23/12/2017 - WHITE TIGER PAINTING 1

Although I still was not entirely satisfied with the face of my tiger, I decided to leave this area blank for now to return later with a fresh eye, and start instead by working on the complex tonal forms of the body and column. Initially I blocked the entire form of the tiger and column in with white gesso paint and allowed it to dry completely. I was aware that I was working onto watercolour paper and in doing this I waterproofed the top layer of paper and gave it increased resistance to the wet paint medium I was about to apply, I hoped this would decrease warping as the paper absorbed water.


I then started working onto this white layer with watered down greys, allowing me to gradually build up tone gradually and naturally. Where I had initially only sketched the complex forms of the Corinthian column, they new began to fill out and attain depth. There became a much more tangible sense that the sculptural forms were wrapped around a cylindrical column, and we were infact looking at an intricately carved three dimensional decorative object.