OK ... deep breath! These are my efforts (14 Viewers)

[Mouldy]

Thanks for putting the lapwing back up Deb, I do actually like that one a lot.

 

[Zac Hinchcliffe]

: Am having real trouble trying to photo watercolours and upload them without altering original colours etc - 1st one taken without a flash outside but for some reason ends up blurred each time?? 2nd one turned pink again but isn't as blurred (camera doesn't like flash being turned off manually I suppose)

Hi Deb
the probable reason for the outside picture being blurred will probably be because, when you turn the flash off, the camera will automatically slow the shutter speed in order to make the picture brighter, this blurr will be due to camera shake. Or as you took off the Flash the camera will have put the settings onto Macro (probably not, as the pic isn't too much out focus!)
With the inside Picture, the chances are the inside of your house will have produced an atificial wash. This could have been the wall paper, on if it was taken on your wooden table, with chairs around it, it may have light up from the flash and then reflected the flash back towards the paper all in the same time to produce the pinkish wash.

Or i'm talking rubbish

Zac

 

[deborah4]

Or i'm talking rubbish

Zac

No, that makes perfect sense - G*d help me if I should ever upgrade to a DSLR!!

'Finished' the gull painting today, so tried shooting it as suggested by several people .... (daylight, on floor, by open window, out of direct sun, and away from furniture) ... still not as sharp as original but that's because I was too close I think!

 

[deborah4]

hmm... feel a delete moment coming on here! Won't delete it but perhaps I should add, for accuracy and technical structure, it leaves a lot to be desired - the lighting's unreal (with source of light that low, there should be longer shadows and pinkier glow) and what light there is has not taken into consideration the effect on hues overall, the foreground is far too cluttered and divides the painting into two halves (result of adding as afterthought) , there is still a lack of 'airspace' around the gulls, and as a water colour, it's desparately overworked and lacks consistency and overall cohesion. The sky is c*ap.

I like the sea.

I worked from my head and a few field sketches - next time, photos and fieldguides for reference might prove more successful!!

There ... feel better :-O

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

Hi Deborah nice tosee the Lapwing back, love the movement and colour in the gulls.

 

[deborah4]

Thanks Arthur

(I didn't delete Gull painting, just tweeked and re-uploaded :-O)

 

[nickderry]

Glad to see you're not deleting things! Yes, I agree that there is some overpainting in this one, something all watercolourists do from time to time, (I'm going off the medium this week, can't do anything without overpainting at the moment!) Still, this is very strong, it puts me in mind of religious icons, the light (though unnatural as you say) is a big plus for the picture, it really makes it stand out ( and I'm trying to work out how you got this luminosity, as I could do with it!). Herring Gulls fit for a Sistine Chapel.

 

[deborah4]

Still, this is very strong, it puts me in mind of religious icons, the light (though unnatural as you say) is a big plus for the picture, it really makes it stand out ( and I'm trying to work out how you got this luminosity, as I could do with it!). Herring Gulls fit for a Sistine Chapel.

He he .. Funny you should mention religious icons ... I started using water colour a couple of years ago, after a 15 year break from painting in oils ... and it was because I was suddenly inspired by stain glass windows for some reason, I wanted to produce something similar with water colour, hence now my current medium and my difficulty trying to resort back to 'natural' and 'realistic' with painting birds!

Have doubted whether to post some samples but since you mention it - the poster was an unpaid commission, as was the Flight from Egypt, the St Francis was just a gift for someone:

They didn't scan that well, reducing them lost some of the luminosity but gives people an idea

 

[matt green]

Deborah

You are just so full of surprises!!

These three works are simply beautiful ..nuff said

Matt

 

[Andrew Ellis]

I agree these really are beautiful pieces of work Deb. I love the St Francis one
in particular. Nice to see some other subject matter as well.
it builds a nice picture ( no pun intended) of peoples background style and
breadth of experience . There is something about stained glass isnt there.

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

THese are lovely Deborah

 

[Dave B]

THese are lovely Deborah

Hi Deborah

Agree with Arthur, these are just beautiful!

 

[Peewit]

Hi Deborah

Agree with Arthur, these are just beautiful!

Here too, Deborah

They are super to look at, and I love the style too. :t:

 

[Thilanka]

Hi Deborah,
I recognize your pintail and dipper before maximizing them! wonderful effort! thanks for sharing.

 

[nickderry]

These last three are beautiful, strong and elegant, very glad you posted them.

 

[dryslwyn]

Yes I love them too- they are so imaginative.

 

[deborah4]

Hi Deborah

Agree with Arthur, these are just beautiful!

Thanks Dave, much appreciated!

And thanks everyone else for your comments - have set things in motion for another one at the moment - started as with the others, with rough layout which literally is out of my head on the spur of the moment. If I follow through, there will have many drafts, before several water colour attempts before the complete version - usually over a period of several months and all in my own good time!

The style of these really indicates more accurately than my bird stuff, where I am in my 'creative' journey - they are the result of a very long process (since childhood) of a natural progressive development, through copying photos as a youngster, learning to draw from life, then breaking rules, steps forward steps back, finally simplifying and extracting back to a style I had as a very young child, then years of doing nothing, sudden bursts of energy, then nothing again, and so forth - I want to design stain glass windows that's what I'd really like, so I just say to myself, one day, perhaps when I'm long past this life, someone will find my drawings and make massive windows from the designs!!

Meanwhile back to birds - 1 Greenfinch sitting on an empty peanut feeder this afternoon for 10 minutes looking mighty folorn. Great sketching opportunity!! No, felt sorry for the poor thing, rushed out to buy more peanuts - he'd gone. 10 minutes later, the whole family arrived!! Will post some up when I've finished a few pages or it will get mighty boring for you all.

 

[deborah4]

Hi Deborah,
I recognize your pintail and dipper before maximizing them! wonderful effort! thanks for sharing.

Well I'm truly honored that a new member paid me the first visit on BF, especially one from the other side of the World!! Thanks for your comments and a very

BIG WELCOME TO BIRD FORUM B

Do you paint or draw yourself?

 

[deborah4]

Eyes rather bad past few days with shadows and blurred vision - off to doctors next week - also trapped a nerve in my neck too so in bl**dy agony past few days, none of which conducive to close and detailed accurate drawing, so did this quick sketch from window early this morning - heavy handed field sketch with some trial and error slapped on colour at the same time! I actually quite like this as it gives the impression of what it was like suddenly spotting half concealed Greenies hiding in my Silver Birch early this morning waiting for feeders to be filled up. It was done purely from what was seen, so not as accurate as it would be if I'd referred to photos/guides etc - think it might work as a proper painting at some point. Joined shortly after with a couple of Blue Tits - feeders getting busy again. If I feel up to it, will try the local beach lagoon tomorrow for a few gulls

 

[nickderry]

this is really good! The dappled light is wonderful. Hope you get better soon, sounds painful!