1/1/05 - This is the eighth stage of the cover painting for "The Wicked" by J. Newman

I stripped off the mask and began to seriously model the stone texture of the statue, using various intensities of yellow, red and violet with the sponge and by pouncing with some hard bristle oil brushes. When I was happy with the surface color, I added a white highlight to the top of the remaining dark "pits" in the stone, and for some, I added some india ink to deepen the darkness and add greater contrast to the white highlight. Finally, I toned down the pure white of most of the highlights with a transparent wash of orange. With the remaining wet paint on the palette, I continued adding texture and interest to the flames. Unlike oils, which can be covered and preserved between sessions, acrylic dries in minutes, so I try to make as much use of the paint on the palette before it dries out. Next up: Moloch.

Necessary Evil Press, 2007
Acrylic Polymer & Ink on Illustration Board, 8 x 11-1/2"