Shy Wolf Studio: E&T Backdrop

This next project can only be described as "epic". So very epic, it's being broken down into multiple posts.

A project was underway for the coronation of Edward III and Thyra II to add some shtick to their elevation. For their second reign together, the oracles that predicted the end of the world (and the end of their reign) neglected to see that there was a page stuck to the back of their prophecy. This "new" page predicted that they would indeed reign again for thousands and hundreds of ....hours (basically the duration of the normal Eastern reign of six months).

Master Anton has a lovely idea for props and shtick this time based off of the Duc de Berry "Tres Riches Heures" and incorporated the theme of the zodiac to go with the prophecy.

The inspiration for the coronation back drop.

I got a call from Thyra about two weeks before coronation asking me if I'd be willing to do some sketches for the zodiac signs of the reign. I gleefully said yes, with the caveat that I sucked at drawing people. Good news - I only had to draw one person (Aquarius). Sure. No problem. We were only going to do the top part of the picture (the zodiac calendar). Anton was going to handle the calligraphy painting of the months and days of all the royal progress events. We were after all essentially making an accurate East Kingdom calendar for the reign.

Somehow I convinced Clarice della Luna to give me a hand painting some of the zodiac figures once I had finished the sketching. I don't think either of us were prepared for what we were really doing.

Please note, Clarice is slightly taller than I am (I'm 5'2"). She's shown below for scale. All the zodiac symbols were free-handed with pencil. There are some heavy sketch lines that were erased and painted over. Some figures were a "choose your adventure" with which guidelines to use.