Nativity Art Panel (From A Woodcut)

[DJole]

Here's my new project in progress--a Nativity panel. (Every year at Christmas time, my local church organizes a Festival of the Nativity in which hundreds of Nativities fill the church and the community is invited to take part and view/contribute. I've been meaning to contribute something like this for a couple of years now, and finally I got past the thinking stage!)

I've based this on a medieval woodcut, which seems to translate surprisingly well into leather. The roughness and sharpness of the lines works well.

I've never done anything like these cloth folds, so I had to figure out how to do them with my bevelers and my modeling spoon. I also have done some embossing on the rear side of the leather to raise certain parts.

I'm not quite done with the modeling stage--there are some places where I need to clean up some edges, even out the background, and such.

Then it's on to the dyeing. I dragged out my dyes today to consider colors.

Mary's dress will be blue, but the Fiebing Light Blue is *much* too dark. I did a bit of mixing (Fiebing Lt. Blue and Fiebing White) to get a lighter blue, but that's going to be a LOT of blue and a LOT of mixing. I'm considering Angelus' light blue. Should I go ahead and buy some of that for my test pallete?

Joseph's robe is still undecided yet--gray? brown? green? Apparently there is no set iconographic color for his robe, so I'm on my own here!

I'm wondering about skin tones--these folks clearly need to be olive skinned, with dark hair. Is there a good color already made, or do I have to custom mix my own?

This will be framed, eventually--what do I need to watch out for to protect/preserve the leather and frame from each other?

[serena]

All I can say is beautiful work, cant wait to see it in color. As far as the other questions Im not one that can answer, but look forward to hear from some of the others here.

[cajun]

I have been in the art gallery and custom picture framning business for over 40 years and have instructed people all over the world. If you will send it to me, I will donate the framing. However due to my wife having a massive stroke, we have had to move to the New Orleans area and are now about 175 miles from our former home and all of my mouldings are over their. I should beable to go back their in about a month and I can bring back all of the things I will need to frame this piece for you and I would like to donate that to your charity. Let me know asap as to when the piece will be finished. I would also like a copy of your drawing, I think it is great., Just let me know what you decide.

Best regards,

Bill

PS: It will be framed to conversation standards also.

[DJole]

Cajun:

Here is the online source for the woodcut. You can see that I modified it in spots.

<http://www.godecooke...al/bibl015.jpg>

Edited May 20, 2013 by DJole

[DJole]

Here is my modified graphic:

You can see that I made some modifications on Joseph and Jesus, and I added the star.

Here is the work in progress, with some coloring on:

colors used:

Angelus Light Blue

Angelus Purple

Fiebing USMC black

Cova Acrylic Gold

Acrylic White

Tandy Mahogany (probably not Fiebing--I've had this bottle since the 1980s).

Fiebing White (!)--yes, that's Fiebing's infamous white dye, making a rare appearance. I had to shake it up well, and apply 4 or 5 coats, but that makes a nice grey donkey.

I'm going to leave the faces leather colored--that's a nice brown tan skin that should do just fine. I'm also thinking of doing a black antique stain in the interior of the stable. I'll do all the other colors first, then coat the colors with a resist (Tan Koat perhaps) before I apply the black antique dye to get a nice charcoal grey.

I will do the pupils of the eyes with a fine-tip Sharpie permanent pen

Edited May 20, 2013 by DJole

[DJole]

I have been in the art gallery and custom picture framning business for over 40 years and have instructed people all over the world. If you will send it to me, I will donate the framing. However due to my wife having a massive stroke, we have had to move to the New Orleans area and are now about 175 miles from our former home and all of my mouldings are over their. I should beable to go back their in about a month and I can bring back all of the things I will need to frame this piece for you and I would like to donate that to your charity. Let me know asap as to when the piece will be finished. I would also like a copy of your drawing, I think it is great., Just let me know what you decide.

Best regards,

Bill

PS: It will be framed to conversation standards also.

Cajun, thanks for your interest.

You should know first that it's not a charity--none of the nativity pieces are actually sold; they are merely displayed. So perhaps you may want to reconsider your offer, since the only person who would benefit from it would be me.

[DJole]

Okay, I got it all done. It's carved, tooled, dyed and framed!

Here's the sequence <http://home.comcast.net/~lukeythetruck/djole/Publications/Leather/LeatherNativity.htm>

Here's the final bit:

[Sylvia]

I think you did a very nice job. That said. the bright white eyes on everyone and baby Jesus looks a little disturbing. Is there a way to maybe add a tiny tiny touch of something to dull that down some? Despite that I am duly impressed.

[Dwight]

DJole, . . . thank you !

As a pastor, I hear all kinds of comments about the manger scene: for it, against it, not correct, too correct, yadda, yadda, yadda.

The Lord Jesus is the same to every one, . . . but each person perceives Him differently. I really enjoyed your "rendition".

May God bless,

Dwight