Face at the Fobidden City




















Finally, it's finished. In my last post I scanned it at the stage I enjoy most - with just the face - because after that it's just decoration and I get impatient to finish up! There are a few things about this that I'm not happy with but I'm keen to do something else now and I want to call it done.

I used a combination of Polychromos Burnt Carmine and Scarlet Red on the cap. It was actually much brighter in the photo but I felt that would overpower the face and the Burnt Carmine went better with the skin tones. I used Black to shade. I didn't have the right blue for the jacket so it's made up of layers of Polychromos Cold Grey and (Faber Castell) Albrecht Durer Dark Indigo. I try to avoid using the Albrecht Durer pencils as they are watersoluble but I didn't have anything close in the Polychromos of Lyras. There is a barely noticable background of Polychromos Sky Blue just because I felt like it - you'd probably never see a blue sky in Beijing! I'm not sure who these men were wearing red caps at the Forbidden City but they looked as if they were there to keep an eye on everyone.

Comments

Robyn Sinclair said…
I always want to zoom right into these CP portraits, Felicity. The pencil work is obviously beautiful. Having a soft spot for China, I love this series.

Also really enjoyed seeing your photographs on the other blog. I think it is so much better to take a photo to share than let an image pass just because one doesn't have time for a drawing.
Rain Crow said…
Absolutely amazing! I thought he was going to speak to me. (I don't hear in Chinese). Beautiful work!
Jennifer Lawson said…
Wow, your colored pencil drawings are absolutely amazing. Such fine detail. I too want to zoom in to see the line work.
Teresa said…
Beautifully done! I love the way you get so much detail in, yet it's quite subtle. I'm trying so hard to lighten up my heavy hand with cp's. Thanks for the inspiration!
Teresa Mallen said…
A very engaging image! I think the hat colours work very well with skin tones. Great choices!
Margaret Ann said…
Such soft strength shown....wisdom in every line of his face.
Edward Burton said…
Wow, AMAZING portraits! Very well done!

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