I wanted to build a scene where the environment tells the same story as the man. The Latin plaque "Vera anima viri in proelio patet" was my anchor for this piece. Mini is from the "Prussian Stosstruppen Kit from Archon Studio"
I intentionally leaned into "coffee staining" for the cloak's hem. While usually a mistake, here it serves as a stylistic choice to simulate the salt and tide marks of dried mud and filth. It adds a level of crusty realism...I think 😉
Decided to go full grimdark on this one. My main focus was the "frozen" look of the skin – I used deep violet for the shadows and highlighted up to a pale flesh tone mixed with Ice Yellow to get that cold, sickly feel.