Ode to the Samurai (work in progress)

This is a private commission I've been working on sporadically for the last few months. Its been a real challenge so far, taking me into some uncharted territory, and admittedly causing me a few furrowed brows. But these are the kinds of challenges that feed the intellect and enrich the soul. I spent nearly two full weeks researching samurai armor, weapons, and general attire from a very specific period of Japanese history. The client was clear about continuity and authenticity, which suits me fine as I like to fully immerse myself in the details of a project, even if most of that information remains absent from the final piece. I will elaborate more on some aspects of the painting once it is finished...