My next painting is going to most likely be the saker falcon, looking at its relationship with Middle Eastern falconers. During my research, I found a video of a saker hunting a small (baby?) gazelle (or other small species of deer), which was quite surprising. I never thought a falcon capable of taking down such prey. The video is here if you're interested.
Of course, the inspiration to paint falcons hit, so I decided to do a study on saker markings. They seem to be a varied bunch, especially in the markings on the head. It appears that most have plain brown backs without barring.
The sketch:
The initial background wash:
I love that bg wash :D they're coming out so awesome :D
ReplyDeleteGreen is indeed a scary color at times! Getting variation in a background that's chock full of it can be frustrating.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see how your painting methods are evolving. You've gotten much more fearless about using dark colors and I've noticed an inclination towards painting darker washes and building up highlights and shadows on top of them. It really makes for a voluminous effect. I take it the white gouache is going to be used for highlights in this?
Hurrah crest feathersXD They do look like fun!
ahah *snort* my visual confirmation keyword on my last comment was 'boote'. Just thought I'd share my immaturity.
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