Painting Improvements (1 Viewer)

Hello,

I've always quite enjoyed drawing and sketching birds (usuallt in biro) but I've never been too great with the painting side of things. Recently, I've wanted to spend a bit of time trying to rectify this, and teaching myself to paint a bit better. I've been looking in on this subforum quite often, as it provides a lot inspiration, and some helpful pointers, but I didn't want to post until I had something to contribute.

Anyway, here's something. It's the first painting I've done in about a year or so, and was inspired by a recent trip to Blacktoft. It keeps falling in and out of favour with me- halfway through it, it very nearly went in the bin, but by the time I finished it, I was quite proud of the work. Now I look back on it, I'm not sure again. It only took about 2 hours, all done in a day, which tends to be the norm, as I struggle to focus any longer than this! Often when I used to paint I would get hooked up on trying to paint in tiny detail, and would wind myself up by looking at really good, detailed paintings and try and imitate them. In this I was trying to keep things a bit looser, and not be scared of a bit of mess, as I think this better suits my style. I've not mentioned the species- I was curious to see if anyone could guess it. I suppose that might be hard given the light (and shoddy brushwork of course), I won't be too surprised if no-one gets it right!

I just wondered if anyone could offer me any guidance. There's clearly a great deal of talent on here, so any advice is gratefully recieved. There's no need for a softly/softly approach, I realise any criticism is designed to help!:-O

At the minute I'm not getting a great deal of time to paint. I'm working flat out (I drive tractors, and we're lagging behind with harvest) so can only really do it when it rains (or is wet, like today). I have started keeping paper and pencil in the tractor though, so do field sketches between loads.

I've also included two drawings (one pen, one pencil).

Oh and here's some field sketches. Pretty scrappy, I know, but I'm used to drawing from other pictures. I'm trying to improve my field sketches, as from what I've seen and read it will help my paintings.

Next picture will probably be a Barn Owl- which is a surprise for me. Normally I would've said there's enough paintings of barn owls in the world, but since a pair are nesting in our barn it means i'm in a good situation to get some field sketches. I think the painting I'm going to go for will use the pose in the middle of the second page.

Hey Chris :hi:
I understand your nervousness when it comes to painting as i too lack a bit of confidence when it comes to picking up a brush.
As you will know, everyone's style is different and no two artists painting's look the same and the best bit of advice i can give you is to practice and just go with what comes natural. As for your painting, it's very beautiful, the water has depth and looks realistic (i have no idea what the bird is, perhaps a Sandpiper or a Stilt of some kind???)
I like your sketches, if your not to busy you should post more.
You had it right in your post when you said no one's perfect and that's the mindset you should keep. I wish you luck in other attemps and projects:t::t::t:

I really like that- Green Sand I'm thinking. Great background and use of colour. You asked for for comments, so I would chip in (not chippily I hope) by saying the rear end of the bird curves down and maybe for that reason doesn't look quite right- given the angle, it might look better curving up to a point.

First thing first. A huge welcome to 'the best bit' and I'm so glad you're posting your work here for us to see.
Regarding the painting - excellent. Yu're looking at creating images with light and that's what it's all about rally, I suppose. There's a wonderful free expression to this piece very difficult to attain and considering it's your first effort - absolutely amazing, really! Re species, i was torn between green and wood sand, but I'll pop for wood as the bird has a certain indefinable elegance I associate with these cracking lil birds (although I note Ed's gone for green, so it probably is one). Just the right amount of texture and limited colour in the water and the reflection is really well acheived (perhaps a tad more detail wouldn't harm it, but it certainly doesn't bring it down, either. Your other 'finished' work is lovely and ought to be applauded.
Field sketches (love it - from a tractor, in a field!!!! - hence real 'field' sketches). If you are 'seeing' your birds so well and with such economy of line already, then I have no hesitation in saying you have an exciting future in front of you. They're beautifully drawn, really well done!

I'm going for Wood Sandpiper. A VERY beautiful painting, just amazing! Looks like you've already got a unique, wonderful style of your own, congratulations on that. And that fieldwork is just amazing! Flying birds are (at least for me) the most difficult part in fieldwork, and you've captured those barn owls perfectly!!

And welcome from me, too. Waiting forward to seing more of your work!

