New to painting birds! (1 Viewer)

Greg Butler · Apr 16, 2008

I have kept birds of prey for falconry purposes for over 40yrs starting as a boy of 14yrs old. I have also been sketching birds of prey since I was at school although most of the sketches I have done have been from memory and not from life. At one point in the 80’s I produced sculptures of falcons but as I got better and the birds became more life like the mould making became more and more difficult and due to work family and falconry commitments I stopped working on them. At the start of this year I decided to set myself the task of teaching myself to paint birds. Paint was a new task for me, as I had never really tried before. I think I have managed to get some of the basics and I have been quite pleased with some of the results. The one problem is I do seem to be a bit inconsistent, whilst one picture seems to have enough depth the next is a little flat! To start with I painted the birds with no backgrounds in some of my work I have tried but I do find it quite difficult. Sometime I think I try hard to get the background right and the work on the bird suffers. Andrew Ellis suggested this site to me and I must say that after a brief look through the threads there is a vast wealth of skill and knowledge that I hope I can tap into. I do realise from comment made by Andrew and another friend of mine that I need to concentrate of my field sketching. I have included some of my pictures, any help and advice would be very welcome.
Greg

timwootton · Apr 16, 2008

Hi Greg - good to have you aboard!
From what you say it seems like you are on a self-finding mission and I applaud you for it. Also the critiques you make about your own work show me that you have the ability to analyse yourself and your art and that, really, is the path forward.
The paintings you have posted here are truly very good indeed; they show an ability to draw (the most important tool in the box) and a strong understanding of form and light. I suppose the question has to be asked back: why do you want to paint and what do you want those paintings to look like. For instance, having someone like Andrew as a mentor is a great honour, but if you wanted to paint as he does, that may take alot of reconcilliation. He is a Master, and very few have his given talent and flair. Your work already has most of what I would look for in a professional artist working in the genre of wildlife realism. Please work on your life drawing - not only is it the skill that cannot be fudged (many people can talk a good drawing but the proof of the pudding etc. . . .), but it will also open up vast new areas of possiblility for your art; compositionally, colours and values, dynamics and just the sheer surprise of things observed in the field.
Your learning curve may be steep, but by the looks of what you can do already, you are starting a fair way up it.
Look forward to seeing more.

Greg Butler · Apr 17, 2008

Thanks for the comment Tim I do realise that I have one hell of a lot to learn but as they say you are never too old (unless you are a dog!)
I didn't say Andrew was my mentor, he saw some of my work on a falconry forum and left some comments including that he thought I would benifit from looking at this forum. As I said I think he was right as I think there is more than enough top wildlife artists that seem to keep intouch with each other here! For years I've looked at paintings at game fairs etc and thought I wish I could do that. Now the family have grown up its my time to do and learn some of the things that I always wanted to learn and do!
Greg

timwootton said:
Hi Greg - good to have you aboard!
From what you say it seems like you are on a self-finding mission and I applaud you for it. Also the critiques you make about your own work show me that you have the ability to analyse yourself and your art and that, really, is the path forward.
The paintings you have posted here are truly very good indeed; they show an ability to draw (the most important tool in the box) and a strong understanding of form and light. I suppose the question has to be asked back: why do you want to paint and what do you want those paintings to look like. For instance, having someone like Andrew as a mentor is a great honour, but if you wanted to paint as he does, that may take alot of reconcilliation. He is a Master, and very few have his given talent and flair. Your work already has most of what I would look for in a professional artist working in the genre of wildlife realism. Please work on your life drawing - not only is it the skill that cannot be fudged (many people can talk a good drawing but the proof of the pudding etc. . . .), but it will also open up vast new areas of possiblility for your art; compositionally, colours and values, dynamics and just the sheer surprise of things observed in the field.
Your learning curve may be steep, but by the looks of what you can do already, you are starting a fair way up it.
Look forward to seeing more.

