Charcoal and Gold: Sketching Shakespearean Poison (Part 1)

I’m working out an idea in my sketchbook for my series, “They Might Be Gods”. This is of a sleeper with poison spoiling out of her ear. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet where Hamlet’s uncle kills the king by pouring poison in his ear while sleeping.

Though in my world of, “They Might Be Gods”, the poison doesn’t kill but is rather a symbol of how we can be poisoned or manipulated by words and ideas.

This week, I’m working on the charcoal portion of the drawing. And next week I’ll gold leaf the poison spilling out of the sleeper’s ear.

I’m really liking this composition. I like the head titled back with the hand pointing toward the elongated neck. I think I’ll turn this into a painting as well.

Till next week,

Your artist friend,

Jennifer Marie Keller