Greg Butler
Well-known member
It's done in Acrylics Tim. One ptroblem was I only had 5 colours and a tube of white when I did it.
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New to painting birds! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Greg Butler
- Start date
It's done in Acrylics Tim. One ptroblem was I only had 5 colours and a tube of white when I did it.
timwootton
Well-known member
Well - that's amazing, but goes to show that a vast palette isn't necessary to produce stunning work. Funnily enough, when I draw in the field, I only usually use a couple of colours (as Eric Ennion suggested) burnt sienna and cobolt - gives all manner of hues, values and temperatures -to this add alizarin (to mix with cobolt for purplish colours for shadows and perhaps yellow ochre to get some greens and that's about it. Obviously if I'm painting colourful subjects accurately (flowers, r-b mergs, that sort of thing) I would need to supplement this basic kit with more colour - but I find this just compicates my eye!
Sorry - bit of a ramble there. Acrylics, eh? Well (only if you want to) you could do some glazing on the background. If you were to mix some titanium white with a combination of vandyke brown/ultramarine blue to make a lively grey - then dilute it with water so its just a milky consistency. When applied this covers the area in an opaque film - but - when it dries, it is semi'transparent, but knocks the strength of the colour and value back. This process can be repeated (once the previous glaze has dried) as many times as one wishes. It's a super technique to create the illusion of depth.
Having said that - it is, as mentioned before, a super painting as it is :t:
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ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
Its a super portrait Greg.
Just like to say Greg, I have been browsing some of your work on here for last half hour and love the paintings! (so does my wife) we went to a craft fair today and there was a stall selling paintings at average price £180 your paintings are 100% better than them and they actually sold out (approx 28 paintings) if i had your talent then i'd get selling!
Cheerio and keep up the great work
Cheers
Brian
Cheerio and keep up the great work
Cheers
Brian
Andrew Ellis
Well-known member
Greg, Glad you joined us on here. And as I said the sound advice is coming thick
and fast. Your work is improving all the time and there are some top pieces there.
keep going and get out into the field. I'm thrilled your enjoying your painting.
and fast. Your work is improving all the time and there are some top pieces there.
keep going and get out into the field. I'm thrilled your enjoying your painting.
Greg Butler
Well-known member
I've just got back from my visit to the US and would like to thank everyone for their kind remarks and advice. Sorry to say I was quite busy and didn't manage to get much painting or sketching done, (Will try to fix that now I'm home) despite fishing several times at the same pool as a couple of Ospreys! I was in Oregon much of the time and Ospreys were like buzzards in the Lake District! (everywhere)! One thing of interest was that the guy who was doing some crop dusting in the area told us his plane had been attacked by ospreys whilst working on several occasions but they didn't fare too well against the plane. Having said that the plane had been badly damaged several times but the ospreys were a write off!
As usual baggage went missing at Heathrow, Will start painting again as soon as my paints turn up with all my clothes!
Greg.
As usual baggage went missing at Heathrow, Will start painting again as soon as my paints turn up with all my clothes!
Greg.
Greg Butler
Well-known member
Sorry I've not posted for a while but a new falcon has kept me busy! Also my daughter decide to move her computer into my painting area while I was away from home. This is another painting I did while I was in the US. Again with a very limited pallet which I think did make me work that little harder. Before you say it no I dont think the background works but as I gave the picture to a friend who liked it I can't really revisit the picture now. Shame really because I can see all sorts of things that I would like to work on. I need to get back to my painting and can't wait to try this new bird I have!
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Greg Butler
Well-known member
I've been out of the loop for a while, Travel work and a new falcon have kept me really busy. Then my wife took over my painting area and my daughter moved her computer in there! Well you know the sort of things I mean. I thought I should paint a few heads to get me back in the swing So Have done these in the past couple of days. I did start on an other painting but was unhappy with the way it was going so have shelved it for a while. Loads of painting time now the dark nights are here. Look foreward to having a good look though all the posts I have missed!
Greg
Greg
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mark richards
Well-known member
well done greg , nice to have you back. two nice ones to start with, looking forward to seeing more...
Greg Butler
Well-known member
Thanks Elina, I've been working on a couple of others but my camera has decided to stop focusing so I'm not able to post until I get it repaired or fixed! Must admit I really do need to do a lot of work to get backgrounds into my work! I still find every picture I attempt to be like starting all over again! I'll get it right one day!
timwootton
Well-known member
I was certain I'd left a comment on these Greg - clearly not. Suffice to say they are exceptionally goos portraits and as has been said, the golden eagle is superb, but I adore the gyr - fabulous bird rendered exquisitely.
Greg Butler
Well-known member
I'm starting to get back into the swing but I still really have little idea about backgrounds.
Greg Butler
Well-known member
Goldie
I've had a good break and been out with my falcons almost everyday so had to kick start myself back into action. As I've said before I really do need some help with my backgrounds even if it's just a few ideas. Been working on this for the last few evenings but as you can see the thing that lets it down is the background! HELP!
I've had a good break and been out with my falcons almost everyday so had to kick start myself back into action. As I've said before I really do need some help with my backgrounds even if it's just a few ideas. Been working on this for the last few evenings but as you can see the thing that lets it down is the background! HELP!
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Woody
Well-known member
Good to see you back Greg, hope you've had a good season.
That's a nice portrait but I think you're right about the background being a bit bland. A trick I use is simply to vary the tone from dark to light behind the main focus, chiarascuro and all that. The highlighted side of the head appears against the dark and the shadow side appears against the light. I also try to add a little texture again by varying tone. Try scrubbing in a background before starting on the main subject and let it be organic, after all it's only there as a support for the star of the show. This is what I do with straightforward portraits: http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/17082/ppuser/2672 The inspiration for the whole series came from a trip to the National gallery where portraits from great masters are on display and I wanted to try getting the same, formal feel into a set of bird portraits.
Keep 'em coming!
Mike
That's a nice portrait but I think you're right about the background being a bit bland. A trick I use is simply to vary the tone from dark to light behind the main focus, chiarascuro and all that. The highlighted side of the head appears against the dark and the shadow side appears against the light. I also try to add a little texture again by varying tone. Try scrubbing in a background before starting on the main subject and let it be organic, after all it's only there as a support for the star of the show. This is what I do with straightforward portraits: http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/17082/ppuser/2672 The inspiration for the whole series came from a trip to the National gallery where portraits from great masters are on display and I wanted to try getting the same, formal feel into a set of bird portraits.
Keep 'em coming!
Mike
timwootton
Well-known member
This is a terrific portrait Greg - you've captured the look perfectly. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with this middle greay as a background. It works really well with the warm russets of the feathers. What is incongruous is the way you've just stoped the portrait at the neck. It gives the bird a decapitated look (not very pleasant). Either work the neck feathers further down and off the page so it can be cropped tight - or (better) paint more of the neck but allow it to blend nto the background. Aim for a softer feel.
It's lovely, lovely work and only needs a tweek to rally make it work brilliantly.
It's lovely, lovely work and only needs a tweek to rally make it work brilliantly.
timwootton
Well-known member
. . . and what Mike said . . .
