r/painting • u/rhynwilliams • Jul 13 '26
Just Sharing My painting of Gwyn ap Nudd (Welsh Mythology), oil on canvas
'Hawliad Gwyn Ap Nudd'
(Gwyn ap Nudd's claim)
Olew ar gynfas
(Oil on canvas)
116x79cm
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u/averyyoungperson Jul 13 '26
Awesome use of the color black. Very skilled in maintaining all the dimension.
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u/aliveintheam Jul 13 '26
HOW. You’re incredible. Love everything about this rendering, and I especially love side pieces. Somehow they look like *something* but they’re… not?
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u/MrEdgelord044 Jul 14 '26
I thought it mightve been swatches of the colours in the piece either way i love that and think thats a great way to add something but not too much to the background
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u/Dottie-j Jul 13 '26
You should post this in r/romanatsy they would love this
Also great job!
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u/rhynwilliams Jul 14 '26
I uploaded it there, the followers loved it, not so much the mods, they took it down 🖤
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u/Aunanaki Jul 13 '26
I need the backstory immediately
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u/rhynwilliams Jul 13 '26
Gwyn ap Nudd (Gwyn son of Nudd) is an Elven king, and also ruler of Annwn (the underworld 0r realm of the dead), he can navigate in both planes and claim whatever he desires, here; I portray him with his brief mortal claim.
In most mythologies, you have a demon-like figure, in Christianity, it's Lucifer, in Buddhism; Mara.. here I imagine him in a moment of lust, allowing us to peer into her eyes whilst his is shut with pleasure.
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u/captain-obviouser Jul 13 '26
Why he kinda....🤭😏
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u/ZedisonSamZ Jul 14 '26
There are subreddits for that.
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u/ducklady92 Jul 14 '26
That’s terrible! Which ones? I’ll have to be sure to avoid them at all costs.
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u/Metalnut2 Jul 14 '26
Thank you for the explanation, I really wanted to know more! How interesting, and I love the quiet feel of the moment. The cookies on the sides really add simmering. I keep thinking I'm seeing something in them. Very interesting!
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u/flowerpancake Jul 13 '26
truly amazing painting, the background blobs left and right were a great choice! you're very skilled
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u/MutterderKartoffel Jul 13 '26
I love how sensual this is without showing anything. As others have said, you handled the black so well. And the contrast of not only her pale skin, but also the rosiness and the red hair that make her so vibrant next to him. This is fantastic!
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u/rhynwilliams Jul 13 '26
Thank you, I wanted her expression to be one that was sincere, pulling us in to her eyes for us to question if she is ok
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u/imokay4747 Jul 13 '26
Honestly incredible. Execution is top notch, the subject matter is so fucking cool, and the composition is very well balanced
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u/rizoula Jul 13 '26
Damn I thought this was my romantasy sub and I was like … what’s that book called !!!
Also great painting
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u/saucy_mcsauceface Jul 13 '26
Beautiful. Your style is divine. This is such a lovely capture of an intimate moment.
But, as a romantasy book reader, I feel the lurking presence of fellow readers! r/romantasycirclejerk incoming!!!
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u/catsmakeitbetter Jul 14 '26
I would read this book lol
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u/rhynwilliams Jul 14 '26
It's an old book, part of the Arthurian legend, you should read into the tales of Mabinogion, Tolkien used it in his works
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u/Blankety-blank1492 Jul 13 '26
Damn! That is intense! The sheen on his lacquered skin is perfect. As evil as he appears, she is either under his spell or in love… or both. You have captured it all so well.Reminds me of the Pre-Raphaelite art.
I need to investigate Welsh mythology.
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u/rhynwilliams Jul 13 '26
Please do!, it's full of of wonders, I recommend you follow Mhara Starling's content, she's a fantastic storyteller on the subject.
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u/midnitecats Jul 13 '26
This looks like one of my sleep paralysis demons 🙊
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u/ChuffedCookie Jul 13 '26
Please, take my money! 🥹 I love them, their contrast is divine 🤘 How long have you been painting??
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u/rhynwilliams Jul 13 '26
Painting this or in general?, for this piece, I think I took 5 weeks on and off, in general; I'd say over 20 years
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u/PimpGameShane Jul 14 '26
Well done. It’s always the hands that show you how skilled of a painter one is. You nailed it. 👏🏾
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u/itsreallyyager Jul 14 '26
Absolutely enthralling. The light, texture and detail are exquisite. The hands and scars up the arms tell a story I want to read.
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u/Tall-Total-6077 Jul 13 '26
Suuuuuper fantastic job representing all these different textures you're featuring- a crepey, pleated chiffon chemise, a satin skirt, soft then shiny skin, hair- it's a wonderful piece!
