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Welcome to Nick's dining room table. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter nickderry
- Start date
gropperwinch
Well-known member
in fact Nick, if it helps, here's a little bit of tinkering I did with the Wryneck using basic photo editing tools on my computer
I cropped it, increased contrast and brightness and lowered shadows and highlights. Hopefully this will help a bit if you want to make a different version (I'd keep the original one anyway as it still looks very good and some people would probably prefer it, it just depends on what they personally like in a painting)
I cropped it, increased contrast and brightness and lowered shadows and highlights. Hopefully this will help a bit if you want to make a different version (I'd keep the original one anyway as it still looks very good and some people would probably prefer it, it just depends on what they personally like in a painting)
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
This feeling will pass I'm sure Nick. There is no such thing as too many bird sketches from you! I'm sure all that knowledge gained eventually shows up in your paintings when you get around to them.
I do love the sandpiper though. I've been thinking of doing a painting of some sort based on a photo I took of a Solitary Sandpiper a few weeks ago. Then I look at this and see what an absolutely creative way you've chosen to portray it. That's something I think that takes years and years, if ever, to come up with. Can't get this sort of composition from just copying a photo. A treat to see it and your other work.
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
thanks everyone - I agree the wryneck needs to be tinkered with (this is the third version already!) - I thought as much and I'm glad to get the confirmation here, the difficulty is getting such a contrastingly patterned bird to sit happily behind the leaves in an unobtrusive shadow yet still be the focal point. Making it bigger would work, but is the 'easy way out' so to speak - as although I was very taken by the bird - the inside out maple leaves were what made me want to paint it. I'm a little drunk now, so I think I may just get in the studio with another beer , stick a little Freddie on and get the paint out and put this little 'torcol' to rest.
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
torcol being Frogspeak for wryneck
gropperwinch
Well-known member
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
Freddie is of course the late, great Mr Bad Guy - Freddie Mercury. An extraordinarily inspiring voice and character that makes me paint in a flamboyant and raw way - even better if singing with Montserrat Caballé - one of the greatest sopranos of the last century, she's the method and controlled use of a tool. Failing that, REM and Radiohead usually help me paint. Sadly the beer isn't such a good idea, I'm still drinking it yet listening to Dirty Dancing on YouTube instead of painting wrynecks (and hybrid shrikes, curlews and 'imaginations of what quail look like when not being served on a plate')
gropperwinch
Well-known member
ah the music. I read it slightly differently due to waking up at 2.00 this morning (stick a little freddie in) and hence came up with a number of different ideas!
phil baber
Clipped Wing
Or Moustached Warbler?
(Freddie that is!)I'll get my coat! :-C
I still think the Wryneck is fine in the composition. It gives me a reminder of how small these birds actually are!
Ah well! It's still all rather lovely! :t:
Oh! And congrats Nick on your new position! Hope the new job works out good! Have another B
on me!(As if you need telling! :cat
Nick....exactly how many B have you had then tonight...?
By chance i was having a chat with rockfowl down the boozer tonight about your work...[and yeah...it's bloody great...as always].
Just took a look at the sandpiper pic...:smoke:...glorious...! And hobbies?...well...i don't really have to say owt do i...?!...so here's an icon coz i can't be bothered to use words...:t:
And why can't i be bothered to 'use' words?...well i'm a bit speechless after Mark told me when i met him that my thread has been butchered by censoring for an as yet unknown reason:eek!: Hope 'the powers that be' have left at least one Queen/freddie track on it for you...i dunno....coz we were having a right giggle with some music links as it always inspirational....
ps.....my plan at present is to put another Queen track on me thread anyway.....like 'The Show must go On'........if i'm flippin allowed that is...!
ps....that wryneck by the way....you will sort it with your own 'vision' and very soon i'm sure!
have you had then tonight...?By chance i was having a chat with rockfowl down the boozer tonight about your work...[and yeah...it's bloody great...as always].
Just took a look at the sandpiper pic...:smoke:...glorious...! And hobbies?...well...i don't really have to say owt do i...?!...so here's an icon coz i can't be bothered to use words...:t:
And why can't i be bothered to 'use' words?...well i'm a bit speechless after Mark told me when i met him that my thread has been butchered by censoring for an as yet unknown reason:eek!: Hope 'the powers that be' have left at least one Queen/freddie track on it for you...i dunno....coz we were having a right giggle with some music links as it always inspirational....
ps.....my plan at present is to put another Queen track on me thread anyway.....like 'The Show must go On'.....
...if i'm flippin allowed that is...!ps....that wryneck by the way....you will sort it with your own 'vision' and very soon i'm sure!
ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
Hi Nick nice to see your superb pic's again
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
finally getting round to posting some sketches from weeks ago.................. the wryneck shall be the centre of attention for a while, now I've fiddled around with it enough, I'll have a look at the reference photos I took of its background and do a 'proper' picture.
Here are some sketches from Pagney - a hare, a great big reedie, a flying GC grebe, sitting lapwing, LRP, digging bee eaters, red-backed shrike.
Here are some sketches from Pagney - a hare, a great big reedie, a flying GC grebe, sitting lapwing, LRP, digging bee eaters, red-backed shrike.
Attachments
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
and the hybrid Woodchat x Red-backed Shrike -with a supporting cast of curlew, skylark and swallowtail - not illustrated are the very vocal quail.
Linnets sitting on a wall, and a wryneck from Osselle, on exactly the same branch as the one two weeks before - atlas code, probable breeder then!
Linnets sitting on a wall, and a wryneck from Osselle, on exactly the same branch as the one two weeks before - atlas code, probable breeder then!
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Woody
Well-known member
You really went to town on the shrike didn't you! Loads of brilliantly observed information. I think though what impresses me most is the way that your sketching is always so assured, you have the uncanny ability to see a line, shape etc and draw it as seen without any fannying around trying to find the right one. I just love to see that in action.
Mike
Mike
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
bit more work seeping through - beurk, don't want to go to work in an hour!
Originally I wanted to put something more of the barley field with the quail in than I have here, I may revisit this idea in a very tall thin format. Or maybe I won't, as I have sooooooooo many paintings to do and I'm going to do the wryneck again!
Originally I wanted to put something more of the barley field with the quail in than I have here, I may revisit this idea in a very tall thin format. Or maybe I won't, as I have sooooooooo many paintings to do and I'm going to do the wryneck again!
Attachments
This is the first time I've dropped in on your dining table & very pleased I did. I've just had a quick look & I think your obviously a talented artist, like so many on BF. I like your composition & technique & am looking forward to having a better more prolonged look at your stuff.
Cheers, Neil.
Cheers, Neil.
rockfowl
Mark Andrews
You think I make your jaw drop!!!??
The shrike painting is exquisite, a fantastic piece of work and being a big fan of world shrikes, the studies are fabulous, a rather special bird. I like the new Wryneck, has a better feel and movement, a big leap IMO.
Still in awe of that Common Sand though!
The shrike painting is exquisite, a fantastic piece of work and being a big fan of world shrikes, the studies are fabulous, a rather special bird. I like the new Wryneck, has a better feel and movement, a big leap IMO.
Still in awe of that Common Sand though!
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
Absolutely agree. Just love to see your sketching in action. It always makes me want to drop everything and head out with my drawing materials!
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
got to work at 12:30 ready to prepare my lesson at 1:30 - cancelled. Next lesson at 5, so I'm still sitting here as I couldn't be bothered to walk home, at least I've got internet, scribbling away trying to think what paintings need to be done in the next few days - eeep, I forgot I went to Petit Noir in April - there's a few more need doing from there.
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