Battle of Bosworth 2 - Finished

For Want of a Nail - Oil on board, 19" x 10" by Greg Newbold

As I explained when I posted the sketch version of this piece, the symbolism of King Richard III's fall is carried by the rumpled battle flag on the ground and the thrown horseshoe. I preferred this to the the proposed mob battle scene. I think it says more with less and the first piece is plenty to set the battle scene. This ended up being more fun than I thought when I took on the project. I especially likes painting the contrasting textures of the flag, the grass and the horseshoe.

Battle of Bosworth 1 - Finished

Richard III falls in battle signaling farewell to the Plantagenet Dynasty in Britain. I  think this one is done, barring any feedback to the contrary from the client. I enjoyed the challenge of creating a battle scene and overall am pretty pleased with the result. Despite the vibrant primary colors in the heraldry, I think that the neutrals carry the show which is what I wanted. What do you Think?

Battle Of Bosworth Sketch - Part 2

Yesterday I posted the drawing for the opening spread of the Battle of Bosworth article I am illustrating. This second spread depicts the aftermath symbolically by showing the fallen King Richard III battle flag and the thrown horseshoe. This solution was my attempt to simplify the original concept proposed by the AD in which it appeared that the entire royal army would be raging into battle. I don't much like what I call "mob scenes" in my illustration work and I had already given a very ambitious view of the battle in the opening sketch, so this quieter resolution was embraced by the art director.  Both of these will be oil on panel. I'll post the finish pieces later.