Elina

Welcome Chris, from another relative beginner,

Firstly the painting - excellent, dosent matter that its not detailed, less is more someone once said, look at some of the work on here, each has their own style, and detail doesnt always feature in them.....Im struggling with everthing that I do at the moment, but you cant advance without plunging in and seeing whats good for you.

Secondly - the sketches, this is somthing that ive just started on, (and the avocet, people will tell you is the best to start with)... Sketches again are a personal thing, loads on here that are simple strokes of the pencil with minimual crosshatching, or again 'full on' detail but no colour used....

Dont be put off by thinking that you work may not be anywhere as good as others here, post it and people will help you along the way if you think its not quite right....Im still a beginner, and the crowd here certainly dont bite...

Thanks for the kind words.
Ed got it right with green sand., which I have to say I'm pretty chuffed with. I get your point about the back of the bird sloping the wrong way Ed, you're absolutely right. I can definitely see why the bird looks like Wood sand too, the bird does look somehow more slender than your average green, but I think that's because it was stretching to get a better look at me.

I wasn't too happy with the buzzard I posted because I thought the proportions were a bit out. The head could do to be a little smaller. But here's an ink one I'm a bit happier with (even if it does look like it's out of a comic). This barn owl was to test out the pose for the painting, though the actual composition will be different.

I've got a few more bits for you- some tractor-drawn hares in the cab to pick-up (tractor-drawn hares does not sound right!), which are very scruffy but will hopefully evolve into a proper drawing (maybe even painting).

Anyway, thanks again. Every one in the art subforum is so nice!

Hi Chris,

I really like the thread you've started. This sort of help is invaluable and I may steal your idea for a thread of my own!

The painting of the sandpiper is excellent and reminds me very much of a watercolour by Charles Tunnicliffe of a Wood Sand (1952).

Im not sure how detail would help in your work - there is such as strong sense of the subject's place in the environment that detail would become a distraction. I love Ron Kingswood's work; if you're not familiar with him - he is a US or Canadian wildlife artist who creates potent abstract compositions that reject detail but still evoke a strong sense of the animal - they are painterly rather than illustrative. If you can find him on the net then let me know - he seems quite elusive.

Cool thread, Paul H.

Here is a link to some of Ron Kingswood's paintings - enjoy.

Paul H.

duh - here it is:
http://rosefredrick.com/Paintings.html

Great link Paul (eventually ) - something to really stimulate the senses. Sumptious work.

Hi Chris,

Lovely drawings. You certainly have an eye for detail.

Painting is a personal preference. I unfortunately don't paint for a living much to my dispair - it simply wouldn't pay the bills (although as posted on here I am trying my hand at digital painting with a tablet!) However as a perfectionist and a designer by trade, if I had just one tip at all to give you is to try and eliminate black from your pallette where possible and mix dark shades with other colours.

I assume you are painting in watercolour? Where possible try to mix deep purples and tone the shading down a little. Black can overkill a picture and will often detract your vision from the main subject if not mixed well.

Treat any reflections with the same amount of care as you would the subject itself.

Hi Chris, welcome to the art sub forum, definitely the place to be for help and advice!

The Wood Sandpiper is very nice, I do like the way you've caught the light on the water.

Look forward to seeing more.

desgreene said:

Hi Chris, welcome to the art sub forum, definitely the place to be for help and advice!

The Wood Sandpiper is very nice, I do like the way you've caught the light on the water.

Look forward to seeing more.

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Also like the Wood Sand, very spontaneouus and full off light. The water is really well rendered and gives piece great life, well done. A great start and look forward to more in the future.
Drawings are super, you possess a good eye and the ability to put what you see dowm onto paper...

I love Ron Kingswood's work; if you're not familiar with him - he is a US or Canadian wildlife artist who creates potent abstract compositions that reject detail but still evoke a strong sense of the animal - they are painterly rather than illustrative. If you can find him on the net then let me know - he seems quite elusive.

Cool thread, Paul H.[/QUOTE]

Thank-you for that introduction- I couldn't resist an on-line look to see if he featured at the musuem of wildife art in Jackson Hole (one of my favourite buildings to be in anywhere in the world) and here he is- only one pic, but interesting account of his progress from Batemanesque to the current more pared down work.

http://www.wildlifeart.org/artists/artistDetails/index.php?aID=338

Icklesal said:

Hi Chris,

Lovely drawings. You certainly have an eye for detail.

