It's a Bald Eagle which I was lucky enough to photograph just outside the Rocky Mountain National Park while on holiday. I do plan to do a larger painting of it at some stage, as it sat still for quite some time while I snapped away with my camera. In fact it was far more patient than my two teenage sons.
It is acrylic on Polymin and will end up about 2.5 x 3.5 inches.
I'm using a 10/0 brush and working in dots rather than lines to try to get the detail.
6 comments:
He's looking really super Gayle.
Presumably with miniatures the expense tends to be more on getting the brushes right rather than on using lots of paint? Can you maybe show us how tiny a 10/0 brush is - I have no concept of it other than maybe it has only one hair!
Wow Gayle, that is absolutely stunning so far. I can't believe how much detail you're managing considering the size and I can't believe you actually managed to photograph an eagle in the wild! What a buzz that must have been!
Amazing! I enjoy working small too but your patience is awesome.
May I ask a question - and apologise if this the wrong place to do so. I'm about to embark on a colour pencil piece that includes a ginger and white cat - and that will be my first cat. It has very white legs and bib, and also white whiskers. Would it be best to work on a coloured support?
I know that much of the perceived white actually isn't, but I'd appreciate some advice. Also how best to achieve the whiskers - by impressing first?
I use prismacolors, btw.
What a great start Gayle and so small too! How lucky to have gotten that close to the eagle. Can't wait to see more.
I was actually lucky enough to get close enough to photograph 2 Bald Eagles and several Ospreys, it was a magical experience.
Katherine I'll post a picture of my brushes.
Thanks Wendy, Gillian and Karen.
Gillian if it was me I'd probably work on white. I'd use pinks, peaches, blues etc under the white for the bib. You need a dark undercoat to make the white hairs stand out. I'd also make the ginger round the bib as dark as I could, again that will help it stand out.
I don't often indent for whiskers, I'd paint them on at the end in white acrylic or gouache. But if you do want to use 100% coloured pencil I'd put them in to start with, it is really hard to work round the area if you don't.
Thank you for your advice Gayle. I shall have to do a practice piece first methinks.
I like the idea of painting the whiskers with gouache although I'd be frightened of spoiling everything at the end with a shaky hand!
Will come back for more inspiration. x
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