slim needle
Some armour and troop concepts for a country in my fantasy world, their armours heavily inspired by Burgundo-Flemish and French armours of the 2nd half of the 15th century, with some other influences mixed in.
Here a well armed Aéllisian infantryman and a crossbowman with a pavise (the big shield), both wearing brigandines.
Aéllisian longbowman and 'man-at-arms'/heavy infantry in full plate armour.
Longbowman wearing a sleeveless maille shirt with brigandine over top.
The heavy infantryman in full plate, armed with a pollaxe and a sword.
An Aéllisian infantry standard bearer in full plate with a surcoat overtop.
a character in said fantasy world with place holder name 'Glaive Girl' cuz I suck at coming up with actual names.
an old sketch of Ferdinand II of Aragon's armour
a general in my fantasy world. Armour inspired by late 15th century "gothic" and "all' antica" styles with my own twist to them.
I kind of messed up the arms cuz I still suck at perspective but over all I was really happy with this one
royal imp
You're definitely on the right track
I think some focus on line weight and proportions would do you well, don't practice rendering until you get these two down first!
royal imp
An Aéllisian infantry standard bearer in full plate with a surcoat overtop.
There is some crumbs here of a style forming, try not to lose that in the process. It seems you vibe with detail well
slim needle
I think some focus on line weight and proportions would do you well, don't pract...
proportions in what regard? (the last 2 i know are shit in that regard 😅 but curious for the others)
royal imp
proportions in what regard? (the last 2 i know are shit in that regard 😅 but cu...
Line weight comes on it's own as you practice, but proportions in terms of composition
Like even without the line weight you have a talent of making things stick out
I can see an interesting art style forming, you should keep up the practice as much as you can
slim needle
Line weight comes on it's own as you practice, but proportions in terms of compo...
perspective? cuz yeah that's a big focus point for me. I'm used to an actuall medieval art style so perspective is 1 fixed thing and doesn't really change.
Like here it's all the same in terms of 'camera angle' (also those are rather old by now)
slim needle
I can see an interesting art style forming, you should keep up the practice as m...
Thanks! I try to draw at least once every 2 days now. which is a LOT more than a week ago when I only did so when I felt like it. 😅
slim needle
Line weight comes on it's own as you practice, but proportions in terms of compo...
sorry, I'm not very familliar with terms yet. With line weight you mean making some lines darker to make them stand out more?
royal imp
perspective? cuz yeah that's a big focus point for me. I'm used to an actuall me...
Is that your original coloring?
Cause you need to keep that, it's very eye pleasing and unique
royal imp
Thanks! I try to draw at least once every 2 days now. which is a LOT more than a...
I'm really happy to hear you are drawing more, you should be proud! Big change
royal imp
sorry, I'm not very familliar with terms yet. With line weight you mean making s...
Line weight is it's own topic, it's not just about what the lines are themselves but how they are cut, how thick they are, the "hardness" is very important too for traditional work
Especially if you ever go into graphite pure work or charcoal
slim needle
Is that your original coloring?
yeah. It's trying to simulate medieval Burgundo-Flemish manuscript styles.
An original below:
royal imp
Then it's especially important
royal imp
yeah. It's trying to simulate medieval Burgundo-Flemish manuscript styles.
An o...
You are definitely on the right track, the vibe is there
It kinda reminds me of original warhammer art
Like the vibe of traditional battle art with bright colors
slim needle
yeah, though I'm trying to step away from it right now to practice my more modern style(s)
I'm still doing that style too, but just for a different project.
right now I want to get better at actual pencil sketches, perspective, shading, etc.
slim needle
Line weight is it's own topic, it's not just about what the lines are themselves...
