Gordon .. The Big Blue

I have sharpened up some of the colours to make the whole effect more striking.
I'm quite pleased with the finished article.

Gordon.. who looked so fed up, I decided to call the painting "The Big Blue"

The Big Blue

Gordon - Stage IV

In this stage, the colours are painted on Gordon.
I've given him one red eye open and one eye closed.
The shading helps to add to the feeling of the painting.
He feels as if he's a little grumpy and bored, that he can't be doing with talking to anyone .

Gordon - Stage III

In this stage the foreground washes are built up.
Doing this makes Gordon "sit" a bit further back in the painting.

I sit back when I've done this stage and take a good look at him, before I go any further.

Gordon - Stage II

The background washes go in.

Architecturally speaking, Gordon is not a Gargoyle, but a Grotesque.
The difference being, Gargoyles would have had a water spout for dispersing rain water - their main function.
Grotesques on church buildings were intended to keep evil outside the church, and possibly to remind people what hell was like if they didn't go in!

But, in common with many others, we call all our Grotesques, Gargoyles :)

Gordon Stage 1

I have a few gargoyles in my garden, I love their little faces.
The first one was bought as a present for hubby - who promptly named him Gordon.

I thought it was about time I tried to paint Gordon's miserable little face :)

So here's the first stage, the drawing.