Any advice on drawing torso's with plate armor? I can never get their proportions right, especially if the body-type of the character in question doesn't match most images I can find
oh finally I get to talk a little about this!!
so of course most of the torso harnesses one can find won't be flat and close to the body, but they'll start rounding out far away from the torso and then coming back at the waist towards the end of the breastplate.
this is the basics of a cuirass. and of course this works if the wearer has a standard to smaller bodytype like you mentioned. but what if my knight has a belly?
thankfully we got some pretty good examples of armour made for bigger bodies, generous offer of King Henry VIII (this bitch gets mentioned in a lot of my posts lately and I'm not sure I like it)
as you can see his breastplate is flatter and doesn't sit too far from the body, and is also built out of interlocking plates held together by rivets (the MET article refers to this as "anime type" armour LMAO), so not really a single one-two piece plate like the prior examples.
You could go with this historical option for purely plate, or you can always try your hand at adapting a single-plate breastplate on a fat body. I tried here:
of course there's plenty of torso armour options that are not plate like hauberks, brigandines, corazzine etc that are easier to fit on a big knight, if you decide to go with something else than plate. go wild designing!!
Les Modes parisiennes, 6 juillet 1878, Paris. A. — Toilette de ville. B. — Toilette de promenade. Bibliothèque nationale de France
A. — Toilette de ville. — Ce modèle est en lainage havane et faille marron.
Jupe demi-longue, ornée dans le bas d’un volant froncé rehaussé d’une tête ruchée, et devant dans sa hauteur de petits plissés havane et marron alternativement retombant les uns sur les autres. Le derrière de ce jupon est recouvert par deux lés d’étoffe en lainage, lesquels lés se montent à plat sur les côtés et sur les hanches, puis en gros plis creux derrière; ce pli creux se relève un peu sur lui-même à mi-hauteur de la jupe, ce qui fait former un peu la pointe aux côtés. Des plissés de faille entourent cette demi-tunique, remontent sur les côtés et sur le milieu du pli creux.
Corsage cuirasse, ouvert en carré sur une guimpe en mousseline plissée; il est garni par un gilet en faille bouillonnée et des manches en semblable tissu, bouillonnées seulement sur le dessus.
A. — City dress. — This model is in tan wool and brown faille.
Half-length skirt, adorned at the hem with a gathered flounce enhanced with a ruched head, and at the front, along its height, small tan and brown pleats falling alternately over each other. The back of this petticoat is covered by two strips of wool fabric, which are set flat on the sides and over the hips, then in large box pleats behind; this box pleat rises slightly on itself halfway up the skirt, which slightly points at the sides. Faille pleats surround this half-tunic, rising up on the sides and in the middle of the box pleat.
Cuirass-style bodice, opening in a square over a pleated muslin wimple; it is trimmed with a vest of shirred faille and sleeves of a similar fabric, shirred only on the top.
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B. — Toilette de promenade. — En tissu laine et soie uni couleur gris tourterelle, garniture de rubans algériens.
Robe princesse, d’une seule pièce, agrémentée dans le bas et régulièrement tout autour d’un plissé surmonté d’un bouillonné, lequel est enrichi par des flots de ruban algérien posés de 20 en 20 centimètres de distance. Le devant de la robe est drapé par quatre plis réguliers et se fixe aux lés de derrière qui sont plissés en long. Des rubans algériens enserrent ces plis et retombent en nœuds flots; le même ruban cache sur les côtés la ligne de jonction, tourne en formant l’angle et recouvre la naissance des lés de derrière; il remonte en double dans le dos, puis passe sur les épaules en dessinant une pointe qui se répète devant. Col rabattu fermé devant par un nœud ainsi que l’extrémité de la pointe dont je viens de parler. Manches ornées de mêmes nœuds.
Chapeau en gros paillasson couleur naturelle, illustré de feuilles et de plumes nuance corail.
B. — Promenade dress. — In plain dove-gray wool and silk fabric, trimmed with Algerian ribbons.
One-piece princess dress, embellished at the hem and regularly all around with pleats topped with a ruffle, which is enriched with waves of Algerian ribbon placed 20 centimeters apart. The front of the dress is draped in four regular pleats and is attached to the back lengths, which are pleated lengthwise. Algerian ribbons encircle these pleats and fall in flowing bows; the same ribbon hides the junction line on the sides, turns to form the angle, and covers the base of the back lengths; it rises in double fashion in the back, then passes over the shoulders, forming a point that is repeated in the front. Turned-down collar closed in front with a bow, as does the end of the point just described. Sleeves adorned with the same bows.
Hat made of large natural-colored straw mat, decorated with leaves and feathers in coral shades.
A really good example of how snatched the waist could be in a cuirass. Fairly modest in chest room, but it's important to note that it is quite rounded and not flat.
Wearing full armor at the peak of summer heat can be quite the unpleasant experience. However, any discomfort caused by the kit was offset by this amazing unscripted duel I had with a friend (the changing of weapons midway was scripted though).
Despite performing decently in this fight, my sub-optimal fitness levels did end up showing as, after the event, my left should ended up strained and hurting for an entire month.
