charter painting

in which our plucky heroine enjoys coloring for grownups...

Last week the state of the world and the state of my life just rolled over me like a big storm, and the best thing I could do was to take a mental health break and spent an afternoon painting an award charter. (Award charters are blank scrolls, usually inspired by particular illuminated manuscripts, that various SCA artists have drawn artwork and done calligraphy for, and then copies are made and said copies painted individually)

I'd long wanted to try this, just for fun, but usually charter painting happens in the evening, somewhere on the other side of the city. My friend Marya offered me a chance to come over to Rex House and paint one of the new Summits charters... As it turns out, this sort of painting is wonderfully absorbing, taking just enough attention that all else troublesome fades into the background, before the simple challenge of trying new paint effects.

As I began the painting, after looking at the original inspiraton, I added washes of color in the large areas, trying to balance the warm and cool colors in a similar way

More layers of translucent gouache, and beginning to add some internal detailing of the built and wild landscape

A lot more detailing work, on the architecture, and the clothing. The dimensionality is really surprising, considering how simple the shading is

Fine linework on the bricks, color and more shading on the clothing and the Grail...

The completed charter painting, with a decorated border. The various personages in the scene have now been given a variety of ethnic diversity, to better reflect the Roman world

This is the actual image that inspired Marya to create this design, and I gave my best effort to do the painting in a similar style. There is always more to learn...