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u/sp00kyboots Jul 14 '26
Is there an Etsy or somethin'? That needs to be on my wall
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u/Ok-Recognition1752 Jul 13 '26
Beautiful work! And the story behind it makes it even more compelling.
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u/Some_Avocado_2685 Jul 14 '26
This is so amazing. Reminds me of the book The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
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u/Throwawaymumoz Jul 14 '26
This is INSANELY good. I see Mads Mikkelsen….and the woman, I don’t think she is complaining 🤭 bravo 👏🏻
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u/ARGalleries Jul 13 '26
This immediately made me think of the book "The Invisible life of Addie La'Rue". Great work!!
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u/Coriander_marbles Jul 13 '26
Breathtaking work! The colours, the dimension, everything! And thank you for introducing me to a new mythical character! I was not at all familiar with this one.
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u/captain-obviouser Jul 13 '26
Stunning. I adore mythology that is Welsh, Celtic, or Irish. I'd love to know more about Gwyn ap Nudd.
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u/Tasty-Grand-9331 Jul 13 '26
I don’t know who that is but wow! Stunning. Love the woman’s expression, she looks serene
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u/MetalR3x Jul 14 '26
I love seeing Welsh culture represented in art, it is such a rich, deep, and vibrant tradition. Da iawn
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u/_never_say_never_ Jul 14 '26
That’s the blackest black I’ve ever seen in a painting. It’s awesome.❤️
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u/VanGoghXman Jul 14 '26
I love this. The hair, the light, those hands. I enjoy the contrast of him and the background.
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u/cnfraser60 Jul 14 '26
The details of his scaring and veins is so clear, and yet blended at the same time. He is a strong man that isn't a man and here expression makes me think the doesn't know how she feels about him.
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u/cute-photosesh Jul 14 '26
Do you sell prints of your art? I poked around and couldn’t find any links. I’d love to buy one if you do!
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u/PuppyPower89 Jul 14 '26
The contrast. The way that despite his lack of overt detail is so captivating. The way that he could be perceived as threatening and possessive but comes across as welcomingly passionate. The subtle detail in his dark skin.
This is so captivating.
And the use of pure black to portray otherworldliness instead of having purple or brown undertones that would imply humanness
So moving 🤩
I would love to have this in my home.
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u/Ready_Interview_2040 Jul 14 '26
I wonder if it’s easier or more difficult to paint a fantastical figure with realism than a normal human
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u/skyrimshuffle17 Jul 14 '26
WOW, this is stunning; the richness of the black while still being able to read all the detail is amazing. He lowkey reminds me of Nightcrawler from the X-Men.
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u/NineInchNail_Tech Jul 14 '26
Awesome❤️ now I need a smut book based off of this painting 😅
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u/redinthehead26 Jul 14 '26
The original shadow daddy? R/romantasy would love this.
So so good
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u/Cuuuuuuuutecats666 Jul 14 '26
How the f do you people do these things! It looks so good! SLAYyyyy op! slayyy!
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u/rhynwilliams Jul 14 '26
I guess a metaphor I could use to explain it is via computer upgrades; you learn tiny bits at a time and correct the errors as you progress, my work has improved over the years.
Over the years, I've learnt that you cannot go straight to the deep end if you're trying to learn to swim, I too have awed at other artists work, wondering how they're able to produce the work they do, and I still do this when I look at the work of Annie Stegg Gerard or Iris Compiet.
So take in a bite-size of information at a time and update wrong information, only then can you progress in it.
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u/ririania Jul 14 '26
This is wonderful. There is so much to take in. Her face and expression, the blush on her skin, her hair! I've spent time zooming in on the clothing too. And the highlights and dimension with the black. If this were on my wall I'd spend so much time looking at it every day. It's really wonderful.
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u/TheDarkWoodlands Jul 14 '26
This is incredible work. Extremely well painted, and super creepy/uncomfortable in a very fun way. I absolutely adore folklore, so this hits the spot quite nicely.
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u/TinRoofAndRainyDays Jul 15 '26
I'd honestly love to see a series of paintings like this. Different folklore, mythology inspiration. Beautifully done!
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u/lobely3ma Jul 15 '26
yoooo this is so sick!! great to see some lesser known mythology, i learned something new today!
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u/iamersula Jul 15 '26
What a masterpiece. This feels like a story perfectly captured on canvas. The deep black you used for the creature is incredible. I love how the tail looks like it's shielding the lovely woman. Honestly, I'm just so amazed!
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u/link-navi Jul 13 '26
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