Scarlet

Following on from my recent Robin of Loxley picture, depicting Robin Hood and Little John, I present (a slightly rushed) Will Scarlet.

Throughout Robin Hood lore, several references are made to Scarlet being the finest swordsman in the merry men so I thought it would be fun to have him as some kind of martial artist, wielding two swords and able to fight multiple assailants at once.

Drawing on themes of the templar knights also gave him that cleaner edge than some of the grubby woodfolk who make up the Merry Men, and compounded the idea that he was a highly skilled and trained fighter.

To me it felt natural that the image be tinted with reddish and autumnal hues to reflect the name Scarlet.

Robin of Loxley

I was looking for a small project that had enough mileage for me to be able to produce both characters and also a rich environment for them to sit in. Enter, Robin Hood. I selected the famous moment when Robin hood encounters Little John for the first time, described below in one of the 17th century Robin Hood ballads.

'Thou talkst like a coward,' the stranger reply'd;

'Well armd with a long bow, you stand,

 To shoot at my breast, while I, I protest,

Have nought but a staff in my hand.' 

From The English and Scottish Popular Ballads
by Francis James Child, 1888.

Despite its popularity the Robin Hood mythology has only spawned one notable animated adaptation so I felt there was room for me to explore new versions of the characters without treading on the toes of previous incarnations.

The reverence that has been built up surrounding Sherwood forest allowed for a nicely atmospheric depiction without feeling too far removed from the English countryside.