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Richard III






















An attempt at drawing Richard III from the facial reconstruction but with a few changes, allowing for how I think the stresses in his life (and probable pain from scoliosis) might affect his face. I'm a little fed up with my scanner making all my drawings look ghostly grey so I've gone to work on Photoshop with this one to make it more like the original.

It's been so interesting reading around the life of Richard III and trying to get a better idea of who he was and the times he lived in. It's very frustrating trying to piece it all together from wildly subjective reports, rumour and sketchy, misleading information though. At first it seemed there was very little available but slowly, digging away, small and very surprising details emerge. All I know for sure is that they were brutal times, but that only makes the positive things Richard did all the more surprising and admirable. Sadly, it seems his sense of fairness led to his downfall. It was kill or be killed back then.

I came across some examples of his signature and I really liked this one. It was his last, as it turns out, dated 1485.

2H, H, 2B  Faber Castell pencils on Winsor & Newton paper.
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Comments

Unknown said…
This is so cool, that you are researching this man and then drawing his portrait. It's so well done, and your drawing really does show that you know more about him than just how his face is shaped. You know the person behind those eyes. well done!
12 March 2013 at 13:00:00 CET
Robyn Sinclair said…
This is such a sensitive and beautiful examination of character, Felicity. It more than makes up for the disappointment I felt when I saw the recent model of Richard III.
13 March 2013 at 12:18:00 CET
Unknown said…
This is wonderfully done - a perfect marriage of the NPG painting and the reconstruction, with all his character showing through his face. I've never seen him look more human.
17 February 2014 at 15:20:00 CET
Felicity Grace said…
Thank you very much Rick, that's very kind of you. I really enjoyed the process and trying to imagine how he might have looked from the various clues available. I'm very much looking forward to the results of his DNA analysis and any other information they might give us.
17 February 2014 at 17:41:00 CET
ryorkist said…
I agree with Robyn- this is the first time I have ever seen realised, the image I have of the real Richard as he must have looked. This is so believable- all the character of the NPG portrait but with the face of a real man. Your portrait succeeds where the reconstruction fails completely; it shows a man who has lived through far more in thirty odd years than most see in a lifetime - and much of it at high personal cost. I would love a giclee print!
17 May 2014 at 23:35:00 CET
Felicity Grace said…
Thank you very much, ryorkist. I'm so pleased that this others have found this portrait interesting and are as curious as me to really get a feel for how Richard must have looked. I'm afraid it's only a small drawing, like all of my drawings, so I don't make prints but I'm so glad you liked it!
20 May 2014 at 08:52:00 CET
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