Sunday, September 04, 2011

Walking with Death




Hello!
Here's a new illumination I made after a drawing (uh scrapboard, isn't?) by Marcel Ruijters to continue our work which will be first shown here in Forcalquier, south France.
This is a painting on parchment (from goat) with animal glue and handmade colors which are : azurit, minium, cinaber, lead white, red, green & yellow ochre, indigo, carmin, Naples yellow.
It's done following 2 models : an anonymous manuscript from Paris (1410) & Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, both typic gothic style.
I tried to find something between unfinished-like from first manuscript, and perfect volumes in the other one.
Also I don't make gilding, that's quiet unusual for this genre, but not rare. I was much interested in doing this background.
I could have spent more time on it of course, here is 6-8 hours, like I said I'm looking for irregular painting, not too much complete & perfection...
I post 3 pictures to see different steps, going up with colors & finition

At Marcel : hope you like it !!!

5 comments:

Marcel Ruijters said...

Yes Romuald, you're on a roll there. The background is nuts, I could never do it.
I agree about the state of unfinishedness (if that's English). It gives the picture some air to breath. With bold outlines, it would become "boxed-in", I'm affraid.
The b/w original is indeed in scraperboard.

alkbazz said...

You know, illumination works by simple steps repeated to obtain something complex... I often use that way too for my drawing... It's the craftmen working way. So it's not as hard as it seems to be. At most it could be boring! Here you can work the background again with dark & light, then with yellow dots on relief, white one on others etc...

I'm actually doing another one with a real nut background, as far as I spent time & attention on it... ;)

Human Mollusk said...

Fantastic work, Romuald! That backdrop ornament is insane.

Kurt Komoda said...

I love that you posted it in stages. I like being able to see the process.

Aeron said...

Beautiful painting, I've always wanted to try my hand in this manner of illuminated manuscript style of painting. I love the hellmouth paintings that usually adorn a lot of the older books of the middle ages. The background works perfectly. I enjoy seeing the process as well. I look forward to seeing more!