Category Archives: Tarot-related paintings

A Little Help from a Friend

Posted on December 6, 2010 by pearce

I’ve been reworking that face again, because I really disliked the right eye. Now I’ve done it again, taking a lead from the great Botticelli’s Madonna and Child and rendering a more introverted face that regards the Empress with a … Continue reading →

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Nip and Tuck in Paint

Posted on December 5, 2010 by pearce

Rising early in the morning again so that I could find a few quiet hours of painting, I trimmed the left side of the middle girl’s face so that she wasn’t quite so moon faced, then spent a while working … Continue reading →

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Envy in the Maiden

Posted on December 4, 2010 by pearce

I got up early today to get to the studio before other commitments took control of the day, working on altering the expression of the face from scary grin to a more detached, even slightly envious appearance. I’m much happier … Continue reading →

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Velatura Skin

Posted on November 30, 2010 by pearce

The velatura layer is making a big difference to the painting, with most of the arms and legs coated in a simple pinkish layer of paint, supplemented by shadows felt out in a Graham Burnt Sienna. I’m happy to see … Continue reading →

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Pink legs, more about spitting

Posted on November 29, 2010 by pearce

Adding the pink velatura layer to the legs has made the girls more substantial, and will help me to make decisions about the balance of colour in the painting. Once I get the skin of the upper part of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Angel, Empress, Making work, Novorealist, Pre-raphaelite, Soapbox, Tarot-related paintings | Leave a comment

Spitting at Raphael, Making Shadows Grow

Posted on November 27, 2010 by pearce

Pictures: (from left to right) Shadows on the marble; A green and brown dress; Bottecelli Madonna, Lippi’s Saint; Raphael Madona; Closeup of Raphael’s Madonna; Decorative work on Medieval alter-piece; Twisted wool robe lining on Medieval alter-piece. In the studio I’ve … Continue reading →

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Dropping Back Yellow and Blue

Posted on November 26, 2010 by pearce

The Cobalt blue sky is much improved by a coat of fat Ceramic White that has been softly pounced off to leave a gentle glaze that makes the colour less intense. The blue was far too bright in its pure … Continue reading →

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Facing the Empress

Posted on November 24, 2010 by pearce

I’ve finished the first draft of the Empress’ most recent face, now painting my daughter in the role of the main character, (she got a crick in her neck from keeping her head in that position while I tried to … Continue reading →

Posted in Empress, Making work, Pre-raphaelite, Tarot-related paintings, The Cardinal Virtues | Leave a comment

Ribbon Dress

Posted on November 22, 2010 by pearce

I’ve added colour to the ribbon dress worn by the girl on the right, using some Raw Sienna mixed with to fill the shadow areas, then picking out the highlights of the individual strips. The Empress’ face is deleted again … Continue reading →

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Brushes and the Empress

Posted on November 20, 2010 by pearce

There’s been little time in the studio available for concentrating on painting the Empress over the last couple of days, with the demands of my personal life colliding with my work; however, I shot photos of Keziah posing as the … Continue reading →

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