Rusalka, cont'd

I have Rusalka in the water, across from a classical pavilion, under the moon on my fibrous Xuan.  I should be ready to just paint in the night sky and the water and I shall have my Rusalka painting.

Easy enough.

I like the color indigo.  It is deep and mysterious; perfect for my moon lit sky and water.  As I am rummaging through my bin of half used tubes of colors for the indigo label, I am realizing that the painting will be too sparse and crude and might be lacking in emotional content.  I mean I don't have the skills that is necessary to transform  a vast void of sky and water to support my story of the water nymph Rusalka longing for her love.  I desperately need supporting casts to help me stage my painting.

Song to the Moon (google translation):

Moon in the sky deep  I see your light far away.

You wander through the world, Divas in the abode people.

Moon, wait a moment, tell me where my loved ones are.

Tell him, let's hug the moon, that he will hug me on his shoulder, so tha at least for a moment he remembers me in his dreams.

Light him far away, tell him, tell him who's waiting here!  

The human soul dreams of me, let's wake up with that memory!

Moon, don't go out, don't go out!

As I am listening to the soprano detailing the most intimate thoughts of Rusalka, I am led to a more private setting for Rusalka to muse her thoughts.  I need to place Rusalka in a smaller space by framing my painting with incidentals like vegetation.  I shall exaggerate the light reflection from the pavilion and buildings to further close off the space on the right side of the paper.  I shall make the reflections in the water around Rusalka more pronounced, not only to make a better connection with the moon but also to take up more real estate on the water.

I am placing bamboo on the left of the painting.  That gives me a chance to practice my bamboo leaves again.

To the right of the painting, behind the architectural artifacts I am painting in a bamboo grove to tie in with the bamboo on the left.  The brushstrokes are loose and impressionistic and should blend in well with the night sky.  That's the plan anyways.

Dabs of ink form additional objects in the background.

I am now painting in the water with indigo, being careful to leave voids, simulating shiny reflections the water.

I am taking this moment to go over the face of Rusalka, now that I have a background to play off with.

I am portraying Rusalka with half-opened eyes.  I like to think that this is more pensive than a fully closed or open eye.  I am also playing up the light values on her cheeks and her moon lit forehead.

True to my obsession with the sternocleidomastoid muscle, I am making them really dramatic, accompanied by a long neck and dimples from the clavicles.  I just find them very appealing and sexy.

This is what I have so far.  I am going to let the painting dry and reevaluate.  

What jumps out right away is that I need to increase the saturation of the water and sky.