Angels

The map and the glory-rays are a bit closer to finish, but instead of finishing them completely, I was tempted beyond my limit to start on one of the angels.

I did the halos yesterday, painted first with gold-paint, and then added the gold-leaf (or gold-colored metal-leaf to be precise)

Today it was nice and dry, and ready for some color around it.

Before:

And after:

I know, the poor guy is still missing a face, but there is a very specific way of painting icons, and I haven´t learned it yet… Luckily I have a friend who´s an expert.

With a base of olive-green and sienna he started working on the face:

Myself, I made rain-heavy clouds by the yard! Mixed from a palette of dark grey-brown, pale brown, green-blue and ivory.

I decided not to use black at all in this picture. Even the outline of the rays are this dark grey-brown. It´s plenty hard enough. I´m having difficulties with the rays now, as the baroque elements are appearing, the rays are SO 1970s! I need to do something about that.

(Skip a day or two…)

So, progress, you ask? Here´s the big picture at the beginning of today (Saturday)

And here it is six hours later (photo includes one tired lady):

So while waiting for the paint to dry enough for us to roll it up and tuck it away before the cinema, we took some more photos. Here is Lars, my icon-expert-friend showing just how big the angels are.

I´ve been working on blocking in the main colors, and Lars has worked his magic on the faces.