Putting a little Van Dyke Brown over the stripy suit has made it feel far more solidly within the painting, while a drop shadow at her feet and additional work over the foreground on the left side has made a great deal of difference to the landscape. Notwithstanding that the Magician still has no feet, I’m pretty happy with the way the foreground works, although I’d like to add some subtle blues into some of the deep shadows and perhaps a touch of purple here and there, particularly beside where the greens lie in the middle ground on the left, just to add a little vibrance to the surface.
This painting has gone outrageously quickly compared to the previous three: The Traveler, The Angel of Death, and The Empress, which all took at least three months each, probably a lot more for the Angel. I’m going to have to get to work getting the frame built and some canvas stretched for the Hanged Man and the Priestess as soon as possible.
