Wild busy, as usual...
I've been painting miniatures for years, trying to achieve the feel of the 18th C. ones.
This was one of my favorites, and most successful!
The article is being a real challenge to write, and I'm getting to interview some interesting people and see some collections I wasn't aware of before...
I wear goggles when I paint them, though--my eyes are getting too old for such closeup work, I think! In researching some of the early miniaturists, I came across that comment again and again...it does take its toll. (These are 30 x 40mm, and if you're off by more than a couple of hairs, you're beginning to lose the likeness...)
Eye miniatures become popular late in the 18th C., perhaps when Richard Cosway painted Mrs. Fitzherbert's eye for the Prince of Wales, who became King George IV. They were considered quite romantic and intimate--I've done quite a few of them! These are the ones of my eye and
I've got two commissioned miniatures to finish up...but of course I'm always tempted to try a new technique...
I do have a strong work ethic coupled with a short attention span!
And yes, it does take patience to paint these tiny things, and a steady hand! I often find myself holding my breath, so they're rather tiring...
I found the goggles worked better for me than a magnifying lamp...they're fairly inexpensive at some craft stores.
I use tiny, tiny, TINY brushes, like 00 or 000!
(Anonymous)
Article on portrait miniatures
Re: Article on portrait miniatures
The pub date is June, for the article.
Edited at 2010-01-11 02:15 pm (UTC)