Steel Fist Samurai
Horse Archers
This pair of horse archers were another of the recent additions to the Steel Fist range. Native Japanese horses were small and sturdy, related to the hardy ponies that the Mongols used. They also rarely had any facial markings, so I had to resist any flourishes like stars or stripes that I like to add to give horses more individual character.
The horse’s saddle and headgear have sets of cloth straps (sangai) that were typically a single colour such as red, yellow, blue or purple, so a good opportunity to add some bright colours. The reins (tazuna) were a piece of cloth, often a single colour, but blue and white striped versions also common.
A great place to get some inspiration of Samurai cavalry is to look up images for Sōma Nomaoi, which is a festival held in Fukushima with lots of people dressed as Samurai and holding races and other competitions.
Great, vibrant colours. Super job! ?