This is the first of three book covers for a story about the Iceni tribe, and their resistance to Roman rule in 61 CE. I did a decent amount of research for this painting, which included going out in the field for reference material. As is most often the case, I prefer suggestion, subtlety, and atmosphere over outright action scenes. I wanted to suggest melancholy and reflection more than anything overtly dramatized. I initially struggled to get the dappled light exactly how I intended, even though I went to my local park to stare at shifting light on tree trunks for an hour. I used a neutral under-painting (imprimatura) to get the painting started. This approach is of course not always needed, but I wanted to get the faint impression of a warm 'glow' emanating from within the finished piece. It was fun to experiment with so many different shades of green. But you always find yourself asking the question, "did I take it as far as I could?"