Woody · Apr 17, 2008

Hi Greg, welcome to BF, you'll certainly not go short of help and advice on this forum. You have the advantage of knowing your subject intimately after keeping birds of prey. I couldn't agree more with Tim and Andy though about field sketching wild birds, it really helps to advance your skills of observation and acts as constant inspiration. You never know, you may start to broaden your horizons and paint other types of birds and wildlife too, not limiting yourself to birds of prey. As a first step, my own humble advice would be, to begin widening your outlook as you have done with the owl. Start to include whole body attitude and a little habitat in your paintings and, if you can capture action too, then you are onto a winning formula.

Mike

Greg Butler · Apr 17, 2008

Woody said:
Hi Greg, welcome to BF, you'll certainly not go short of help and advice on this forum. You have the advantage of knowing your subject intimately after keeping birds of prey. I couldn't agree more with Tim and Andy though about field sketching wild birds, it really helps to advance your skills of observation and acts as constant inspiration. You never know, you may start to broaden your horizons and paint other types of birds and wildlife too, not limiting yourself to birds of prey. As a first step, my own humble advice would be, to begin widening your outlook as you have done with the owl. Start to include whole body attitude and a little habitat in your paintings and, if you can capture action too, then you are onto a winning formula.

Mike

Thanks Mike,
Yes I have limited myself to birds of prey so far and realise that I do need to broaden my field even if it is only to add the prey to the scene. This is a painting of a Red-Tailed Hawk. I was quite pleased with this one as I felt I had really managed to get some depth to it. I just wish I could do the same with all the work I attempt.

ARTHUR BISHOP · Apr 17, 2008

Hi Greg and welcome to BF. Im'e looking forward to you broadening your scope of birds , with the gems you have posted cant wait for some feild sketches.
Im'e longer in the tooth than you and only started up again a few years ago and thoroughly enjoying the challenges of dif. mediums. Just go for it.

Greg Butler · Apr 17, 2008

ARTHUR BISHOP said:
Hi Greg and welcome to BF. Im'e looking forward to you broadening your scope of birds , with the gems you have posted cant wait for some feild sketches.
Im'e longer in the tooth than you and only started up again a few years ago and thoroughly enjoying the challenges of dif. mediums. Just go for it.

Thanks Arthur,
Its all new to me and I think my wife thinks I'm going through a mid life crisis as I've taken over the table in the dinning room since the start of the year. I will try and broaden my scope as just about everything I have done has been a bird of prey. I am working on a picture at the moment that does have a different bird in it but It's not at a stage to show just yet. I have done quite a few paintings but don't want to just put them all on at once. A few of them are of falconry birds on perches and others I've tried to put in their natural environment (I find that quite a challenge at the moment) The very first picture I did was in water colour but I quickly changed to acrylics because I realised I could cover my mistakes!
Greg

Greg Butler · Apr 17, 2008

I tried painting a Barn owl basically just to see if I could do it as the markings on the feathers looked really difficult to do. Next time I will try to be a bity braver and paint the whole bird!

Greg Butler · Apr 17, 2008

I thought I would post a few of my sketches. None of these have been done from life as they are all in my memory and have all been done when I get a few quiet moment to sit and sketch. They were not really done to be seen by anyone else. Usually I sketch on bits of paper that I them throw away as all the fun to me is to see what I can achieve. These are a few out of an old sketch book that I've not used for a while.

timwootton · Apr 18, 2008

The sketches are beautifully done Greg - you certainly have a very good memory for detail and jiz judging by these. I also used to use scrap paper and throw out my drawings - unbelievable really! I now have several sketchbooks on the go at any given time and the wealth of ideas and suggestions for paintings which they contain is quite something. The drawings don't even have to be 'good' ones either - just something to spark off a memory of something interesting. Just the one word of advice: keep a sketch book/scrapbook and everything remotely worthwhile you do, do it in there, or stich things in, photos, drawings, bits of text - whatever. It'll soone become an invaluable aid.
Great stuff - keep 'em coming!

