InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I love us."

Bryony Capper (goodlight) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2015-03-19 14:22:00

Entry tags:

character: bryony capper, character: dean thomas

Painting and Conversation
Who: Bryony and Dean
What: Painting, talking, art-chat
Where: Towpath Studios, Camden Lock
When: Thursday 19th March
Rating: SFW for now.

Holding the door to Braith's section of the studio open, Bryony levitated her 12" by 17' canvas out into the communal hallway. It wasn't a huge canvas by most artist's standards, but it was the largest Bryony had ever allowed herself. She'd prepared it for paint ages ago and it had been leaning against the wall in Braith's area of the studio for weeks while Bryony dithered over what to do with it. Finally, after Mother's Day, she had the vague beginnings of an idea. Though it would be a sort of portrait, she was starting with the background and for that she needed more windows than Braith's studio allowed her access to.

Once the canvas was propped against the window, she returned to Braith's studio and retrieved a cloak which she draped over the dress form. In the months she'd been here, she'd never seen anyone use it - didn't even know who it belonged to - so she could only hope they didn't mind. Satisfied with the drape of the shoulders, she started to prepare her paints, focusing on greys and blues, with a small patch of yellow off to one side where it wouldn't be easily mixed with the others by accident.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

goodlight
2015-03-19 05:27 pm UTC (link)

Bryony glanced up from her paints, half-turning so she could see Dean before she answered him. "I wish it did have a head, actually," she admitted. "I wanted to put the hood up." She could always put that part in later - it would probably be better if she could get a real person (or herself) to model the cloak when she got to that bit anyway. Already, there was the sketched outline of a figure penciled onto the canvas, just the loosest idea that there would be a person. In her heart, Bryony knew it was going to be a self-portrait, but the idea of sketching before a mirror was enough to turn her off the idea of starting with that. "Is it yours?" she asked, hoping he didn't mind she was using it.

"Did you need me for anything?" she added, since she wasn't sure what had brought Dean out into the corridor. Even though she'd only just settled herself to work, she'd have been willing to stop and help out. As apprentice, she considered that her proper role - although she also got the impression everyone but Cadmus would have preferred to wait than interrupt her.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

artistdean
2015-03-19 09:00 pm UTC (link)

Dean considered the form and what could be added to make it look like it had a head. "Some sort of balloon spellotaped to the top? Or a football maybe?" he suggested. Neither of them would be quite right, but they'd be closer than having nothing head-like at all. He shifted to take a look at what he was sketching out, nodding his approval. The basics looked good, and she had definitely been improving. He turned his head at her question and shook it quickly in the negative. "Nah, I think it just belongs to the building. I've seen it used a handful of times since I started my apprenticeship, no more. This is looking promising though," he said, gesturing to her canvas.

"Oh, no. I was heading out for a walk. Got my tea and my notebook, wondering if I can drag whatever is bugging me out of my head," he said, holding up his covered cup and patting his jacket pocket. He had decided to skip bringing his usual bag, although he did have money just in case he ended up at the Markets and found something he couldn't resist.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

goodlight
2015-03-20 02:34 pm UTC (link)

Bryony had considered transfiguring something, but hadn't been at all convinced she'd be able to get the shape and proportions right. "I'm okay with just doing the body for now." She shrugged Dean's compliment away, having not done nearly enough yet to earn it. "I could use some birds as well," she commented, more to herself than to Dean as she peered out the squared-glass of the big window. The image in her head was quite specific, but she was more used to drawing from life, and wasn't quite sure how to make the transition. Perhaps she should ask Braith about it later... "Did you enjoy your treasure hunt?" she asked, remembering that she'd seen it mentioned in the journals. "I'm sorry you didn't win."

When Dean mentioned something 'bugging' him, she frowned. "An idea? Or something..." She trailed off, uncertain if that was really any of her business. Still, she didn't like to think that something was troubling Dean. It was just her nature, to want to help people if she could.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

artistdean
2015-03-22 12:19 am UTC (link)

Dean shrugged off her decision not to add a head substitute for now, in the long run it was easy enough to draw the lower half before adding in the upper. "Just take care with the shoulders and don't add shadowing before you add the head," he said. At the sketching stage it didn't matter too much, but she'd need a head in some for before she began to paint in earnest. "Something specific that you need to look up, or will a standard Avis do?" he asked, curious about precisely what she was trying to create. He was still contemplating the manikin and her work so far when she asked her question, which startled him into a smile.

"It was good fun, I mean we got the right place, we just didn't get there fast enough," he said with a shrug. "I mean it's a miracle Seamus managed to keep where he was hiding quiet, but yeah. Good fun."

