Tawny Owl in Mixed Media - Final Stage

'Ruffled Feathers'

12 x 16 inches, mixed media on watercolour paper, painted from my own reference photographs.

I'll put my owl to one side for a few days before I make the final adjustments. Now to go and finish the snow leopard and the other owl.

Tawney Owl Continued

I've continued to work on the tawny owl painting slowly down the body. I decided the tail feathers looked hard to work out so I'm leaving those for last.
I'm thinking about adding the stump in graphite as I don't want to take the focus away from the owl. I'll have a play in Photoshop before I decide.
I've decided to do a series of owls as I have some nice reference photographs of both the barn and little owls.

A Very Wet Harrogate Flower Show

The weather at Harrogate Flower Show was dreadful, I think I've developed webbed feet and possibly pneumonia. Despite that I had a really good show and enjoyed exhibiting with Made in Yorkshire for the first time. I found the whole set up very professional and the other exhibitors very friendly and helpful which made the experience much better than it could have been.

I worked on the pheasant although my hands were so cold most of the time not much drawing got done.

Tawny Owl in Watercolour

I've started painting a tawny owl in watercolour. I intend to include the full body as in my reference photo the bird is wet and has ruffled feathers due to a strong wind which is a little bit different. I was also ruffled at the time as it was a really wet and windy day and I got down to eye level with the owl. I took the photographs of the owl at a local game fair.

Unfortunately I've been quite badly bitten so have one hand completely bandaged and the other hand and arm so badly bruised I can't bend my fingers which means I might be slower than ever on this one. It's a long story involving bitches in season, frustrated male dogs and my hands going too near snapping teeth.

A Robin in Watercolour

A few months ago I painted a robin in watercolour but was never happy with the crop. I got the original out today and tightened it up, it looks better now, to me anyway.

Golden Eagle in Watercolour

I decided it was time to get the watercolours out, which I do from time to time.
I took the photograph of this captive Golden Eagle at a game fair last year when it was just about to fly.
This is 10 x 8 on watercolour paper and hopefully will be going to the USA to be included in the joint exhibition.

Tabby Cat and Robin

I've continued to work on my Robin and started what will probably be my lkast cat for this years SOFA exhibition.

Both pieces are watercolour, including watercolour pencils and both are around 12 x 16 on Arches paper.

Robin in Watercolour

The mallard was completed and delivered to NEWA, it's now a matter of waiting to see if it gets selected for the exhibition.

Following completion of the Mallard I've started a Robin in watercolour. This time I'm going to paint in some branches, fading them out towards the edges and leave the rest of the background white.
This is only part of the painting, the part that fit on my scanner.

Golden Eagle in watercolour

I've started a painting of a Golden Eagle from one of my own reference photographs. There is more of the Eagle but it didn't fit in my scanner.

It is approximately 18 x 14 on Arches hot press paper.

I'm using mainly watercolour with touches of watercolour pencils to add detail. I've decided not to include a background on this one although I might add one or two twigs to suggest a nest.

Coloured Pencil Stoat Finished

I've finished my stoat, I like the effect but it will be a while before I want to use French Grey pencils again.

I had a first for my garden birds today, a small flock of Redpolls. I've never even seen them locally so was delighted when I spotted them in my Silver Birch.

It's not a good photograph because the light is poor and they were right at the back of the garden, but you can see the red forehead.

I've started a graphite Woodpecker and a watercolour Golden Eagle which I'll share when I'm further along.

Mallard Finished

My duckling is almost finished, I've spotted a couple of things to tweak but nothing major.

I have found the watercolour works better with coloured pencil than acrylic so I'll be using it more often.

Mallard Continued

Having done a 600 mile round trip yesterday to take Roxie to be mated I haven't had much time for art.

Roxie has stayed with the breeder as she wasn't quite ready, so we have another long trip next weekend. The big bonus was that we visited Slimbridge on the way home and I got some nice photographs of a Water Rail.

I am almost finished with my duckling.

The duckling itself is just about done except for a few tiny tweaks, the water is also done, so I've just the stones at the bottom right to finish. I'm using the same colours that are in the water and the duckling and keeping them dark so that they don't really attract the eye.

Mallard Duckling in Mixed Media

I'm trying to finish this one in between working on the stoat. Most of it is watercolour with touches of coloured pencil.

I'm working on a new squidoo lens on drawing and painting birds and hope to have a couple of book reviews to post over the next few days.

Woodpecker part 4

I decided to add a background to the Woodpecker using mainly watercolour with a little coloured pencil on top. It needs some work yet but I have a picture in my mind of how I want it to end up.

I've included a close up of the Woodpecker, still a lot of feathers to complete.

Woodpecker Part 3

I'm finding the watercolour is working better than acrylic when I'm working over it with coloured pencils. I can use a dark Sepia/Payne's Grey mix and then add fine detail using a light blue pencil.I went to Fairburn Ings yesterday and saw my first Kingfisher of 2009, although it was a very fleeting glimpse. The light was poor so my photographs aren't very good, which is a shame as there was a Snipe quite close to one of the hides.

Great Spotted Woodpecker Painting

I'm working on the duckling but started this one as well.
It's a Great Spotted Woodpecker and it was perched on one of my Silver Birch trees when I photographed it.

The size is 10 x 6 and I'm using coloured pencil and watercolour on Arches hot press paper.

I'm thinking about very lightly drawing a couple of trees in the background but I'm not sure that would work. I'll try it in photoshop first.

Watercolour Duckling continued

I've not had much time today as I've been cooking the Sunday lunch, then afterwards we were all having a turn on the Wii fit. It always finds that I'm not very fit, although today it showed I had the body of a 26 year old. It obviously cannot see my body, or feel its aches and pains or else it would reverse those numbers.

Anyway I'm continuing to work on the water, building it up in layers and trying to avoid mud. I'm being very restrained as I haven't even put the ducklings eye in yet.