will be hard to divide shield itself from its inner part. Then I cut a shield with scissors. After that I put one more thin layer on its front side - it's a calfskin. This time I used Apoxie Sculp for it.
The last part took a plenty of time - to make an inscription in farsi language and brass buttons. As a model I used original seljuk shield which photo I found somewhere in museum collections. I'm not shure I successfully copied all farsi lettrs (shame) but I did my best

Vlad,
nicely done! I really like a scene with lots of action and interaction and this one pays off in spades! Cool stuff! Your details look nicely done. The folds and the shield on the Turk are great!

Jay H.
OKC

Vlad, That's an exceptional piece of sculpture and the shield is a work of art itself.~Gary

Great work ! I like the interation between the figures, and the sculpted detail is excellent.
The only reservation that I have (based on having felt the weight of a replica sword of that type) is that the knight could be off-balance for the sword strike - they were heavy, especially when used one-handed.

Great action scene that you captured here, i realy love the pose of both figures

Peter

Hi there!

Great work!He looks more like an Arabian warrior than a Turk.I like the scale and everything about your sculpting,except maybe the bow,the quiver and the arrows.This is something that most sculptors(if not all of them!)do wrong!This is a composite bow,used by all of the Asiatic nations since ancient times.There are several different types on the same constuction.I have collected many pictures and read many articles about this bow which was maybe the basic weapon of these people(especially the Mongols,Turks and Persians).I'm not a sculptor,but I have sculpted some composite bows to replace bows given in some kits.I could describe you my technique and email you some photos if you like,so that you remake the bow,arrows and quiver.I'm telling that because what I see here is two great figures which deserve to be perfect!

Please try to find someone to cast these beautiful pieces,I'd like to have them in my collection!

Bravo again!
-Kostas.

Hi Vlad !
I have only one word to describe it : AWESOME !!!!
Please go commercial with it !!! Cheers !
Kenneth :lol: .

Outstanding! I love the facial expressions.
Matt

Vlad,

This is a fabulous vignette. I would most definitely buy this if it were available commercially. You are a very gifted scultpor, and I believe this piece is museum-quality work.

I absolutely love it, and kept looking at the pictures over and over.

Bravo!

Kyle

hi Vlad,
first of all;congrats for the great sculpt and i also wish you will find a company to cast it.it would be good to see it on market and buy one to paint. I think some companies already informed about this figure and will contact you soon.
I have some questions on mind about the Turkish warriors dress is not very suitable to be in the same vignette with this hospitaller knight but i dont want anyone to think it as a national fanaticism and i am sure you made a good search before sculpting them. IMHO it would be good to call him a muslim warrior because Seljuks and Ayyubis of Saladin are not 100% Turks though there are very close relations.if you need any information about Huns,Ottoman and Turks please contact me and i can send you some info.
Excellent job on the shield.
bestest regards
Engin

Hi Vlad

First of all wonderful piece mate, especially for a subject very dear to me ... the composition is wonderful, and the muslim is captured very well the detail is incredible ... can I be a little bit of a nuisance and critisize some minor detail which can easily be amended, though I am not seeing it in flesh and though they look good, the folds in the knights cappae are not capturing the textile it was made off, the material was heavy cotton and though their is action I am finding too many folds for my taste, keep in mind underneat he had cahinmail + other materials ... it more reflects lighter material IMO, another thing is the way he is slashing his sword, maybe is the angle of the photo but the trust is a bit strange, the arm is too tight with the body and that finger near the blade, that is something a good swordsman should always avoid, the guards are their to protect the hand from the openents slushes, that style of handling came as fashion much later on rapiers which had different hand protections ... hope I haven't been a pain in the +++ but as I told you, having this subject dear to me and being a fencer myself I couldn't not point these out as the final project is very well done with some of the finest details I have ever seen ... hope you succeed in getting it commercial!

Ivan

First of all - my great respect and lot of thanks to Kostas AKA Arminous.
Thanks to him I'm working now on new turkish bow and arrows.

Meantime I finished 'groundworks' and soon I hope to show some new photos of the same work in 'revised and corrected edition'

Thanks a lot to everyone who left critics here.

And a pair of extra shots for your pleasure:

Engin
Thank you for your opinion about how it's better to call a muslim warrior. But if to be more specific: why it wouldn't be correct enough to call him 'turkish' or maybe 'seljuk'? Unfortunately I still have not enough knowledge about Middle East people, tribes and warriors. I hope your help could be useful for me.
Thanks.

Ivan
In my fencing practice I have a habit to relax the second and sometimes the third fingers when the arm is up. Noone of my teachers never poited that it's incorrect.
As you can see I sculpted it according to my own fencing practice. And I'm completely satisfied with the pose (would it be correct or no).
I didn't tried to show a fingering of a cross-guard here but only relaxed a point finger.

By the way, John Clements in "Medieval Swordsmenship" wrote: "Fingering was not uncommon during the Medieval period (it was in use by the Franks), and can be seen in both early and late Medieval art." (p.81)

As to folds I can agree with you. Often I carried avay by folds-making trying to make them picturesque. In my future works I'll try to remember your words. Thanks a lot!