Woody · Apr 18, 2008

As I said, you have the advantage of knowing your subject well enough that you can recall the level of detail that's in these sketches. Once you marry that with the drawing from life there'll be no stopping you. Like my learned friend says, keep that sketchbook, you'll find that it becomes invaluable and you'll rely on it more and more.

Mike

desgreene · Apr 18, 2008

Hi Greg, welcome to BF from another beginner (although I think I'm starting a wee bit lower down on the ladder!) . I've really enjoyed the work you've posted so far, and look forward to seeing more.

Des.

Greg Butler · Apr 18, 2008

Thanks Des, maybe we newbees should stick together! As I said I have always sketched for fun and as a teacher of technology I have also had to teach pupils to produce design sketches! I must say though those are very different to sketching birds. The painting is the thing that is new to me. I just threw myself into it and had a go. Several weeks later some mentioned that the under painting should maybe just a litle darker. I thought "what thr hell is under painting"? At least I have now worked that one out but sometimes people use jargon without thinking. I'm still really at the stage of well lets mix these two together and see what we get! When I work my pallete looks like a serious chemical spill on the motorway! I do however seem to get there in the end. Tim and Mike thanks for the comments and advice it is very welcome and I will start to keep most of my sketches. I'm off to stay with friends in California for a while soon so I will get myself a good sketch book while I'm over there and concentrate on some life sketches, it will be a lot easier than trying to carry paints about. Here is a picture that I did of my peregrine sitting out on the lawn.
Greg

ARTHUR BISHOP · Apr 19, 2008

Super sketches and painting Greg

Greg Butler · Apr 19, 2008

Thanks Arthur,
I have tried to keep the momentum going since starting but then I realised I needed to slow down a bit and look a bit harder at what I was doing. I've done a lot more than the ones I've posted and have only posted the few that I'm reasonably happy with. This one I'm not 100% sure of, some people think it is rather flat and I have to agree there is something not quite there for me but what I'm not sure. I've reworked some of it several times and expect I will have another go at some time when I work out what it is!

ARTHUR BISHOP · Apr 20, 2008

Hi Greg,
ref. your pic. being flat. I think its a super portrait of a falcon.
But it may be in the posture of the bird being to relaxed . A more upright posture and not missing a thing will change the whole attitude of the bird.
But keep trying till your happy.

nickderry · Apr 21, 2008

your painting technique is great, keep looking at the birds and it'll all fall into place.

Greg Butler · Apr 21, 2008

nickderry said:
your painting technique is great, keep looking at the birds and it'll all fall into place.

Cheers Nick I must say since I decided to try and paint them I have been looking at them in a new way and starting to notice small detail that I would have missed before. That doesn't mean that I have managed to paint them yet! This is part of the piece I'm working on at the moment. It's the first none bird of prey that I have attempted so would be grateful for any feed back. Also how can I get that really nice sheen to the underside of the wing reathers? From the top left of the picture you might just get an idea of what I'm after, if you have looked at my other work you won't be surprised!
Greg

Woody · Apr 21, 2008

Re;feather sheen. Many colours appear in a 'black' bird as the light is refracted through the surfaces of the feathers. Try deep blues and purples then, when you're feeling particularly brave, try some pinks, reds and lilacs!

Mike

timwootton · Apr 21, 2008

Wise words, Mike. I'm just planning a piece on gloss and sheen at the mo. I ought to go and write it, really. However as a quick response - for glossy, read reflective. The higher the gloss, the more it reflects - so colours (as Mike rightly stipulates) but, certainly as importantly, the lack of them. Leave more areas of the feathers pure white (or pale mauve/blue) and they will appear shinier. The points of highlight need to adhere to the underlying structure of the feathers/anatomy, and reflect the circumstance of the light source (the sun or reflected light). The greater the contrast, the shinier the surface appears.
A couple of examples - look at the 'black' crow. Then squint at the image - see just how high the tonal values across the bird - makes it shine. The painting is a superb example of how to paint gloss.
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=49661
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/163633/ppuser/2672

New to painting birds! (1 Viewer)

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread