An Egyptian tomb painting depicting a scene from daily life
Ancient Egyptian tomb painting is subtle art. To attempt a replica on your own, it is essential to understand basic beliefs of ancient Egypt. Egyptian tomb paintings were symbolic and stylized, emphasizing the afterlife. A tomb, or pyramid, contained the owner (the mummified body of the deceased) and artifacts he'd need in the afterlife: animals, food, baskets with various goods. Tomb wall pictures depicted scenes of daily life and most important details of the tomb owner's career.
Instructions
1. Look at Egyptian tomb paintings to find the motif that suits your imagination best. Good examples can be found on historylink101.net and travelsinparadise.com.
2. Draw a mummy using a thin brush and pastel colors. The mummy is the most important motif, so it must be the biggest object in the painting.
3. Draw simplified triangular pieces of bread. Use a thin brush and pastel colors. Add more food paintings, according to your preferences. The tomb owner must eat something in his afterlife. Images of the food he ate in life are common motifs.
4. Draw a standing human figure. Use lively colors, as in the pattern. Draw a flat body and a face in profile -- with frontal view of the eye. Depict the upper body from the front, with one arm in front and the other at the side. The lower body is in profile. The legs must be turned to the same side as the head. If you are satisfied with the result, draw several more human figures.
5. Draw simple artifacts: flowers and boxes, for example. Use lively colors -- it should look realistic.
6. Draw an animal -- an ibis, for example. Use a thin brush to paint long, curved beak, common bird body and long legs. Add more animals, such as cats and coyotes. Opposite to human figures, animals should be more relaxed and natural. Since they are not as significant as humans, paint them smaller.
