First off, I decided to darken the background slightly with another wash. This had the effect of lifting the breast slightly off the paper, then I began adding details to the head. As usual, this process took some time as I slowly built up colors and tones. I mostly used a medium brush with a fine point but there was enough body in the brush to allow washes as well. A slightly larger brush was used on the back and wing, panting carefully around all the white markings. The breast was washed over a few times being very subtle with the details and only using the lightest tones to define the edges of some of the feathers. Finally shaping and darkening the tip of the bill finished off this one. Size is 7.5" x 11", watercolor on Arches hot-pressed paper.
2 comments:
A powerful image of a powerful bird...like the eyecolour in this one, too.
Thanks John, really enjoyed this bird and was able to study it close up for awhile. Very subtle plumage (if you ignore the short reddish-brown tail), but quite fascinating all the same. I believe this bird is the mascot for the Seattle Seahawks.
Post a Comment