a daily dose

ophiuchus charcoal drawing
Originally uploaded by nepalblue

of monsoon rains have washed away any opportunities to work on the portrait of Mercia (Sadalsuud) for the time being, so it was time to look beyond the clouds and take on another constellation. I was in need of consistent lighting and a model who had a similar schedule as mine, and equally important, a similar taste in music. The one I decided to go with for the painting is a bit of a prima donna (quite the whiner, actually.. and he could use a haircut), but I think everything will work out.

The composition is based on the constellation of Ophiuchus (the serpent-holder). The first drawing/set up - much simpler, and certainly more serious (I've taken a lot of heat for looking too serious/intense in my previous self portrait attempts, which doesn't particularly harmonize with my personality) - had me dressed in black, holding the hose of a nargila. I completed the study, the drawing, and even started in on the painting, but was completely uninspired by it (so much so, that I wasn't planning on posting it here). So, I ditched it.

I played around with the setup and changed my mindset about the project to that of a more lighthearted attitude (I needed a counterweight to balance out the prospect of sitting in a small dark room for hours on end) - I still tried to maintain somewhat of an edge. Hopefully, that will come through in the painting (it's hard to feel it in the charcoal sketch); I am determined to achieve that presence. As for the the space, I have kept both the hookah and the original poster study to fuse it with the initial idea.

This afternoon, I plan on jumping in to the color wash (underpainting). After I make a little progress (and assuming that my model will cooperate), I will be back here with more. Late.