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Category Archives: Making work
Wrapping up the Greyscale Drapery
Because I didn’t like the balance of the composition as it stood I’ve added more fabric to the left side of the dress, making it extend under the Queen’s hand and off the edge of the panel, creating a more … Continue reading
Fabrication
Now there’s colour in the window the composition is starting to make sense, with the figure framed within the blue sky. I like the depth that’s beginning to emerge, but of course the sky and sea will need glazing to … Continue reading
The Wall and the Queen’s Dress
Painting the clothing in grey is satisfying, although I’m not satisfied with the skirt, which looks too tight and uncomfortable in my drawing. I borrowed some fabric from the theatre next to my studio and will get my daughter to … Continue reading
Love my Vertical Monitor
Having completed the drapery study I needed to use it for reference beside the painting, so I scanned the drawing and put it onto my vertical monitor. Using the computer as an aid in the studio is the contemporary analogue … Continue reading
Posted in Arthurian, Making work, Queen of Cups
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Dressing the Queen of Cups
I’ve taken a morning figuring out the values of the face and neck, using a Foundation White as a local wet white ground, then White and a flesh mixture of Cadmium Orange and Viridian to generate the darker areas. Although … Continue reading
The View in the Black Mirror
I’d heard from Mike Adams that old masters used a black mirror to check out the value balance of their work, but although I’ve painted with a mirror behind me for years to help check on composition and cut down … Continue reading
Posted in Green men, Making work
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I’ve moved on with a new piece, with Suzy as my model (I’ll get to the Green Man’s ears soon, I promise). I photographed her during a Figure Drawing class several months ago, thinking that this pose was too pretty … Continue reading
Green Man
The Green Man is finished following a morning of detailing ivy and adding Pre-Raphaelite Rosetti’s purple to the shadows and hair. I added some highlights to the veins of the ivy leaves, then lightened up the shadows of the ivy on the shirt with … Continue reading
Posted in Green men, Making work, Pre-raphaelite
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Man Goes Green
The green man finally got some of his proper colour, making him look quite different. A layer of Olive green over the background has made it drop back considerably with a vaguely leafy feel, while the ivy emerging from his … Continue reading
Posted in Green men, Making work, Pre-raphaelite
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Ivy
Although ivy is the bane of my gardening life, for this little study for the allegory of the green man it’s the perfect plant. It’s impossible to destroy, totally invasive and undeniably full of indestructible life. It’s energy and tenacity is … Continue reading
Posted in Green men, Making work, Other people's work, The Star
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