Sarah Laughs (Process)

The third illustration I completed is based on the text: "It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead - a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them" (Hebrews 11:11 NLT). Sarah is depicted in her tent in the wilderness, laughingly pondering the promise of God as she dips her hand in a bowl of water. At the entrance to the tent is her husband Abraham's other wife, Hagar with her baby, Ishmael.

Research

For this painting I looked at references of other paintings of Sarah and read passages of the Bible that referenced the same situation. I found tassels that would work well for her head dress as well as a bowl and vase for her surroundings.

Thumbnails

In the thumbnails I was encouraged to look at the surroundings and think about the symbolism of the baby that Sarah wanted. Would she hold a piece of fruit, an egg, some sand, the stars? How did she feel about it?

Photo Shoot

I used a pastor at my church, Catherine Avenel, for my model. The photo shoot went well on location in my apartment as Catherine helped me by getting into character quite easily and working with the props I had on hand like pouring sand from a vase and dipping her hands in a bowl of water.



Comps

For these studies Kazu (www.kazusano.com) encouraged me to look at details, lilke the age of Sarah, and Hagar in the tent opening.

Final

At the time of the final painting I was asked to make Sarah look older but not like a witch at a seance. Also, to study candle light to make it more believable. I also developed the sky value and color temperature to enhance the mood.