I kind of want to get into that though i don't know if I have the proper understanding of some things yet to do so. like I still get perspective wrong a bit or details on the armour and kind of leaving this out makes them less visible for now
I'm trying to get the concept art for at least Aéllis as a faction down for now, all major troop types in the same style and vibe
then I'll experiment a bit more with perspective, dynamic poses (which are REALLY HARD for me to do), line weight as you call it, shading maybe, and then get onto the other factions
royal imp
So you kinda want to reel it back in
You already set 20 goals for yourself
That will leave you in the gutter
First set one goal, and only one, that you can immediately start
"I want to get better at perspective" and you do that
When you feel that you have gotten better then you set another goal
Do not plan out your future like that, if you don't make it to the end goal you will feel quite sad about it for no reason. It's not a race, take your time, one goal at a time
slim needle
yeah true
royal imp
And understand that there is no finish line
Art is a forever journey, and the journey is what you enjoy
slim needle
i don't really know how to practice perspective though 😭
slim needle
And understand that there is no finish line
oh yeah, i know
slim needle
as a martial artist and swordsman i know full well that there is no perfectoin and everything is an endless path of learning
slim needle
Do you prefer youtube or books
depends on the style of youtube vid tbh
royal imp
depends on the style of youtube vid tbh
These are super simple to follow https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtG4P3lq8RHFSW-SgbBpo3k-xq9H_tdE6
It's a playlist
royal imp
as a martial artist and swordsman i know full well that there is no perfectoin a...
Glad to hear
It's a long journey to get to anywhere where you will feel satisfied about art
So kinda just strap in and work hard, and everything gets better as you practice and learn
Good luck!
slim needle
thanks!
slim needle
Aéllisian infantry officer.
(quite zoomed in from another picture)
all the Aéllisian units I have so far:
heady osprey
this might be peak
slim needle
Edgy's armour sketches, Historical and Low-Fantasy
@heady osprey since you do like late 1300's in terms of armour drawing mostly, I got this guy here which I came up with back in 2019:
2019 vs 2025
slim needle
slim needle
you’ve improved greatly
thanks
these 2 were just an experiment for a more 'dark' style of drawing things, as I want to make a small comic type thing with that OC as the main character, and the story line being told from memories of a war, thus kind of being dark and somewhat vague in terms of some details, but very vivid in terms of other things, like blood for example as it'd basically be a guy's PTSD flashbacks into a kind of comic like thing
white from the paper, black and red ink would be the only colours i'd use
but not fully sure about a story line yet
Gnome knight!
also fish armour
slim needle
royal imp
just now
Definitely a lot of improvement in shadows, posture and form in general. You still have quite a long journey ahead but excellent work so far. Keep going!
slim needle
FINALLY got all Aéllisian common infantry troop type concepts done!
Next I'll either move onto 4 types of cavalry: light, heavy, ranged, magic., or the Atharosi legions infantry troops, not sure yet...
Special units like artillery (would mean larger sketch cuz crew + gun) and royal guards will come later.
posted them on my fantasy world insta page (still very much W.I.P.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/DSnmAckjEcy/?igsh=MXN5aG9ycnVsOW50Ng==
slim needle
A bit different style this time:
An Undarian captain:
bright roost
What do you mean your beginner (the tag attached to the post) these armors rock!
slim needle
What do you mean your beginner (the tag attached to the post) these armors rock!
Hah, thanks! and yeah I'm a beginner as in the style I'm trying this in I'm only just starting out with properly and actually taking drawing seriously outside of my medieval manuscript art style.
I've been drawing since I was a little kid, but nothing beyond just some random classroom doodles or sketches until I started with the manuscript style, which is WAAAYYY too time consuming to do everything in, and I also wanna get better at a more modern style, perspective, poses, etc.
I hope to make a comic one day set in my own fantasy world.
(I also use these sketches as references in my D&D campaign.)
I just know the basics historical European armour in terms of styles and how it functions, and I use that as main inspiration for my low-fantasy aesthetic world building.
slim needle
A bit different style this time:
An Undarian captain:
this one for example is based on 'kastenbrust' armours of the 14th century, though I added the spikes as fantasy element, though lore wise they do serve a purpose: defending against monster bite and claw attacks.
