Back to watercolor painting today... To continue the scary but exciting journey, I tried my hands on something new -- my first animal painting! I did the drawing for this painting several years ago in a workshop with an amazing artist, Terry Armstrong, when I was still in graduate school in Indiana. I did not actually get to the painting part in that workshop, since I drew too slowly... (Yes, besides watching painting demos by Terry and finish this drawing, I did not accomplish anything in that workshop... =___=b...) I came across the drawing again and decided to give it a try to refresh what I have learned during that workshop: doing the indication of feather patterns wet in wet as big washes, then using fine brushes to paint the feathers here and there, but not all over the body -- mostly in the mid tones and on the edges of the bird shape. So far I'm quite happy with how it turned out. Fingers crossed since I am going to do a big wet-in-wet washes on the background... Terry has this method of masking the center of focus with masking tape after finishing them, then splash the background with free, direct strokes of wet-in-wet color application as well as masking fluid application. He also mixes his colors with egg-yolk to create more prominent granulation effects in the background, which I would like to try on this one. But maybe I should experiment on scrape pieces of paper first...
February Flame - Red Cardinal,
Watercolor on Arches 140# Cold Press Paper , 11"h x 14"w, WIP 1
You have been so busy! And with wonderful results, too! Can't wait to see this one finished. I love birds, especially the cardinal. We have lots of them here. :o)
ReplyDeleteLovely cardinal, Arena. And YES!!! ... experiment first on scrap paper!!!
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