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Thanks everyone, I think there'll be some joyful painting to be done soon, get away from the stressed angst-ridden stuff for a little while. I've got red-crested pochards in my head at the moment, not literally you understand, that would be terribly worrying and inconvenient. Bold bright colours, and backlit so the crests are flaming. mmm, nice.
Congrats Nick!! All you need now is an old van to turn into a portable studio!! (How many times have I thought of that, be nice to take off to north scandinavia for 3 months in the summer on a painting trip!)
Congrats Nick!! All you need now is an old van to turn into a portable studio!! (How many times have I thought of that, be nice to take off to north scandinavia for 3 months in the summer on a painting trip!)
Exactly! This is what you MUST do - I've owned 2 motorhomes with the intention (other than hols) of 'doing' birds at large - great idea except we've always had to sell them to free up funds - bugg*r! - Get a little van - make it a studio and go see Scandinavia!!"!! (Oh and I'll come along to carry your brushes!) - Go on Nick - live out my dream for me.
I've wanted to get a van for so long, well more something along the lines of the scooby doo gang's mystery machine, it would be very cool indeed, must start saving now - though not a starving artist per se, I do eat a bloody load of pasta!
After the pledge to join in the May Sketchathon, I've finally got some sketching done! Went to a fantastic little place yesterday, some fields, scrub and oxbow lakes where the river Doubs used to flow. There was way too much wind! Which meant the birding was a little disappointing compared to how it should be and that sketching was very annoying with good gusts blowing through the pages, sort of reminded me of being back in Wales!
Here are some sketches anyway
we've got blue-headed wagtail and stonechat, montagu's harrier and purple heron, and bee eaters at their nest colony (too windy and distant to sketch them at the hole)
Also here is a lizard that I saved from drowning in a horse trough, he'd obviously been sunning himself on the sides when the wind blew him in. He warmed himself up in my hand for a few minutes then ran off.
Love it! Its a painting full of vitality, energy and movement. Good to see a greater depth of tone used too. The balance of detail in the water is excellent as it doesnt detract from the birds in any way. Wonderful, well done!
Very glad you like the greenshanks Annette, tonal range is a lot easier to do with a limited palette, here's a progress report of the bee eaters I started last night. More colourful! I think I'm going to use the finger painting as a base and then work into it with the brush, but then it is only 7 30 am and I've got to go to work so ideas may change by the time I finish this evening.
Its looking great Nick. A wonderful feeling of movement yet again. My only advice would be to be aware that it is just as easy to have a painting split in two on a diagonal as it is horizontally or vertically. Most of the bird detail is in the blue so make sure there is enough detail in the greens too to pull the viewers eye around the whole of the painting
Field drawings are, as usual, totally excellent and I agree with Annette that the new finger paintings are full of vitality. I wonder why you go for these really vibrant colours when working in this style and use a much more sombre, considered palatte with your more 'serious' work. I think a gelling of the two would make fabulous viewing - but I'll let you continue on your personal journey.
Like the lizard!
Tim I think the choice of colours is largely to do with method and how finger painting as apposed to using a brush can stimulate you in different ways. I have done alot of finger painting and there is something about the freedom it gives you that makes you want to use bright colours and also you feel less restricted and makes you feel more confident and ready to experiment more. I think when Nick picks up a brush his techniques automatically tightens and maybe he even loses confidence though i feel that at the moment the two techniques are coming together nicely. Love the brighter colours nick. They are so much more expressive and eye catching.
The reason for the birghter colours is the fact I'm mixing them on the paper, squeezing pure colour onto my fingers and then rubbing it in, using a palette is just too fiddly, I think now I've got the picture worked out, I'm going to finish it in brush, try and get a sort of Dufy feel about it. Will be interesting whatever happens, though maybe not pretty!