Cicada in Gold

Cicada, 7"x5", ink, watercolor, and composite gold leaf on panel.

I worked on this little guy last weekend. I started with a drawing that I transferred to the panel using graphite transfer paper. Then I began outlining and adding ink washes.

Next I added watercolor: mixes of cadmium scarlet, Indian yellow, burnt sienna, cerulean blue, Payne's gray, and cobalt turquoise.

The next step was to apply the metal leaf adhesive. I do this in sections so that when I apply the leaf, it won't stick to areas where I don't want it. In order to keep tiny lines on the wings free of metal leaf, I apply the adhesive and leaf carefully around those spots in small patches. The background in this piece, because it's so small, was done with 2 pieces of leaf. Afterward, I applied metal leaf sealant to prevent the leaf from tarnishing.

I framed the piece with a gold metal frame and clear plastic spacers. I'm very pleased with how well the frame works with the painting.