Now Jesus is turned toward GOD holding the 7 stars and they are uplifted toward GOD as they represent the seven churches. He also stands among 7 candlesticks which represent the 7 spirits. There are 24 elders in the background here although they are mentioned in Scene 2. I added them for substance within Scene 1 as John is not visualized. They represent the unity or transition of Scene 1 to Scene 2. For better understanding, please read the beginning of Revelation and you can imagine the scene.
Blue indicates the skeleton, red and pencil, the robe. Jesus’s face is illuminated by the presence of GOD, as well as how he is described. It is very difficult to turn written text into visual art. I do not know the race of Jesus, his skin color, or any other details beyond those written in Revelation where he is described as follows:
12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; 13and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 14His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. 16In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
The difficulty in painting human figures in this painting is that race is never clarified. It seems that God and Jesus are in "the likeness" of man and illuminated. It is difficult to choose, if skin is apparent, exactly what tone of skin to use. After reading and re-reading, imagining, and trying to read between the lines it was obvious that there are no skin tones involved just because there is a likeness of a human being.
The only part of Jesus’s skin which would be exposed is the hands, but if they are together the glow of the stars which will be illuminated through fiber optics will drown out the color of the skin. The face will be illuminated through paint and not fiber optics. As brighter white placed on paynes grey would create the light of a window in the darkness…illumination with merely ghostly facial features.
The candle sticks are also difficult. Can you imagine how many kinds of candlesticks there are? Tall ones, short ones, fat ones, skinny ones, every color of gold…pale, shiny, ornate. It seems an easy task, but is not! I have decided to use ornate, golden candlesticks with 24K gold leaf. There is a blog regarding the candlesticks to follow.
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