This is the second piece I completed for the Cirque Des Senses in Cedar Rapids Iowa on October 29th 2011. I am pretty excited about the final product. It was certainly a labor of love but it was very much worth the effort.
I started by created the ground using tinted and thinned gouache. I had to put it on in several layers to create a smooth, even finish. It still ended up a bit too thick (something I wouldn't find out until I had started rendering) but the smoothness is really the most important factor. I photocopied my sketch and put graphite on the back to transfer the drawing onto the ground. I then traced my drawing with a pen and I was ready to go. I found the actual application of the silverpoint to be easy and seeing as how I draw with a very linear style to begin with, it came fairly naturally. I accented the silverpoint with a sharp HB pencil and added the final touch of white gouache for highlights.
I hadn't done a completely original piece in a long time and it felt great to pull it off. I am constantly leaning on the crutches of the digital realm (ctrl-z), and it was a bit of a challenge to cast that aside and dive headlong into a bold pencil stroke but I got a real sense of accomplishment when I landed that stroke just as I had intended. I hope you enjoy looking as much as I did creating.
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