Occasional Pics: Belated Birthday wishes for Marguerite

[Col.Despard]

Cheers Merlin! The Santa tracks went down a treat (as did the half eaten carrots and consumed beer, happily provided by my B-i-L). Very pleased you like my version of Enjolras, Abelarda...one day I will do the snow pic. And you picked up on the pink in the cheeks, Pie! I wanted just a touch more colour than the usual marble pallor (erm - or inadvertant tan).

[Abelarda]

If I may, Despard... :-)

***

If Grantaire decided to paint again, he'd know what to portray with the colour of Enjolras's eyes. Not the wintry, greyish Parisian sky; the clear azure reminds him more of his childhood over the banks of the Rodan, blue in summer, lucid and too fragile in winter. Maybe he could retrace each crack in the ice, repaint the livid lips of a young boy, saved by miracle.

Remembering that chill, he instinctively rubs his hands and shivers. But when he looks into Enjolras's eyes, he's not afraid anymore.

This ice is much harder and surely won't break under his weight.

[MmeBahorel]

Oh, that's gorgeous! Particularly about the ice, which makes me want to hug Grantaire.

[Col.Despard]

Absolutely beautiful, Abelarda! Best use of ice imagery for Enjolras' eyes I think I've ever read, and touches so well on Marguerite's comment about his eyes being more blue than the Parisian winter skies. Thank you!

Also reminds me of an incident with my little brother in the Massachusets woods when we were children and he fell through the ice in a stream.

[Abelarda]

MmeBahorel, Despard, thanks! And as for the ice, I was told a similar story when I was a child... I've always had a very vivid imagination and from that time I try to avoid frozen rivers or streams as much as possible. Despard, I hope your brother suffered no harm?

[Col.Despard]

Um...yes, he was fine, but no thanks to his sisters. We were all at my friend's holiday house in the woods, and had gone out exploring. He'd walked down the middle of the frozen stream...and we saw the crack following him (my older sister still swears she can recall seeing him try to outrun the breaking ice. Anyway, he went through and we fished him out...and then sent him to walk home by himself! My mother was *not* pleased with us when he arrived covered in icicles. He still brings it up as part of his list of "rotten things my big sisters did to me".

[Col.Despard]

Sorry this is late...but I'm sure that if Enjolras heard that it was Marianne having a birthday, he'd be there with bells on (although perhaps puzzled that it's not on July 14).

Please don't take me revisiting Enjolras/Flag/Light as an indication I've run out of ideas...I've just been so flat out with work and family that I'm trying to find time to do the ideas. I'm dying to do a George Barbier style illustration of, say Musichetta and Joly (or Grantaire and Enjolras) - guess who just got a new book on her favourite illustrator? And I have the materials to do a Joly portrait. And want to do a couple of fan fic illustrations. But I only had the chance to work on it late last night...erm, a bit stylised, too. I nearly did an Art Nouveau pic, but changed my mind.

Anyway, Happy Birthday!

[MusicalTwin]

WOW... Once again, as actually any of your paintings (as I've come to notice), this one is SO beautiful! The interaction of the dark colours and the bright colours is just magnificent. I love the blue of his shirt, eyes and the flag, and the red, too. It ingeniouslly sticks out to the rest of the picture as well as his blond hair and the yellow-orange light of the candle. *totally enthused*

I'd definitely put it up on my wall!

[a_marguerite]

Oh, this is absolutely gorgeous, Col. Despard! As ever, Enjolras's hair! I feel like I have to abuse punctuation to express just how wonderful it is. It almost matches the candle flame and blends so beautifully into the flag. In fact, I'm having some difficulty determining whether or not I prefer Enjolras's hair or eyes in this pic- they are very intensely blue and just draw you in at once.

I'm also really impressed at how well everything blends into each other- it seems a very unified whole, with Enjolras's very striking eyes staring out from the middle of the composition.

Can I also say that your hands have become really amazing? I mean seriously. Enjolras's look absolutely perfect here.

I'm sure that if Enjolras heard that it was Marianne having a birthday, he'd be there with bells on (although perhaps puzzled that it's not on July 14)

ILU. SO MUCH.

[Marianne]

.......*flail*

DESPARD YOU ARE AWESOME. Thank you so much.

Love the sharpness of the eyes, and the fact that either his Powers of Light are protecting the candle flame from being blown about, or his hair has its own private wind to ruffle it. Either one would be appropriate, really!

And as always your Enjolras is gorgeous.

[Aurelia Combeferre]

*swoons*

I'm speechless

[MmeBahorel]

So gorgeous, OMG so gorgeous! The eyes, and the waistcoat and the candle and the hair - if I could come up with classical allusions for it all, I'd be turning into R

[merlin_emrys]

Beautiful! Your pictures should come with a warning: side effects may include staring until eyes dry out or death due to excess of gorgeous.

And I love how the candle almost seems like a natural part of his hand, even though it's evidently a separate object -- it really emphasises the light imagery! And the eyes ... and ... well ... the entire picture.

[lesmisloony]

Oh my word. I'm so happy to see more from you. Gorgeous! I first was drooling over how pretty his hair was, but as I started scrolling down the page I noticed his eyes and then I froze and gazed at them as well. I love his collar, too, and that little bit of throat peeking out. And the way he's holding the candle. This is much more interesting that the picture of a character in front of a flag that I usually see, if you know what I mean. Wow.

[Col.Despard]

So glad you liked Enjolras and his candle burning steadfastly in the winds of liberty that will make the wheat dance under the glorious French Republic, Marianne I just wish I could have been a bit more original for your birthday, but every other idea I had would have required reference works and I just can't get my act together at the moment.

MusicalTwin, so pleased you think the colours work! He really does seem to a man who exists in bright primary shades/fiery transcendency/Blazing in the dark.

Cheers Marguerite! I wasn't overly pleased with the hands, so am glad you think they work...I really should set myself down with them and just practice. I imagine Enjolras with such expressive hands, too (they're one of the few features I like in my own physique - mine are very long and slim, as the odd boyfriend has enjoyed pointing out. "Phenomenally long fingers!" as one phrased it).

Aurelia and MmeBahorel, many thanks! I wish I wasn't so repetative, but there's something meditative about drawing these features. I was sloshing paint around with the kiddies the other day, more concerned with keeping an eye on them than doing my own thing, but did a sort of Fauvist Enjolras. Comment from niece: "Are you doing that boy AGAIN?"

Many thanks, Merlin - I was hoping to make the candle seem almost an extension of who he was, but was worried I was taking it too far. And cheers, Loony - I do love that throat, as you know!