RE: Colorization - what was it's purpose?
Koen G > 3 hours ago
Someone had a reason for making the manuscript and drawing the plants. It's all done with a combination of commitment but also an apparent sloppiness or insufficient formal training.
The main problem with the colors is that the painter does not mix consistent batches and is not able to put down the paint evenly. I don't know whether this is because of the preparation process, the materials, the tools, the skills or a combination of all of those. But the painting is objectively subpar and appears sloppy.
This does not mean that the painting was done with less diligence and dedication than the rest of the work. Browse through the pharma (small plants) pages for example. All the different shades of green and brown they try to use to differentiate the little plants. And instead of painting many tiny leaves as one blob, they go in and fill every single one.
Just like the drawings, it seems to be an issue of skill rather than effort. Admittedly, the effort is not the same everywhere, but the same can be said about the drawings. For example, you can see the Zodiac nymphs become less and less differentiated as the series progresses. And nymphs in general often follow cookie-cutter designs.
Everything about the paint is completely in character for the MS. The paint just draws way more attention to itself because it's big and colorful.