There is quite a big difference between this stage of the painting and the last one. This is mostly due to the darker tones that I laid over the base color washes. At this point I'm trying to accurately depict the plumage without overdoing it. I usually build up the darker tones by adding successive layers of color until I feel that I am getting close to where I want to be. Often this is done without looking at my references as every painting demands something different. I'm also trying to get a balance between accuracy and an interesting interpretation. Just stating the facts usually leaves me a little unsatisfied and I'm always working to get a little more into each painting. Continuing this way allows me to build up the work into something I want instead of just putting down what I see in front of me. At this stage with most of the darker tones added, the bird is beginning to look a little stark against the background so I'll address that in the next part.
Passing through
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There were 3 of these, presumably stragglers from the big flocks. Also
Gadwall, Mandarin and various other common ducks and several species of
gulls includ...
3 days ago
2 comments:
Jeremy, It does not look stark. The bird has such a powerful expression. It looks good as is. I know that I overdo my own paintings almost every time.
Thanks for your comments John. Sometimes it is difficult to know when to stop working on a painting, so on the occasions when I'm not sure, I'll leave the painting for a few days then come back to it with a fresh eye. One of the main reasons that I do so many studies is that I can use what I have learned in the earlier ones and then apply that to the finished work.
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