Outline

I've been thinking recently it might be interesting to use dioramas as a visual reference for painting. I've always preferred to paint and draw directly from a 3D object rather that using 2D reference materials and photographs. I remember hearing that Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) constructed elaborate 'maquettes' (small figurines which he would dress and drape in cloth) which he would arrange in a tableau. This allowed him to experiment with lighting and positioning of his figures, helpful in the construction of a painting.

Anyway, I decided to start by tracing this image in Photoshop (any excuse to practice using my Wacom tablet.. it still feels a little unnatural). I've printed it onto watercolour paper, and we'll see where it goes from here. Just trying something new to see where it takes me.