All the World’s a Stage

All the World’s a Stage

“All the World’s a Stage”    Neocolor II and Luminance.  32.5 x 48.5 cm.  August 2020

“All the world’s a stage...” as William Shakespeare wrote – but it would be a mistake to think that only humans are performers.  The Yellow Legged Gull stands centre stage on Palatine Hill in Rome.  He parades his gleaming health, strength and character amidst this imperial setting.  The sound and lighting are brought to us by Jupiter, Roman god of sky and thunder, who provides a stupendous thunderstorm.  It is a grand drama and we come away wet through and thoroughly satisfied.

The completed undercoat stage drawn with Neocolor II.

---

A note about art materials:

A new colour selection of Luminance pencils

In July 2020 Caran d’Ache launched a set of 24 colours to add to the other 76 colours of their Luminance lightfast range.  I used these extensively in the making of this drawing.  While the collection is marketed as a portrait set I also find the colours perfect for all aspects of landscape.

I particularly want to mention no. 639 Dark Indigo.  In the image below there is a patch of dark indigo to the left of a patch of black.  This is such a useful colour because it is as intensely dark as black, but here’s the thing, it doesn’t dull other colours when used in layering the way that black can, because it is BLUE, albeit an extremely dark blue.  It is the darkest dark blue of all coloured pencil brands I have ever come across.  Dark indigo is liberally used throughout this drawing.   I have used it with minimal pressure on the light tones and with heavy pressure on the bird’s darkest feathers.   It is a colour enhancer as opposed to a colour oppressor.

“All the World’s a Stage” is undercoated in Neocolor II wax pastels with Luminance coloured pencils worked into, and layered over, the top.

Here are the full 100 Luminance colours.  These are my light-fast tools…