Thursday, December 9, 2010

On the Drawing Board

I've been asked to illustrate a Christmas poem. The 36 line poem was too long to fit into a small sized frame. So I typed the poem in Word using 12 pt Lucida Calligraphy, a "calligraphic" looking font. (Technically, if it's not done by hand, it can't be called calligraphy) The poem was printed on Diploma Parchment a lovely cream colored paper using a laser printer. The Diploma Parchment is not that mottled junk you find in pads in some art aisles of chain stores. I don't know the paper mill, but Diploma Parchment is one of my favorite papers to work on. It takes both ink and paints well and doesn't buckle.

In the poem, a homeless woman visits a crรจche in a city park. The illustration, a decorated initial for the first word of the poem measures approximately 1 3/4" x 1 3/4". Painted with gouache, watercolors, Pigma pen. I was asked to make two copies, one for the client to give as a gift to the poet's daughter and one for the client to keep. This illustration is almost complete except for adding the features to the faces of Mary and the baby. The figures of Mary and the baby are surrounded by a wash of Schminke Goldperl watercolor.  The scan is meh.

What letter do you see in the illustration.?

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