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The second piece in a series of Ink and Marker drawings titled “The Principalities of the Seasons”, inspired by a desire to address attitudes towards male nudity. Male nude subjects tend to be rarer than female nudes in galleries and exhibitions, and are often assumed to be vulgar, hyper-masculine, or crassly humorous.
“The Prince of Summer” counters these assumptions by personifying the season as a muscular rural farmhand whose straw accoutrements bring to mind sweltering days under the blazing sun. The Prince’s hearty grin and carefree pose speak to the warm and welcoming character of the Summer, whose long daylight hours are idyllically spent in pursuit of very little. Towering over him are toasted ears of grain grown rich and tall in the baking earth, while a meadow of summer flowers blooms beneath – poppies, foxgloves, chamomile, dog roses, and cornflowers – inspiring a summery palette of searing pinks and reds, warming golden yellows, and subtle violets.
The drawing follows the artist’s experience in comic art and illustration. Pencils are laid down on Bristol board, and pigment ink pen is drawn over the top. A second, thicker pigment ink pen is used to contour the images, providing depth. The guide pencils are then erased, but some are retained to provide muted fine line detail. Finally, alcohol markers are used in three layers to provide colour – a warm colour layer to impart highlights; a neutral colour layer to set base tone and hue for the piece; and a cool colour layer to provide shade.
