As some of you may know, I'm from Bulgaria. It's a small country tucked away in the Balkans surrounded by Greece, Turkey, Romania and Serbia. It's actually a fairly old country with some very bloody history. This scene depicts the battle between Khan Krum and Emperor Nikephoros. For those who haven't heard the story I recommend some google searches on the topic. The emperor had ravaged the country after an uprising, murdering children in various towns, and committed all sorts of atrocities. He got ambushed on the way back to his throne and Krum actually made a cup out of his skull.
This drawing was actually done as a free commission, one of my friends needed art for his album. When I heard what they wanted me to draw I felt that it was way outside of my skill level and I actually got them in touch with some other artists. I had made some ink sketches and decided to try to get one to a "finished" state. I know the scene has a lot to be improved on. I rarely draw horses and these ill begotten animals have entirely too many joints in the legs. I also rarely draw scenes with more than a couple of characters in them so this is by far the most elaborate scene I've ever attempted in my art. I know, the soldiers in the foreground look like they came out of Skyrim, I didn't use references for the armor. The good news is that I learned a lot and I know if I attempt it again I can probably do better. I'm actually happy with it.
Comments and critique is welcome, thank you!
