My Latest WIP – Archangel Michael

One of my facebook art groups assigned a project of painting Michael for the upcoming Michaelmas feast day. I think it is at the end of September. It is not a day I have ever paid much attention to, since it is another one of those feast days that were superimposed over the ancient Celtic quarter and cross-quarter days. I prefer to celebrate the original feasts.

Even so, I’ve always felt a connection with Archangel Michael. I like that he is connected with the South and the Spear. That lines up quite nicely with Lugh of the Long Arm, a Celtic god who is connected with the South and the Sun (long arm – sun beam). He wields the Spear of Victory – one of the Four Sacred Hallows brought to Earth by the Tuatha de Danaans.

Is he synonymous with Michael? I don’t know. In my mind there is definitely a connection. That’s good enough for me.

Evolution of an Archangel 

Here’s how I started this piece. Sometimes I like to find an image in a magazine to get the ball rolling. It helps me visualize where I want to go and how I want to lay out the design. By the end, you won’t see a bit of it, but some of its energy will shine through. Try it. It’s fun!

This one is 10.25″ x 14.125″ Mixed Media on Watercolor Paper with Acrylic paints.

I glued down the collage piece with white gesso. (Soft gel medium also works well.) The drier the sticky stuff, the less bubbles you will get when it dries, and that’s important for the finished product.

Here’s a close up of the magazine image. I like his dynamic pose, but the wings don’t do it for me.

Next, I blended the edges with more gesso so there won’t be an obvious line in the finished painting. Then I gave the entire page a coat of clear gesso to seal the magazine piece. Otherwise the wet paint could damage it.

Now it’s time to add some color. Of course sun and sky bring orange, yellow and blue to mind. I added the outlines of outstretched wings and a flowing tunic. He seemed to need another leg as well. At this point you cannot see much of the original magazine image, though the body posture is essentially the same.

In the next step, I added more detail (spear, scales, etc.).

I think he looks a bit like Orlando Bloom at this point, but that will change. Too bad, LOL.

Evaluation

In general, I am liking the composition. That right thigh looks too long relative to the left one, so I’ll have to shorten it a bit.

Maybe the whole thing could use a little more pizzazz. The guy is an archangel, after all. I think some copper and gold leaf will liven it up a lot.

It’s pretty easy to do. You need gold leaf sizing glue. There are several different ones on the market and they all seem to work well. You usually have to wait about an hour after applying it before you can put on the leaf. Then just press it down, rub it gently to make sure it sticks, and brush away the excess that isn’t stuck down. Here’s how that looks, along with a little more shading. (Goodbye Orlando Bloom.)

I like the combination of the gold and copper. It gives the wings a more dynamic quality. I just added the metallic bits to the scales and sash to give the composition better balance. Those scales are challenging!

Still more work to do, but this one is getting close to completion. I need to work on the hair and soften up some of the shading. It should be done by Michaelmas.

Now if I could just master the photography part of it! Maybe my cell phone is not really up to the task.

September 25th update

Here is the final version of Archangel Michael – Happy  Michaelmas!