Painting a Goldfinch in egg tempera on a Triptych icon panel.

This is a handmade Triptych from Ukraine, it is traditionally prepared with a gesso surface and stretchers on the backs of each panel to prevent warping.
It is entirely painted in Egg tempera using yolk and pure pigments in a traditional painting method from medieval times.

2 new Hare medieval bestiary illuminated paintings

These two new paintings are available as prints and also as greeting cards in my Etsy shop.
The cornfield Hare features a Hare sitting infringement of my local landscape of the Southdowns, adorned with corncockles, cornflowers, poppies, corn marigolds and wild pansies.
Both take influences from medieval bestiaries and books of hours.

Phiddipus Regal Jumping Spider painting

This is Rosie, a Regal Jumping Spider, size 14mm and a pet, painted in Acrylics on a 10x8” gesso panel.

Roe skull watercolour painting

Watercolour painting of a Roe skull, 16x12”
For sale, £185 inc postage within U.K.

Dodo medieval painting.

New paintings, both 125mm images, gilded with 24ct gold.

Painting a dragon in homemade egg tempera.

This dragon is painted on Kelmscott vellum using handmade egg tempera paints.
This is painted in the manner and using the techniques and materials from the medieval era.
Using yolk from my own hens eggs I made the paint mixing it with pure pigments, ochre, malachite, vermillion, cobalt, ultramarine, lapis and others.
Finally details were gilded using 24ct gold.

Aquamanile watercolour.

This painting in watercolour features an accurate rendition of an aquamanile in the form of a griffin, the original had inlaid work, possibly of stone or horn set into metal.

Animal alphabets, Fox Terrier, Hare, Hedgehog, Toggenberg.

A selection of Animal alphabet paintings, 10” square in acrylics, cards featuring these designs are available on Etsy.

Now available a limited number of high quality prints, sold unframed, on Etsy in my shop ‘thejollychameleon’ featuring some of my latest original paintings, also available as greeting cards.
Check them out at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheJollyChameleon

Illuminated letters for sale on Etsy.

An almost full alphabet of illuminated letters is available on Etsy to buy. Perfect as unique gifts.
Each painted in gouache and gilded with 24ct gold.
Please check out my Etsy shop ‘thejollychameleon’

Painting a Callipogon barbatus longhorn beetle in acrylics.

Painting a Callipogon barbatus, in acrylics.

16x12”

I favour painting on Fabriano artistico 600lb hot pressed watercolour paper.

First a glassine shilled is cut to protect the paper from marks and damage, the beetle is drawn out by hand and traced, flipping one side to the other to make it symmetrical, 

Then transferred onto the paper and drawn again using the faint guidelines, producing an accurate drawing ready to paint.

As a first layer I block in the various sections with the darkest colour I can see on the specimen, later I will gradually build up layer after layer of detail and texture, adding highlights, individual hairs, bristles, dimples and pimples that the specimen has. I use opaque acrylic but in later stages I enjoy using multiple washes of transparent glazes which create the illusion of iridescence and sheen.