The Adrianopol book cover - full

 Salvete Omnes,

last year I did a cover for a military history  book on the battle of Adrianopole1205AD by Jakub Juszynski - the  Infort Editions publisher - I wrote about it in August 2021.

I finally got the copy of the entire book cover jacket - which I would like to share with you, although it is all in Polish - but I am certain you could appreciate the graphic design scheme etc of this publisher.

it was a battle fought by  Baldwin I, emperor of the newly-created Latin Empire and his allies the Venetians against the alliance of king Kaloyan of Bulgaria Second Empire and his Cuman(Polovetz) allies (his wife Anna was a Polovetz princess).

nota bene, this map below shows the economy of Send Bulgarian Empire - note that the horses were mostly bred in the ancient Thrace region of the Balkans. Under the Byzantine Empire  this ancient Thrace area was one of the centers of horse breeding and cavalry recruiting for the East Roman emperor and their armies.

enjoy

Valete

Sketches etc for the Adrianopol book

 Salvete Omnes,

in relation to  the previous posting ad the newly published Inforeditons book I am sharing with you some of my sketches as well as a version of the cover  I provided for the publisher, along with another unfinished version.

 

Valete

My new cover for Inforteditions

 Salvete Omnes,

Inforteditions, via their books store, announced a book - Battle of Andrianpolo Ad 1205, where I painted steppe warriors used for its cover.

The illustration showing the Cuman/ Polovetz warriors was created after book author's guidance and research provided to me.

Valete

Pontic Steppe rider

 Salvete Omnes,

I was checking my old files and found unfinished sketch of a medieval steppe rider.
This is a raw sketch and much yet to be done.

eventually it will be a XII-XIII century AD rider of the Western Eurasian steppe, as I am researching Cumans of the Hungarian Plane during the Arpad Dynasty.

Valete

Steppe rider

Salve
in March I showed this drawing here, and toady I sketched a little quick one, in a sort of continuation of the theme of Polovtzi.
I have this idea to draw a few of more of these guys -  Polovetz (Cuman) warriors.

A few good readings to have:

From Attila to Charlemagne - an art book from the MET

M. Kazanski, Barbarian Military Equipment and its Evolution in the Late Roman and Great Migration Periods («3rd-5th C.A.D.). In : Sarantis A., Christie N. (eds.),

D. Glad, The Empire’s influence on the barbarian elites from the Pontic region to the Rhine (5th-7th centuries) : a case study of segmental helmets and lamellar weapons.  &  A contribution to the study of lamellar armors (..)

I. Bugarski, А New Find of a Byzantine Stirrup from Rujkovac

P. A. Nowakowski (et al), Banderia Apud Grunwald

and a review (Polish language) of David Nicolle and Sarnecki, Medieval Polish Armies 966-1500 (Osprey) by dr Nowakowski

Steppe rider - daily sketch

Salve,
 just wanted to share with you a sketch of the Eurasian Steppe rider - perhaps a Polovetz (Cuman), prior to the Mongol blitzkrieg of XIII century - astride a tall blood horse purchased, given or stolen from the southern lands (south of Cumania), perhaps Persia (Khwarezmid Empire) or from the Karakhanids or the Seljuks.
I hope to write and sketch some more Polovetz riders, both men and female -
for examples see dr Nicolle book on the Kalka River battle and the watercolours by Victor Korolkov in there. 

I did it entirely in MyPaint :)

ps
my Wacom Intuos4 tablet is malfunctioning and perhaps it will declare itself 'finito' any moment soon, so be forewarned I will put here some pen and ink drawings :) etc. Since Intuos5 is nothing to brag about, I may purchase the new Wacom Cintiq tablet that is coming out this April, we shall see...

 Easter is coming fast, this being La Semana Santa; hence we arrived at the moment when one needs to paint some eggs and .... do some travelling, astride a mechanical herd of horses.