Knight Concept sketches...

[Grooveholmes]

Here are a couple concepts for a mod. Ideas and suggestions very welcome!
http://www.joshball.com/forums/delirium/mc1/images/index.jpg
http://www.joshball.com/forums/delirium/mc2/images/index.jpg

[AfroLaxMan]

i get a good basic idea of what your getting after, but, me being me, I would like to see a little (actuallya lot) more detail, but I am a detail freak.

Maybe a little more definition on the shape of the armor and the joints. The helmet is looking cool, I like the multiple feathers on the second image.
I lose what is happening in the back, but being a wip, I'm not too worried. I think it is looking cool up so far, and ready to see more.

keep it going, brother!

[Grooveholmes]

Ok, attacking from the front this time.. little more refined. I think that helmet design kind of works.. I haven't been able to come up with too many good references of armor so i'm doing these straight from my head. It needs to look cool with its own style but can't go too far off so that it doesn't look somewhat historically accurate. Also important in the design is that it actually work mechanically since these designs will eventually by converted to 3d. Can't have any parts poking thru eachother you know.
http://www.joshball.com/forums/delirium/fk1/images/index.jpg
:beer:

[DustinTrimble]

These all have a nice feel. The last one looks the most interesting to me, (though the front calf shape looks kinda bulky, drawing, not design problem,) I think more detail is in order, but not till you work out the bigger shapes.

[Jason Manley]

his ribcage is too small...think about what is under the armor.

develop these to a higher degree of finish..get resource material.

look at the drawings posted by wes9000 and mcnallyism...do a search..even though they are both either students or just entering the professional world their work is ready for it.

thats what you need to shoot for.


look at the drawings of the painter Ingres.

notice how he renders certain areas...but suggests others with very clean linework.

that will help you.


j

[Grooveholmes]

Hey thanks for the replies guys! Heh heh, yeah I've been gawking at those guys' work for awhile now Jason. I've been getting re-acquainted with Ingres all day too. Great stuff.

OK, Here's a change in direction.. heh,, don't worry its a complete different save from the last image. I like the way Painter allows you to conceptualize quickly in many directions.
http://www.joshball.com/forums/delirium/fk2/images/index.jpg
Something about this batch..:o They're coming out so smudgy and sketchy.. its hard to keep a clean look. I think it has something to do with my paper settings in Painter.. not too sure, oh well.

And here is just a quick sketch giving him a larger chest plate like jason suggested.. I think I may have over-exagerated it.. could be our femme fighter? Anyway.. I think it does work more though.. helps to balance out the weight.
http://www.joshball.com/forums/delirium/fk3/images/index.jpg

[Fipse]

Hi Grooveholmes,

you´ve been asking for mechanical possibilities for your armour. Maybe I can help you - I´m into armour since I´m 18 an even do sometimes armouring. Hope this qualifies me.

What you´re drawing is basically a 15th cent. thingy. Basically your concept seems o.k. I can´t see much from his shoulder-articulation so I can´t decide if the character can move in it. Many Fantasy-Artists do oversized Pauldrons that would make fighting movement nearly impossible. I myself could do in my late 14th. cent armour Butterfly-Kicks and I know some english people who do handstand in complete 15th cent. suits ;)

Where I can see some problems is the hip articulation. At the moment this is a foot armour because with this rigid plate over his buttock (the "loinguard") he can´t sit in a saddle (or on a stool). The same seems to me with his front hips. When you look at actual armour from the 15th cent. (maybe Claude Blairs "European Arms and Armour" if you´ve got a library at hand?) you see a system of steel loops downwards from the hips that could slide together. To save the lap between the taces and the legarmour there had been additional plates the socalled "tassets". And to save the family-jewels in full plate armour there was a shirt of mail under the platearmour covering hips and upper thigh.

I hope this could help you. I myself am basically not able to draw highly fantasized armour anymore :D

Fipse

[Grooveholmes]

Hey thanks Fipse! You seem to have exactly the information I'm looking for. That's great! Yeah these are mainly to be foot soldiers since it is a fighting game. Although, I think we will be doing one character class that is mounted on horseback. Wow so I guess I was close with the time period with these since our first go at this is going to be set in 15th century Germany. Do you happen to know of anymore books, sites, or material that show close ups of armor and how it was fitted and/or the pieces fit together? All i've been able to find online so far are sites for people selling replica armor that they made.:(

[Fipse]

Hmh, I could tell you for hours about german armour in the 15th cent. Definitely a real worthy subject, especially the late fluted armour-pieces.

Unfortunately I haven´t got many good links for armour, most of my knowledge comes from this pulped wood stuff.

Maybe this can help you a little bit:
http://users.wpi.edu/~dev_alac/iqp/index.html

Here are some reenactment groups doing this time with the fitting costumes and armour:
http://www.companie-of-st-george.ch/index_1.phtml (one of the finest groups of this kind)
http://gillet.stockholmnet.se/ A swedish group, using partly original equipment from the 15th cent.

Furthermore there are some books I would recommend for the beginning:
Medieval Military costume has a bi part with 15th cent. stuff:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1861263716/qid=1037012483/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-7571934-6814544

If you want to get more into this stuff I recommend the Osprey books
http://www.osprey-publishing.co.uk/ where you can find books for every time you need. I especially recommend the "Warrior" series, showing the complete equipment of one special ype of warrior (e.g. "Viking Hersir", "British Knght 1400 - 1500"!!, or even "US Marine in Vietnam").

If you need more, special information just ask me.

Fipse

[keenerbean]

Hey Holmes, I was particularly interested in this thread as I am doing my own knight in amour project. I feel you on the reference thing. My beef is that most historical armour just isn't interesting enough form-wise, but to improvise is to risk implausiblity (sp? word?). I have the luxury of not designing for 3d which obviously limits you somewhat but I will say this, try to exaggerate things. Remember it's for a game so you want silouettes that pop and get in your face. I thought the big chest looked great and I love the chunky forearms/hands.

Keep at it.:p

P.S. check out my knight thread if your interested.

[Fipse]

Yeh, Keenerbean you´re right. I sometimes forget the 3D-Stuff and the need for exaggeration and visability because I haven´t got anything to do with it :)

But if you´re thinking historical armour is dull you have to try on some late gothic stuff, remade by a master of the trade and then some fantasy-stuff and try to fight in it. You will learn about the beauty of simplicity ;)

in fact my personal "problem" is, I´m so into the historic stuff I feel - when I´m drawing Fantasy - absurd and stupid when I alter armour and weapons in forms I know they´ll never work out ...

Fipse