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Award of Arms for Holt Kincaid
of Hawk Glen
by Lady Kayleigh McWhyte (Cellach Mac Faoitigh)
(Best viewed in maximized window)
Pictured above:
Newly-minted Lady Kincaid (Holt) in
the window, wearing her "Santaslayer" plaid on a sash (which only exists
painted on the cresting of her arrows).
Above Kincaid: Newly-minted (minutes after
his mother) Lord Mikkel the Builder, her son, taking aim at
His brother, Anges MacKincaid, who
is also fending off "Skippy" (Brandon), their friend on the ladder.
Clothing is mostly true to life - though where I could not remember on the pants, I improvised. Likenesses of the boys were done purely from memory, while Basia (another friend) sneaked pictures of Holt for me during Coronation, a month and a week before this scroll was complete and turned in. Mikkel does not own an English archer's helmet - I do, for Combat Archery. By coincidence I learned after speaking to Holt that Mikkel had tried on my helmet once, and loved it - so that worked out well. Initial plans were to have all 3 of them in armor and helms, but I thought it best to make all of them recognizable, and leave their faces open.
Nitty-Gritty....
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUE:
Winsor & Newton Gouache, W&N Gouache
mixed with Cottman watercolor, ShinHan watercolor mixed with W&N Gouache
(grass, fleshtones), pencil, t-square, 6" ruler, right-triangle, 18/0 brushes,
000 brush, and 1 gel-grip liner brush. Gold is 23kt patent/transfer leaf,
on permacol (brushed loose bits away with soft white Chinese bamboo brush,
burnished with bone and glassine). Hand is my own style of Batarde, using
Higgins Black Magic ink, and Speedball pigmented green ink, Mitchell fine
nib. Wording assistance by Lord Rhodri on the last 4 lines.
INSPIRATION:
Guyart des Moulins: 'Bible Historiale'
As shown on page 160 in Janet Backhouse's
"The Illuminated Page: Ten Centuries of Manuscript Painting"
ISBN 0-8020-4346-1
WHAT I LIKED:
Kincaid's picture came out the best of all
of them. Calligraphy came out very nice, even with some minor boo-boos
here and there. Shadowing on the two towers turned out well, and mixing
cobalt blue with plenty of grey made for a near Neuschwanstein / Cinderella
Castle effect (Cinderella based upon Neuschwanstein). Original plan for
this was to do an Annunciation scene, with Holt as the trumpeter, waking
up her children in their beds - feet and arms sticking out from under covers.
I think this really captured the personalities of all four of them best!
WHAT I *REALLY* LIKED:
"Look Ma! No pen!" All fine lines were done
with the 18/0 paintbrush. NO ink was involved in the making of this scroll,
other than for calligraphy!
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
(Besides a piece of my hair falling onto the
scroll in the bottom left corner). Drapery technique did not match exactly
- due to interruptions in work, I was unable to work "wet" until 4th curtain
on right. Other curtains requred laying gouache down first, coming back
later and reconstituting with water and a touch of white. Skippy's arm
is bent at an unnatural angle on ladder, was not sure how to fix, so I
left it as it was. Contrast of curtains and Skippy's green clothing might
have been too dark against direction of light on facade.
What I would change?
1. Don't sit at this for too long - began
to lose "the drive" by 3+ hr sitting sessions w/o breaks.
2. Find a less distracting environment to
paint in, esp during fine linework.
3. Wonder how it would look with period pigment,
and period glue?
4. Highlights on ladder could use more work.
*ducking whaps from Kincaid now*
5. Ease up on gouache consistency. Strokes
became textured in one of the towers, in different direction from other
tower.
Would I do this again?
YES!