The country this armour is designed for, Undar, is quite far up North and has lots of mountains and large forests with all kinds of monsters there, so I wanted armour and weaponry that reflected that: useful against both humanoids and monsters.
Monsters mainly bite and claw when attacking, so I thought something that would be useful against that, even against some larger monsters.
At first I got stuck, but then I remembered those spiked dog collars originally used to pretect dogs against bites from other dogs (predatory mamals primarily bite at the throat), so then I added those to the armour, cuz while a large monster might simply crush the armour and kill you anyway with a strong bite, it is less likely to do so if it has spikes poking into the roof of its mouth.
this is an older more detailed sketch of the Undarian king, a lot more elaborate armour.
(I suck at drawing stocky dwarf-like propertions still lmao)
they use axes too, mainly, as well as spears.
Axe like weapons got a lot more stopping power in terms of percussive force and how deep they'll cut than other weapons, which is what you'd want against large, unarmoured monsters, or creatures with only their natural armour like scales or hide.
Spears are great in formations but won't be as good otherwise against larger beasts and such, though many of them can take one out (think prehistoric people hunting mamoths, one spear ain't gonna do much, but a lot fo them will take the thing down eventually)
So they use spears for their main troops (as most medieval armies did) to drive the monster into a specific direction, with some halberdiers and axemen trying to open up big, disabling wounds on it. Taking some inspiration from the Anglo-Saxon soldiers with great-axes on the Bayeux tapestry which were possibly meant as anti-cavalry troops, as well as from 19th century accounts I've heard of of Indian people hunting elephants by using big cutting blades to wound the elephants on the legs to take them down as they rode behind it on horseback while others had lured it towards them as a distraction.
slim needle
a VERY sloppy late night sketch of an Atharosi crossbowman
slim needle
trying out some different things with the Atharosi captain
slim needle
Not armour, but just to show how much going from thin, very fragile paper to thicker, sturdier paper and upping the scale a bit really does:
slim needle
just now
Same character as here ^ by the way
Was finally able to make a decent sketch of her once I changed paper
slim needle
experimenting with some things here. didn't go as planned, but oh well.
royal imp
trying out some different things with the Atharosi captain
Very hard pose, good job
slim needle
thanks!
slim needle
Aéllisian infantry officer.
(quite zoomed in from another picture)
Redraw:
slim needle
slim needle
thanks
slim needle
First time using water colour in literal years:
Wip of a unit of gnome soldiers.
Very rough lines to make it quick and get a feel for the water colours again
slim needle
slim needle
Aight, that's it. I'm making whatever this is my main style now. Goobye 😂
slim needle
Sergeant of a ducal guard in my fantasy setting:
slim needle
Oak inspired kit.
A woodsman wearing an acorn shaped skullcap made of scales, a breastplate, and holding a bowstave. The guard on the messer is shaped like a branch, while the nagel looks like a leaf. The decoration on the sleeves and rims of the garment too are meant to look like oak leaves.
royal imp
Oak inspired kit.
A woodsman wearing an acorn shaped skullcap made of scales, a ...
The skullcap is very very cool, good job
slim needle
heady osprey
holy peak
slim needle
Thanks!
heady osprey
Helmet (sallet) study edition:
Yknow I never realized until now that Sallets also curve back up a little in the back
Thanks for making me notice that
slim needle
Yknow I never realized until now that Sallets also curve back up a little in the...
Depends on the style of sallet
slim needle
First proper sketch in like 2 weeks
heady osprey
First proper sketch in like 2 weeks
heady osprey
congrats on the followers bro
slim needle
It exploded to over 2000 since then 🤯
heady osprey
https://x.com/i/status/2022026701925175718
god it’s so peak
slim needle
X
slim needle
god it’s so peak
I'm making it even more peak 😎
B&W rn, when it's done I'll upload the standard paper coloured version
slim needle
X
slim needle
X
slim needle
