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Ed's thread (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Strandman
- Start date
Strandman
Well-known member
oops- does look as if my post upthread was garbled! one bird only [shrike] in pic, da owl not attempted this year yet
in answer to Tim's question, I wish I could say sketches and memory for background, but yup I am relying on reference photos for background
in mitigation I do try and have the idea, compose the pic on the spot: here it was to get the shrike on the rim of the light patch shining through the trees
tableau captured with trusty blackberry and scope combo, plus grabbed a more exciting looking fir tree which was about 10 metres to the right
you can see in the digipic here that the bird sat a bit high top left when in the zone and would not quite drop down where I wanted despite my whispered encouragement- so nudged him/her down and bit when I got home
in answer to Tim's question, I wish I could say sketches and memory for background, but yup I am relying on reference photos for background
in mitigation I do try and have the idea, compose the pic on the spot: here it was to get the shrike on the rim of the light patch shining through the trees
tableau captured with trusty blackberry and scope combo, plus grabbed a more exciting looking fir tree which was about 10 metres to the right
you can see in the digipic here that the bird sat a bit high top left when in the zone and would not quite drop down where I wanted despite my whispered encouragement- so nudged him/her down and bit when I got home
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timwootton
Well-known member
Well - so it's a bit of both. Great result, too.
Oftentimes, when viewing this thread in particular, I get a real urge to see the work in the flesh - I bet there's so much happening in the surfaces that we don't get via this medium of t'internet.
Oftentimes, when viewing this thread in particular, I get a real urge to see the work in the flesh - I bet there's so much happening in the surfaces that we don't get via this medium of t'internet.
Woody
Well-known member
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
The shrike sketches do it for me Ed, esp. the one with lizard in his mouth!
Strandman
Well-known member
hello all- a coupla weeks have gone by and within a whisker of dropping off the page
been away with family and to my shame returned with way too few sketches but some ideas and some record shots, so hopefully something worthwhile will emerge
meantimes as placeholder here's an osprey snap for Easter weekend
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Strandman
Well-known member
here's an osprey effort- sketch 1 looked Ok until I thought about it (beak to big and eagley, eye is too browed and eagley)
then some sketches 2 done with a bit more thought and care, eye more staring, beak more true
painting lacks something, but at least has got me rolling again
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Strandman
Well-known member
you have identified the problem in one- birds against a cloudless blue sky
I did have more bird colours in the sky but but back-tracked a bit
I've got a frigatebird I want to get out of my system which presents the same trouble
colleenc
Well-known member
besides color think of edges, when they are integrated in places into the bg you get less pasted on look, in your work think of he painting space front to back as well as side to side and up and down...and the light rolls over the edges so softens and blends then when you see in rl and the camera eliminates that
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
I'm with Colleen on the middle sketches. I'm familiar with that lone bird against a brilliant blue sky problem. It is difficult. I do wonder if you're making it even harder with a squarish format? Am I wrong or didn't you also use that on another recent painting? I suppose it's possible that you've always used it and I just missed it but I hope I'm not really that unobservant! Always possible though!
Strandman
Well-known member
I did invest in a few square canvas boards, so well spotted: just for change really as the long rectangle was gettign a bit too obvious a tactic
the colour version hasn't really worked so I will give it a thwack of lightening with Colleen's comments in mind, then mark it down to experience
but also am looking around for some good examples of rendering of blue sky
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
One reason I mention the square format is that I think one possible way to get something to work against a uniform background is by placing it in an interesting position so that the background space almost becomes as important as the foreground shape. That's possible with a rectangular canvas but I think much harder with a square one where often it just seems like the only space left is just small snippets which can't compete with the main subject. I hope this makes sense. And as usual is just my thoroughly subjective opinion.
Those are great sketches so it would be nice to see them really working in a painting. As well as that promised frigatebird.
JTMB
Well-known member
Good subject for some work, Ed. The middle page of sketches is well observed, especially the bill on the leftmost bird. Mind you, I have terrible trouble drawing bills well, but I know the Ospreys well from having seen them thousands of times on an annual float trip I take in central Oregon each year (this year will be year number 26). I think the 'look' of the Osprey's head is unique among raptors - definitely hot eagle-like as you say, but also not particularly like other hawks (at least US hawks). Good work!
Woody
Well-known member
The middle sketch is a real corker and it's the right choice for a worked up version.
I can't convince myself of the square, small format though; For my money it feels a bit too constricting to suit the kind of supercharged, energy filled style that's yours and yours alone?
Mike
I can't convince myself of the square, small format though; For my money it feels a bit too constricting to suit the kind of supercharged, energy filled style that's yours and yours alone?
Mike
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