Galileo's Daughter

Edit: Thank you so much to OfOneSoul for the Daily Deviation and to stelledivetro for suggesting it. It was a lovely confidence boost in my illustration at a time of year when I'm usually feeling a bit overwhelmed and definitely in need of a boost. Thank you also to everyone who added this piece to their s - ordinarily I would come and thank each and every one of you, but there are just so many of you, so I've had to content myself with just thanking those of you who added me to their watch lists, and returning llamas. But I'm very grateful to you all, even if I couldn't thank you personally.

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A portfolio piece, depicting Galileo Galilei and his eldest daughter, Virginia Gamba (later Sister Maria Celeste) in 1610. 
From references in her surviving letters, Maria Celeste seems to have been quite well-educated, with knowledge of her father's work – there is even evidence that she prepared some of his manuscripts for print – and I like to think that he introduced her to his researches before she and her sister entered the convent. I thought it made a nice subject for an illustration. 

For more information, a detail of their faces, and a look at my process, head over to my blog: alene-art.blogspot.com.au/2014…

Size: A4
Media: Winsor and Newton watercolours, Ecoline liquid watercolour, Copic Opaque White, Pentel brush pen, Prismacolour pencil on Moleskine Watercolour paper. 
Time Taken: Probably about 15 - 20 hours
References: I did a lot of google searches to get rough references for period items, and used Manga Studio mannequins to base my poses on.

Enjoy!

More black and white: