Tibet

I have a fascination for small objects from exotic locations - China, Japan, Arabia, and this picture assembles a trio that I found via eBay - a cloisonné snail, a Buddhist altar, and a prayerwheel, probably Buddhist as well. 

The support is grey Pastelmat, 12 x 15.5 inches. I didn't record the earliest sketches, so this is quite advanced at this point. Sennelier were the main pastels used, especially useful for the turquoise prayer wheel - nos. 179, 184, 201, 250 and 347. 

I started to block in the background, to bring out the snail. The background will be dark blue Sennelier 463 and 464, and dark green 177, as it develops.
CarbOthello pencil 545 gave a sharp edge where needed. The red was Sennelier 266 and CarbOthello 325, an excellent match. Rembrandt gold ochres and further CarbOthello pencils were used to detail the snail and prayerwheel.

Tibet © Niall O'Neill