Working on this is so exciting. As I add in the grasses and furs and then wash over with the final couple of glazes I am loving the effect that is being created. It's so difficult to capture on the screen the really musty smoky feel that is appearing on the paper. I think this is because on the screen the light is shining from behind which seems to sharpen the image rather than blur it but I hope you get the idea from the photo above.
I am so pleased with how effective glazing is for creating smoky atmospheres and receeding objects further into the background. If you look closely on the left hand side of the photo, you can see that I have completed the furs and grasses in this section. However, I have only laid down the first wash of two on the hanging curved reed. As a result the rope-like reed looks far further forward than the hanging grass, where in reality it is behind it. A couple more washes on this section should do the trick.
I am making the whole scene duskier than in my ref photo because I am planning to not have the extra light shining through the doorway so the light shining through the ceiling and upper window is accentuated thus increasing the smoky atmosphere of the painting...well thats my plan. Fingers crossed I can put the idea I can see in my head onto the paper.
Ona
