I’m having difficulty deciding what composition to paint. I had managed to narrow it down to 5 images out of the many that I had taken for reference shots, and printed them out, I like different elements from each photo. For example the position of the photo or the position of the hand of I want are in different photos.
I don’t know whether I want to have the hand in a more actively moving pose or a more relaxed pose. The relaxed hand would make it look like the paper is suspended in an effortless manner, just simply existing.
The more posed hand is much symbolic and representative of something, like renaissance or religious paintings where the hand position holds some meaning. I did research this a while ago, but can’t remember what is symbolised.
These are the two images that I will probably combine.
When I actually imagined my composition I had in mind a hand pose very similar to the photo in the left. Someone said that because the hand in the right photo looks more relaxed it might work as something more natural like the floating paper.
I’m also thinking about whether I should paint in the string or not.
I found this page that explained the history and symbolism behind hand gestures.
Origin of the hand gestures
In ancient Greece and Rome, there was a well-established system of hand-gestures used in oratory and rhetoric. Here is a diagram of some of the most commonly used. Some of the oldest surviving Orthodox icons are found in Rome, and so it is believed that the first Orthodox iconographers may have co-opted these hand gestures when depicting Christ, His Saints, and the Angels. For example, in icons of the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel is shown with hand raised in the way which in the ancient world signified the beginning of an important oration. This can be seen in the oldest surviving Annunciation icon, and the hymns of the feast recall both Gabriel’s the important news he gave to Mary, so the hand-gesture is fitting. (source)
Aaliyah Green 