Opera singers, Liyuan Theatre, Beijing



















Just outside the auditorium, the opera singers were putting on their make-up for everyone to see and, presumably, take photos. There were crowds around the tables so it was only looking at the photos afterwards that I managed to get a good look at the details. I especially liked the arm of the singer on the right - obviously that of an acrobat with bruises and red knuckles to show there is more to Chinese opera than singing. He is the singer I've drawn twice before. I used mainly Cretacolor Aquamonolith pencils. My two favourites, English Red and Ochre Light are perfect for skin and I used them as a base but tried out other colours like purple, mauve and blue/grey shades for the shadows. The Albrecht Durer 'mauve' and 'magenta' seemed to work especially well.

Comments

caseytoussaint said…
These are wonderful! My daughter took a series of photos with similar poses at the opera in Chengdu last year. Your drawing is as skillful as ever, and this medium just fits you like a glove.
Felicity Grace said…
Thanks very much Casey, that's very kind of you! I did enjoy doing these and I'm hoping to improve the cp (especially in the shadow areas!) with practice. I'm sure your daughter's photos must be very interesting. I wish I had taken more of these singers!
Lindsay said…
HOw could I have missed this beautiful blog? This is a great way to present yor sketches!!! Your China work is so rich. I'm subscribing right away.
Felicity Grace said…
Thanks Lindsay, great to see you here!
Unknown said…
Wow.. beautiful. Anyone going to Liyuan Theatre, grab a discount first: http://maytoursbeijing.info/beijing-opera-tickets

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