I’ve been working on adding more colour to the Emperor’s face and body, building up a layer of warmth, using a Burnt Sienna to make shadows richer, then blending to the edges of the hair with Raw Umber. For flesh areas I’ve used that mixture of Viridian and Cadmium Orange Mike Adams told me about. I like it because it’s vibrant and very fleshy, and has the benefit of being a quick mix.
I’ve dropped in a few strokes of Cadmium Red here and there, especially around the mouth, nose and eyes.
It’s great to get some colour onto the painting. I must get the first layer of flesh over the man’s hands so that I’m keeping everything going at the same pace. It worries me when things get out of order.
