snailchicken

After that really technical portrait of Daya, I decided to do some small medieval-inspired animals.

I figured they would be relaxing and easy, and a break from the exhausting technical work a portrait requires (for me at least).

I also wanted to take the opportunity to experiment with a few different things.

Like leafing.

I have been scared of leafing for..... um, decades.

Because I never actually looked at the cheap easy way to do it.

Actual gold leafing is very technical and very expensive.  It requires special equipment and is, frankly, terrifying.  So I have stuck with metallic pigments and mostly been pretty happy with them.

But Janae has been doing wonderful leaf work on her paintings, and she's not doing anything fancy.

So I took the plunge.

I went to Blick and got a metal leafing kit for $17.

All you have to do is apply the adhesive, let it dry, stick the leaf on, and put on the sealer.

It is a little bit tricky but.... oh man I'm so slow and dumb; I should have done this YEARS ago.

Snailchicken, 5x7 egg tempera and metal leaf