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This piece was largely completed in 2 four hour workshops, where we completed the gilding (after tracing a design) in
the first session, and then did the painting in the second session. I pretty much finished painting everything but the
dragon on the left, and decided I wanted to do him in minium, a period pigment. For the workshop we were limited to
using modern dry pigments which were nontoxic. The pigments were mixed with water first, then a little sugar and gum
arabic were added. This results in a watercolor paint.
I did the same with the minium (or red lead), which really doesn't like to mix well with water. Additional highlights
were added on the dragon in shell gold, and a darker shade of minium (by mixing burnt sienna with it). I also added
some shell gold to the foliage, and more black outlining. The whole finished piece (painted area) is 3" by 5", on a
piece of parchment that is 5.5" x 6.5".
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