The Crusade
The Lionheart! There are so many things I could have done with this story, so many sizzling performances, such rich visuals, full of texture and flavour and tension, but in the end I had to go for a portrait of Julian Glover as Richard. It’s such a performance. The thing is, whilst the story is actually very domestic, and about his household, his relationship with his sister, Glover’s performance is laced with the tensions and strength that give us a great portrait of leadership – it’s an intense and arresting star-role, and I wanted to do a sketch to reflect on that, the king a hero and as a poor judge at once. I’ve used pastels and charcoal on a fairly smooth cartridge paper, which allows them to blend very smoothly – perfect for close-up anatomical detail. However, I’ve held back from over-working to keep an energy and a passion to it. Colour’s an odd thing – I’ve tried t use some intense tones here, because though I’m working from a black-and-white source, the story feels colourful – exotic, passionate…