Scratching idly at the edge of his hair he nodded. "Yeah, an idea, I think. I'm not sure. It's just sort of nagging around in there and I can't settle to anything else so I thought a change of scene might help. Sometimes it works, sometimes the idea will pop to the front if I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

goodlight
2015-03-23 04:50 pm UTC (link)

Bryony thought for a moment, than nodded. "Thanks. I didn't think of that." She wasn't used to this piecing a word together bit by bit, and for a moment she wondered if she should abandon the idea entirely - did she want to waste her first big canvas on something she'd make mistakes on? It wasn't logical, especially now that canvas was relatively easy for her to access, but it still felt like she should be careful, only commit to things that would work. She'd been the same about her sketch book at the very beginning, not wanting to use it for anything subpar. She had got over it, eventually, so she supposed she'd just have to get over it again for canvas.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. She was a little reluctant to conjure birds in the studio at all, thinking of the damage they might do to the various canvases, her own included. "I think it's more about... movement than specific colouring, I can always add that later." She did have some sketches of birds she could refer to, and a few quick painted. She made a gesture at the outline of the figure. "I think I want them... attacking." It certainly wasn't going to be the most peaceful or positive work she'd ever done.

Frowning at her canvas, Bryony almost forgot she'd asked about the treasure hunt at all - but she turned her head back to Dean and smiled. "It looked like fun." She'd been a little envious she couldn't participate; she and Marcus already had the two-houses part, but in the end it had been better not, for lots of reasons. She nodded. "I don't know where this idea came from. It was just... there, one day." She looked down at her paints, reconsidering. "Maybe I should start with the background, instead of with the cloak."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

artistdean
2015-03-23 07:50 pm UTC (link)

"I might not be your master, but I'm happy to help where I can," Dean said with a shrug. "Or at least give you options. I've got an old camera you can use if you want to take reference photos." He paused, thinking for a few moments. "Actually Braith has too. So, you know, you have options." He was feeling a little awkward because as much as he was a more experienced artist he wan't very familiar with Bryony or her work.

He smiled again, nodding. "Sure, yeah. That happens. Sometimes they just turn up. Sometimes they turn up half formed, sometimes fully formed. And sometimes you know they're there but they seem to be hiding from you," he said and shrugged again. He'd had this happen before, and if he could get some sort of inkling of what was hanging around he might be able to work on something else until he was ready for it.

Studying Bryony's work carefully he gave a slow nod. "Yeah, that should work, and it might help if you can't do the cloak yet and you know what you're heading for background-wise."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

goodlight
2015-03-24 02:38 pm UTC (link)

When she'd brought the easel out, Bryony had been fairly certain what she wanted to do - now, her thoughts were jumbling over one another and she didn't know where to begin untangling them. Maybe she shouldn't have stopped to talk. Braith had warned her about that, letting other people have too much influence over her work. It wasn't something Bryony had ever had to worry about before - she'd always worked in private, and only shared finished pieces - and then mostly with Marcus. Now that she had actual artists to talk to, she needed to work out how to take advice and ideas without letting it all overwhelm her. "I'll think of something," she said, deciding to put the question aside for now. "Most of the background is going to be sort of... yellowy gold and white, so I can still sketch on top of it if I have to."

She frowned down at the dark paints she wasn't now likely to use. Logically, she knew it was just a mistake of trial and error, that no one would blame her for the 'wasted' materials. Emotionally she still felt bad, like someone else would have done it more perfectly, would have deserved it more. With a slight sigh, she looked up. "Sorry. I didn't mean to distract you from your own ideas."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

artistdean
2015-03-24 08:41 pm UTC (link)

Dean listed to Bryony, assessing the slight shift in her posture which seemed to suggest she was uncomfortable, perhaps moreso than usual and he decided to let go a bit. "Sounds good," he said, smiling as encouragingly as he could.

He shook his head softly. "No, I was trying to distract myself anyway, but it seems like I might be distracting you. I'll leave you to it," he said. "Unless you want anything, I'm heading for the Markets." He knew she was a pureblood and probably didn't have much of a connection to the Muggle world, but he loved working so close to a bustling Muggle area that he could lose himself in sometimes.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

goodlight
2015-03-25 02:26 pm UTC (link)

Bryony had still never been to the markets, despite how close they were, but she had seen the things that Braith or Ophelia would bring back from their trips - part of her longed to go and see all of them for herself, but she had no muggle clothes and no idea where to get them, so she was restricted to the wizarding areas of London. She couldn't even go see the galleries she'd read so much about. None of that was Dean's fault, of course, so she smiled at him for his offer. "I'm fine, but thank you for asking."

She didn't want to seem like she was sending him away, she liked having other people to talk to who knew about art and was wary of losing the opportunity to do so in future if she seemed reticent now. "I'll probably still be here when you get back. Good luck with your idea."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	artistdean 2015-03-25 05:23 pm UTC (link)
	Dean nodded, accepting her answer easily. He hasn't really expected her to take him up on his offer, but he would make it to anyone he liked. "Thanks, good luck with your painting. I'll see you when I get back," he said and left her to it with a little wave. "It was good thing to you." (Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -