Warriors and artists have long been associated with one another. Often warriors became the best known artists. Their drawings of war and combat would often inspire great works of art. Artists would come to places of prominence in a time before photographs. They would record human history. It was through their eyes and the artists's brushes that our history would be written.
Warriors would often become artists to help process through their feelings.
Artists become warriors for many reasons. Those forced into it, are often like Howling Wolf, simply showing everyone what happened becomes a piece of art. The experiences Howling Wolf had would eventually shape him into a warrior.
In some cultures, warriors and artists are related skillsets. Sometimes artists require unique acquisitions in nature to make their creations. This is most noteable in artists of the past who did textiles (and travel to distant lands for exotic pelts from dangerous animals). Often, in order to create elaborate art pieces, they would have to obtain products from far away or pieces of animals. This often meant that only those who went on these excursions would have access to these coveted materials (such as sable to make paint brushes or ivory to carve). Some great examples are also scrimshaw carvers and other rare materials. Often those able to obtain these mediums are poeple who have been trained in combat.
The hunters become the warriors in many cultures when pressed into battle. Artists also often heed the call and one way or another sometimes end up in war. They record battles. They are commissioned to record events. Until recently, artists recorded history, illustrated books, adorned newspapers, and passed the word along of what went on in history. This is very important to humans and they often do quite a bit to paint themselves well in history (in this case literally).
In medieval cultures, for instance, knights and other people in positions of power would very often have secondary occupations as artists. Knights were given opportunities other people were not. Knights had to come from a good family. They got good educations. They had access to animals and to horses so they could identify anatomy. They had good jobs as hired work for lords and ladies sometimes. Many knights served in a particular place and had many needs cared for. This left them more free time than most. With their higher quality paints and textiles they could create better art than a peasant with no training or experience. At one time, only the rich could attend artistic pursuits. And an oil painting will usually sell better than a drawing etched in dirt.
The meditative techniques taught for combat and to resist stress or panic in trying situations often proves helpful to the artist. They are able to "create" also a new kind of art. One which depicts the very realness of the combat they are seeing....mortality...which is a very powerful subject for artists.
Gods
Etruscan Gods
Menrva, goddess of war, art, wisdom, and health
Roman Gods
Minerva "Minerva/mɪˈnɜːrvə/ (Latin: [mɪˈnɛrwa]; Etruscan: Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of defensive war only" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerva
Greek Gods
Athena- Sometimes known as Pallas Athena, Athena was a member of the pantheon of Greek Gods and Goddesses during ancient Greek civilization. She was revered as the goddess of war, but also wisdom, justice, civilization, crafts, and strength.
Apollo. God of music, arts, knowledge, healing, plague, prophecy, poetry, manly beauty and archery.
Irish
Lugh or Lug (Old Irish: [luɣ]; Modern Irish: Lú[luː]) is one of the most prominent gods in Irish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman and a savior.[1] He is associated with skill and mastery in multiple disciplines, including the arts.[2] from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lugh
Norse
Freyja, (Old Norse: “Lady”), most renowned of the Norse goddesses, who was the sister and female counterpart of Freyr and was in charge of art, love, fertility, battle, and death
Beings of Lore
Countless Gods and Demigods are renowned as both artists and warriors. Due to the intimate relationship between art and war (art records war, war inspires art) the two are often connected in many ancient cultures.
Chiron, Centaur: His personal skills tend to match those of his foster father Apollo, who taught the young centaur the art of medicine, herbs, music, archery, hunting, gymnastics and prophecy, and made him rise above his beastly nature.
Cultural Appreciation of the Warrior Artist
Some cultures appreciate that the artist who is a warrior is on the front lines. They can give an account when no one else can. They can draw out what happened. Many of them can do it with great accuracy and power. Some artists use it to record what must not be forgotten. This becomes a part of our human history, documenting some of the most horrible crimes. Sad as it is, it is a true place that the warrior artist fulfills.
There are some cultures and regions which honor a caste of particularly spiritual people that is often given its own term. The term for such a person varies from culture to culture. This spiritual group is often associated with warriors and artists. In places with low population, there is often a close relationship between life and death. Those who deal death often need spirituality to help deal with it and art to aid in coping or communication. In times when these roles also filled other niches (such as town counselor, wise person, user of natural medicines and treatments etc). Yet again, we see a connection. Its the warrior who often is the first in need of treatments. Through observation or training, warriors can occasionally get some medical training (such as a medic for example).
Artists and Martial Arts
Many martial art traditions may encourage some art forms. For instance, some forms of calligraphy may train your body to do certain combat moves. These traditions may teach meditations or have someone repeat these writings/images/letters etc. This may train a skill into someone that cannot be trained as easily any other way. In fact, when I was learning fencing, we had one instructor who had us draw tiny tiny circles with a nearly new pencil, while holding near the eraser. This simple exercise helped train some parry techniques. As we learn all these different skills, they may also make us very good at art (or in my case, drawing little circles holding the eraser).
Cultural Restrictions on Artistic Mediums
Some cultures demand you meet criteria before having access to certain artistic mediums (usually the body part of an animal such as tusks, pelts, antlers etc). Some cultures require you to belong to a certain family, tribe or social role in order to hunt for or obtain a certain object. Often only warrior caste is permitted to hunt certain animals, posses certain body parts or go to certain remote locations to obtain mediums.
Hunters
Hunter/Warrior roles are often related. Hunters have access to the higher quality examples of anatomical examples. They kill the animals and can examine them in detail and often are the first to collect the most choice samples from the animal.
Warriors Artists of Note
Artists | A Warrior’s Ledger Domain "Howling Wolf" https://www.historynet.com/artists-a-warriors-ledger-domain.htm
Artists (not necessarily warriors) Contributing to Combat/War/Battle
Michaelangelo and other artists did painting and drawings of battles but also never fought in a war
USA Veteran Artists
National Veterans Museum: https://www.nvam.org/
Conclusion
There are so many well know artists that are also veterans of war/combat and service. It would be easier to probably look up favored artists to see which served during their time. Veterans from all over the world contribute great works of art. Many are featured in books, magazines and more. Even today, there is a niche the artist will always fill. Nothing will replace the "Oh, I can just draw it" ability that some artists can use. They can simply create a record from nothing. For some warriors, such immortalization in the face of potential mortality is essential.
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