Final painting: The Nightingale as 6 of Cups

I’ve been using the same basic illustrative methodology since my late teens. That is not to say that I haven’t deviated from my technical repertoire, but the basic formula  from initial sketch to finished painting has pretty much remained the same.

First comes the sketch. As you can see from the photo in part 1, I’ve filled many sketchbooks while brainstorming Fairy Tale. The purpose of these drawings-in-the-raw is to help me connect conscious deliberation with automatic delivery.

The sketches represent unfiltered, intuitive thought processes. Oftentimes, the initial sketch (design-wise) looks very much like the finished product. For me, over-contemplation of a drawing dooms it to failure. If it doesn’t flow, I leave it, only to return when inspiration strikes. Some ideas can be fleshed out with immediacy while others need time to ripen before the creative juices are ready to flow. While teaching, I used to tell my students to doodle a series of thumbnails and follow the designs that felt *right*. If it’s not working, take a break or turn to another task in the interim. It’s amazing how effective this was.

Then comes the refined sketch. At this juncture, I would research and acquire reference material such as pics of period costume, accouterments and photos as needed. Here you can see my husband assuming a pose as the spirit.

FINAL DRAWING & TRANSFER

Final Drawing

I then draw on tracing paper, rub the back with a 6B (softness of lead) pencil and transfer it using a 4H (hardness of lead) pencil to final watercolor paper. I use 140lb hot press Waterford paper that I’ve soaked in a bathtub for 15 minutes before stapling it onto watercolor board. As it dries, it tightens up like a drum, thus preventing the paper from wrinkling while painting. The paper I use is rather pricey, so once a transfer is made there is little room for mistakes. If one is made, I integrate the “mistake” into the piece sometimes with a surprisingly positive effect. The drawing is refined using a mechanical pencil before initial watercolor paint is applied.

FIRST WASHES

my wonderful, magical palette

The initial paint application is done in broad water-saturated washes using a 1/2 inch paintbrush (I’ve been using the same large paintbrush for 25 years–talk about quality materials!). Effects like the ones seen around the figures can be achieved by sprinkling salt directly on the washes (a technique I learned from the legendary illustrator/educator Lauren Mills back in the 80s). I love to see what happens as the salt separates the paint from paper, leaving a lovely texture filled with figments of my imagination ready to be born. This is when I paint additional images spontaneously—as I see them appearing out of the paint (some may see this as a sign of madness, I see it as being pellucid-haha). The figures are painted with deliberate technical facility (as I’m a stickler for anatomical accuracy) while the peripheral material is improvised.

The painting in progress.

As I begin to refine the painting, I will slowly limit the water and create details using a dry brush technique (very little water). Upon completion, I’ll put the painting away for a few hours and come back to it for a final review before taking it off the watercolor board. If my rhythm is good, I can usually finish a painting within a week or less, depending on the complexity of the image. How do I know a painting is finished? I listen to that inner voice that tells me “ahhh, it’s done”.

~ Lisa

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(concept sketch)

In the Frost King, the story contrasts the virtuousness of the stepdaughter with the contemptuous “real” daughter (A similar theme also appears in the story Diamonds and Toads). Here the stepmother exploited the goodness of her stepchild before demanding that her husband, the father, take her to the wood and leave her for the Frost King. After an agonizing goodbye, the wretched girl was left by the stream without protective cover. It wasn’t long before the Frost King emerged from hiding, expecting to hear cold-induced moaning from his potential victim. But when he snapped his ice fingers and gnashed his teeth with tempting questions about the creeping cold, the girl responded sweetly that she was warm. The Frost King pulled back. He was so impressed with the girl’s uncomplaining nature that he covered her with a blanket and left her jewels.

Can you guess what happened next?
Well, the girl returned home with the treasure prompting her surprised stepmother to send her own daughter into the freezing wood. “Imagine what great gifts the Frost King will bestow on her!”
But when the Frost King approached the child, she was so miserable and ill tempered that he slowly froze her to death.
*******
Symbols

The resolute girl wears the color red, representing life. The hardness of the ice melts, echoing her own abilities to overcome the coldness of her surroundings. The Frost King is illuminated with warm spirals. He is there to summon respect and offer relief to a desperate situation. His bag contains the secrets of his power and wisdom. The crown, spiked with high-rising icicles is a symbol of his connection to higher thought processes. The tree is adorned with more spirals, symbols of hope for continuation.

~ Lisa