Painting is a personal preference. I unfortunately don't paint for a living much to my dispair - it simply wouldn't pay the bills (although as posted on here I am trying my hand at digital painting with a tablet!) However as a perfectionist and a designer by trade, if I had just one tip at all to give you is to try and eliminate black from your pallette where possible and mix dark shades with other colours.

I assume you are painting in watercolour? Where possible try to mix deep purples and tone the shading down a little. Black can overkill a picture and will often detract your vision from the main subject if not mixed well.

Treat any reflections with the same amount of care as you would the subject itself.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the encouragement and advice, Des, Buzzard, Paul and Icklesal.

I know I have a bit of a propensity for black, perhaps my style could be compared to Johnny Nicepainter (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QRJxafiqHvw). I've been told to keep off it before, but that was back in school, and being told not to do something back then just made me do it more. I am also glad you have mentioned the reflection, as this has confirmed one of my grievances with this painting. I doubt the issues will get corrected unfortunately, once I've started losing enthusiasm for a picture I won't enjoy working on it anymore, but I will know not to make the same mistakes. There's not a lot of satisfaction in leaving a painting I'm unhappy with, but I'm not too upset with it, and knowing I can do better means I have something to prove with my next painting!

These recent paintings I've been doing are not in water colour, they are in acrylic, but before I used acrylics I would always use watercolour. I think it is something I will go back to soon. I promise some black-free paintings to come.

The next painting is coming along OK, and I've been doing a little bit on it each day for three days and not lost any enthusiasm for it, and I'm trying to correct anything I'm not happy with as soon as I spot it, rather than leaving it to niggle away at me.

I thank Paul for the link to the Ron Kingswood paintings, which have turned out to be quite relevant in a serendipitous way. For my barn owl painting I'm working on at the minute, I've tried to go against the grain with my composition. I'm used to photography, and accustomed to having my subject flying/walking/looking into a painting, so with the barn owl, I'm having it flying out. There's something that feels quite weird about a painting like that- the only thing I can liken it to is an unusual time signature in a piece of music. At the minute I like it though, and seeing those Kingswood paintings makes me want to be bold and put the owl right on the edge of the page. Maybe best not to be too adventurous!

I'll probably post a picture of it so far later today or tomorrow and get some tips as I go- hopefully then I can make changes before it's too late. I also have some more field sketches that I did during an early morning on my local patch.

Thanks a lot, everyone.

Welcome to this part of the forum. You can never have to many Barn Owls. Looking forward to a lot more and how your style developes. Great potental there already.

Ok, here's what I've got so far. The painting is only small, 6" x 8". I've quite liked working small so far, it makes me think what I'm doing with each brush stroke.

Is there anything I can do to improve the sky/grass/thorn bushes before I get started on the owl? The one thing I'm thinking at the minute is some shorter grass in the foreground so that it doesn't look like a 'flat' edge.

Thanks Arthur, I'm inclined to agree- barn owls are amazing birds, I just hope I can do them justice!
EDIT: I've been looking for inspiration on the grass front, and the grass in your shelduck paintings looks great, Arthur. How have you managed to do that?

chris3871 said:

Ok, here's what I've got so far. The painting is only small, 6" x 8". I've quite liked working small so far, it makes me think what I'm doing with each brush stroke.

Is there anything I can do to improve the sky/grass/thorn bushes before I get started on the owl? The one thing I'm thinking at the minute is some shorter grass in the foreground so that it doesn't look like a 'flat' edge.

Thanks Arthur, I'm inclined to agree- barn owls are amazing birds, I just hope I can do them justice!
EDIT: I've been looking for inspiration on the grass front, and the grass in your shelduck paintings looks great, Arthur. How have you managed to do that?

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Hi again Chris,

I think you mentioned it yourself in theory. To add depth, think of a picture like you would see it through a camera lens. Decide what your focus is on and then nail it with clarity and detail.

Foreground is the closest so usually quite detailed, then you have your middle ground, then last, but by no means least, your background which usually is what most people try too hard to define in pictures. It's something the impressionists used to do exceedingly well - you often can fool the eye into thinking what is there rather than having to be absolute about what is "really" there!

I always think of it like a misty morning, the background is always there but you don't necessarily need to pick up on every single detail. And afterall you want people to look at your main focus which I assume would be your owl.

Will be nice to see the owl in progress!

Oh and as for moving on from projects after a while...don't worry I do this all the time - start something and 6 months later I return to it and rework it! LOL :t: