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CaroleHumphreys — Descent, part 1
Published: 2007-10-08 09:30:06 +0000 UTC; Views: 6395; Favourites: 110; Downloads: 55
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*Note - I'm in the progress of moving WIP to scraps. As this work achieves an element of looking final, I'd like it to remain in my gallery.I'm not even halfway done on this one as I wish to do another line of figures descending on the left, and to start working on a background too.
The theme is Persephone's descent into Hades. I'm toying with a number of ideas on this, whether to show a change in seasons through fallen leaves, etc., or to just keep the background simple with a hint of steps. Another idea of mine is to have the steps formed from roots of trees, etc., rather than have them appear man-made - I'm undecided on that one. The violinists are supposed to be playing a symphony for Persephone. I like the words 'symphony' and "Persephone" together, but thought "A Symphony for Persephone" would be too grand a title!
The inspiration for this is Burne-Jones's work showing women descending stairs.
All the figures are based on photos by
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Comments: 143
Looking at this, and I can nearly guarantee this will be a favourite of mine...I wish I had the patience and talent to portray people so...I should go back to regular drawing...very very intriguing, among other wonderful descriptives!
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Awww, thank you. I hope you will take time to do some pencil work soon
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Yeah...eventually...
You're welcome...
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Wow! That looks amazing! I'm looking forward to see the finished drawing
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Thank you. I hope to work on it some more this week
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I love this already...can't wait to see it finished
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wow this looks very interesting...keep up the amazing work
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Wow this is going to be gorgeous, in fact it's already gorgeous!!
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Reminds me of a burne jones painting I saw once with musician angels processing down some stairs.
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I suspect that's the very same painting I had in mind when I started this. He managed to make his ladies look like they resembled the same model; while I've unwittingly done the opposite - used the same model and not managed to make any of them look alike. Ah well, when I work on the other side, sooner or later one of them might look like another. Thanks.
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'The Golden Stairs' is the painting. All Burne-Jones' women look the same: big haunted eyes, weak jaw and prominent upper lip. Not that I'm anyone to criticize on that score as one of mine is much like another.
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Your rendering is gorgeous! The idea is great too, of course. I love the soft hair and the shimmery dresses and all that movement!!!Stellar stuff!
One thing to watch out for is that it appears each figure was composited into the group, right? Well, way in the back the figure is half-size but her hand is not. This is because of the lense the photograper used. It's thowing more perspective on that figure than you have given the group as a whole. Wider angle lenses used closely to the subject are the culprit here for the artist. There is too much perspective on that single figure to make her fit into the group. Her hand coming forward in space doesn't help matters. I'd shrink the hand a bit and her head seems to jump in scale too. I'd enlarge that hear a smidge.
I hope you don't mind the crit. This is shaping up to be your most magnificent piece to date. It is certainly more ambitious than Burne Jones's attempt! That's saying something! You are a master with the pencil dear!
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Thanks, Ben. That is most helpful. As you've suggested, I've been trusting in what the camera is seeing far too much. I haven't done the back figure's hand just yet as I had been wondering how much would be seen ... and now, wham-bam, I suddenly can see how large that penultimate lady's hand looks. I will correct this and check some of the others. It's helpful to know about the head too (of the top lady) - her head is fairly sketchy at the moment, enlarging it shouldn't be a problem. I'm planning to add some more figures behind in order to hopefully increase the sense of distance and incline (is that the word?). I'm also planning to darken the shadow on some arms to stop them blending into each other so much - but of course, there's the problem about just how much detail should be added as the figures recede into the distance - I'm guessing I also need to watch I don't darken them too much (clothing, etc.). I sometimes spray fixative on my large drawings while I'm working, but I'm avoiding doing this this time because of the need to make adjustments. Thanks, again - that's some very well-timed feedback.
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You're welcome. I'm glad it helps.
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Wow, this is going to be a lot of work and well worth the grand title you've come up with!
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Thanks. I'm pretty sure it will end up with the grand title in the end
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"sweeping"
(I type more better after I've been up for a while.)
Gack.
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Me too ... especially after I've had a few coffees and the caffeine is starting to kick in
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I like the seeping arc of faces and bows.
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Thanks, Steve. I had hoped to try and create a sense of flow in the way I arranged the heads and arms
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cant't ait to see the final version
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I like this work!a question...which is the size of the drawing?
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Thank you ... now that's a very good question. If only I could find my long ruler. Bear with me a moment and I'll find something to measure it with
It's approx. 58 cms X 40 cms, but the actual drawn area is only approx. 40 x 25 cms at the moment ... I'm hoping to fill the whole page eventually
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Wow I'm utterly mesmerized. She so beautiful, you capture human movement and expression so well. Love the concept, I'm goign to look into her myth...she wasn't Orpheus's bride was she? Probably not oh well,
Utterly extordentary
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Thank you. I sometimes mix up the names of Roman and Greek gods, so please excuse me if I do that here. Persephone was the daughter of Ceres (goddess of harvest, etc.) - Hades is both the name of the underworld and the deity who abducts Persephone. In short, he does a deal will the grieving mother and allows Persephone to return to the world for half of each year, but Persephone would then have to return to Hades for the next six months (one month for each pommegranite seed she'd eaten while with him). So each time Persephone makes her descent, her mother begins to grieve again and the seasons become colder. Persephone wasn't Orpheus's wife, but I love that story too
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Thank you. I can't decide whether I should paint or draw today; some of these ladies are still missing a hand, so maybe I'll get the pencils out
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do both
when you are tired with one, change to the next medium heh heh
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wonderful progress on both of these new pieces Carole! i'm really looking forward to seeing the finished results.
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Thanks, Alan. I have the day off today and I don't know where to start surrounded by so many WIPs ... another coffee might help
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... or even a second cup of coffee
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awesome idea.
looks incredible.
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