Viikko 36-38/Vecka 36-38/Week 36-38 2010
Greatmartyr Anastasia
I plan to paint some 6 different Anastasias in different sizes and versions as I bought in Russia a nice book about her.The name of the book is something like The Great Holy Anastasia.. by Peter Chahotin. My board for the first one is very small 12x9 centimetres.My prototype for this was a fresco in Serbia from around 1370.
The fresco colours are different from icon colours bt the feeling is nice.
First I did the halo in gold after sketching the pictor to the panel. Then I put a Sankir i.e. the flesh ground colour from yellow ochre and black. I use a yellow ochre from France and the black is marsblack. The I put mor yellow ochre also on the ground plus everything else except the gold of course. The gold I put on two layers directly on the gesso., with alcohol and gelatine glue.
The face lightening colour is Italian ochre and white.
The mantle was first highlighted with reft (black and white). And the I put a not so good Cobaltgreen wash. Too harsh. I corrected it in the final with a yellow ochre wash.
She looks sad but so am I. And a martyr is a martyr.
Anastasia II
She is 1600-century russian. Original size 28x22,3cm. My panel is 15x11,5cm.
I again begin as often by covering the whole board with Italian ochre or yellow bolus on the sketch.
Basic colours. In this case red and sankir. Which is mostly done with yellow ochre and black. Then I directly begin the face lightening with Italian Ochre and white. And if the face doesn't show well enough I put little Burnt siena contours to know where the eyes, mouth and nose are.
Then details and heightening of colours with local colour plus white.
Here she is done! The tree brushes behind the Icon are all needed. Two small russian number 1 and two plus my favorite french Isabey: Stradivarius number 8 for mixing and spreading bigger colour layers. All marten. In russian kolonok. I used to prefer Squirrel earlier but with the slighty new eggyolk mixture of only eggyolk and white vine vinegar fifty-fifty without adding water needs a sturdier brush than the squirrel ones. even a synthetic goes better.
Anastasia III
The third is a greek Icon around 15-1600. Size 101,3x49,2cm. My panel is 30x24 cm.
It has a very restricted colour scheme and Gold is a good background to the evidently very much used Yellow bolus as undergarment and cap.
On the drawing also put the bolus and put a thin layer of emulsiion to prevent the gold to stick on the drawing part.
Base colours.
Directly on the bolus I put the face enlightening with Italian ochre and white.
On the face I put some layers of Burnt siena as also on everything orange.
Less is more with warm or cold reft highlighting everything goes together.
Almost done. Some gold touch up and I had to put more Burnt Siena washes to get everything together. Also on the green. Now the Icon can rest for a couple days and I correct things that need changes.
Now next Anastasia is from a modern Fresco in a monastery in Greece.
First I tried to sketch directly on the panel. After realizing it did not look good it was easier to fit the picture from the copy with some adjustments. After the sketch I covered the panel with a mixture of Yellow and Red Bolus clay. Then I put the first layer of gold. I put a green umbra layer on the faces.
I put the face enlightning with my standard italian ochre, light ochre and little white. The white scarf I began with reft: white+black. A darker version for the darks in the overcloth.
I continue the lihtening with more white. Little vagoner green for the cap and undercloth. The overcloth got a layer of burnt siena and looked very good on the bolus clay.
Here the Icon is done and the text meaning Great Martyr Anastasia and the outer lines, inner white line and halo on place. Normally I prefer panels with a kovzeg ( the painted portion in a lower level with edges making a frame. Actually it also protect the painting part. The size of the Icon is somewhat a standard A4.