Certainly is an imposing piece
I chose the base very carefully....especially because of the size of the piece....and the room I have in the cabinet once it's finished.
There are other factors....such as the mounting point....it is not easy to get the right angle of entry for the post....and the post itself is 4mm brass tube with a 3.5 steel rod through it's centre for added strength....which is drilled 40mm into the bust and base....and I have kept the height between the bust and base to a minimum....to keep the stress level low.
Digital sculpting is here to stay....although...personally....I still prefer the traditional method.

Thanks for comment Wayne.

Ron

Thanks Steve...your input is always appreciated mate

Hi Ron
I'm following your sbs as i've relented and bought myself the elephant.Looking good ,look forward to seeing it progress.
Brian

Nobody sells more than the members of PF...………..

Yes......I know.....always adjusting and turning, Trying to get the right visual balance....It's all part of the fun.

I hit the quote button but it didn't kick in...……..It's O.K......Just call me whatever.

Nice to have your company mate

For someone of your talent it will be a joy to paint....once you get over how to handle such a large piece...there is just about every texture a painter could wish for.

Ron

Just found this post Ron , don’t know how I missed it. Will follow with interest as I have also got this amazing bust .

Cheers David

Hi David...glad to have you following....and yes...it is an amazing piece....so much for the painter to work with.
Personally....and unusually...the key to this piece is about bringing the elephant to life...and trying to capture the 'drama' of the whole scene...a real challenge for anyone.

With you, Brian and Del working on this, I had better up my game

Regards

Ron

I don't think you'll have to "up your game" Ron,as what i've seen of your version,is first class

Many thanks for comment Brian.....much appreciated.

I was hoping to post an update today...but...thanks to good old DPD and their lying driver...who supposedly attempted to deliver my parcel...total bullshit...I don't have the tripod for my camera that I was expecting
Hopefully tomorrow

Ron

After finally sorting the very unhelpful DPD....managed to get some pics of "Nellie"
Rather than taking pictures of every step....which runs the risk of damaging it with extra handling....I have managed to get some with the head 98% done.
When it comes down to the detailing...such as the eyes...mouth and tip of the trunk...it became very difficult to get the colour balance right...with so many colours in just these three areas alone.
As an example of this...the eyes themselves have a considerable palette of their own...as shown in the picture of the colours I used...and the sketch I made to remind me where they went!



Almost as many went into the mouth and the tip of the trunk.
Once these details were layered in and given a very light glaze of W&N Liquin....they were left to dry.
Then I worked on the metal band on the trunk and the skull cap.
Next up was the cloth under the skull cap....and the tassels at the front of it.
With these areas finished it was time to bring all the parts together...a daunting task!
What you see in the following pictures is where I am at now.....



There is some final work...the collar decoration and some hi lites...but almost there now.

to be continued.....

Good grief, things have moved on. This piece is a real beauty, and you are doing it proud. The tusks caught me off guard, they seem a lot whiter than before, has anything else been added to them?. Excellent work Ron, it’s a pleasure to see your skills being shown.

Mark.

A real work of art, Ron top quality indeed.
Steve

It's the bloody pics that make the tusks look so white
Look at the picture of the mouth and you should get a better idea of the actual colour mate.

Cheers

Ron

Looking first class Ron.I see you've solved a problem that i had.I was never sure which way the eyes went with an animal that has it's eyes on the sides of it's head,if you know what i mean

Thank you Brian
For such large beast's their eyesight is very poor....small eyes and limited range of about 25 feet with lousy peripheral vision....should have gone to 'Specsavers'

Ron

Always a pleasure to have your comments and input Steve....and pleased you like it so far mate

With the elephant's head nearing completion....and needing to thoroughly dry so that I can get it mounted on the base...time to make a start on the 'Mahut'.
As with the shield...the level of detail is stunning....especially on the main torso...where the detail is exceptional on the metal armour plates...but also the texture in the clothing.
As with the shield...making the most of all this detail is a real challenge to the painter...and...to this end I have kept the primer and undercoat down to mist coats...with a mist coat of matt sealer to give a 'tooth' for the oils to grip onto.
As usual I have used a neutral scrub coat colour of transparent oils...which was very carefully thinned back as per my way with make up brushes and sponge sticks.



I hope you can clearly see just how much detail there is in this piece...should be fun trying to capture it all.

to be continued......

Hello my GOOD FRIEND Ron

I have one word to this work... AMMMMMAAAAZZZZIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG...

Thank you so much.
Hug
Hugo