Featherseeds

Radiance - Final Progress and Finished Piece

2012-01-17T21:55:00.001-08:00

At this point, it's mostly details I'm adding to the painting. These are the steps of adding more and more layers, and slowly pushing colors and value.

Color and Value:

To really bring out the vibrant purples in the falcon's lower wings, I use Quinacridone Rose. This is a vibrant shade of magenta, but when used in light washes, can really make the difference between a cool blue-violet and a warmer red-violet. I used to be very shy of transparent washes, especially if the color I was using as a wash was extremely vibrant. I feared using a little magenta over blue would suddenly turn the whole thing bright pink! However, with transparent mediums, this is not as much a danger, especially when the base layer is so dark.

I did the same in the eagle, using washes of Cadmium Orange. Unlike Quinacridone Rose, Cadmium Orange CAN overpower the layer beneath quite easily. It is a slightly opaque color - not opaque in the acrylic sense where it can be used to completely cover a layer, but opaque in that the pigment can 'cloud' the color beneath. Therefore, I was careful to use little pigment and more water, and simply use more layers to slowly push the feathers towards orange. Once dry, I put a wash of Aureolin Yellow over the entire eagle (except for the bottom-most feathers). Washes like this are important to bring the colors together.

To brighten the blue on the falcon, I alternated between washes of Turquoise and Cerulean Blue. I switched to Colbalt Blue the lower I went, to keep the cyan-blue-violet color flow. At this point, I put more details in the gems and 'gem feathers' on both birds, as well as on the smaller feathers on the heads and neck.

Details:

Peregrine falcon plumage is recognizable by the beautiful barred patterns on the feathers. This is where I ran into a bit of a dilemma. If I painted the feather bars, it would ruin the symmetrical effect of falcon and eagle, as golden eagles do not (typically) have barring on the wings. If I left the barring off, I felt the falcon would be lacking in part of its 'plumage identity'. After thinking about it a bit and discussing with a friend and fellow artist, I decided to paint just the hint of bars on the wings, but taking liberties to still keep it 'in sync' with the eagle.

Peregrines also have a lovely effect on the ends of their feathers where the tips are lighter than the rest of the feather. This gives their feathers a lovely layered effect. To achieve this, I used a bit of concentrated white gouache on the longer feathers, and white gel pen on the smaller feathers. Below, you can see how white gel pen can be blended using water. It's almost like white gouache in pen form!

The feathers on the left are pure gel pen, whereas the feathers on the right have been softly blended with a wet brush.

Finished Piece:

Most of the work at this stage was in acrylic washes. One of the advantages of using acrylic is its opacity. This allows me to push the colors even further, and even go lighter in places. An example of this is the Cerulean Blue on the left-most feathers on the falcon. It pushes the value a little lighter, thus creating a brighter blue. To get an even deeper shade of orange, I combined Cadmium Red and Cadmium Yellow acrylic and used a very watered-down wash. One of the risks of using acrylic over watercolor is going too thick, and unlike watercolor, there's no 'lifting'! However, when used in light washes, it's possible to meld the medium with watercolor, without getting an obvious mixed-media effect.

To see the previous two posts on this project, please see Radiance - Work in Progress Part 1 and Part 2

Radiance - Work in Progress Part 2

2012-01-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

First Washes:

Using a mixture of Van Dyk Brown and Payne's Gray, I laid a wash for the eagle. For the falcon, I used a wash of Thio Violet (a Quinacridone/Perylene mix) and Payne's Gray. Since everything was so wet, I had to wait before painting anything else (to avoid bleed). The area surrounding the 'gems' were dry, so I put a light wash of Quinacridone Rose for the bottom gems, and Green Gold for the top.

More Washes and Value:

Next I started to work on value. Once the first wash was dry, I layered additional, light washes of Thio Violet+Van Dyk Brown (eagle) and Thio Violet/Payne's Gray (falcon). Using a concentrated mixture of these colors, I went back once the washes were dry and put in the overlap shadows of each feather. Closer to the head of the falcon, I switched to just Payne's gray, since the color shifts from violet-blue at the bottom, to a cyan at the top. I did the same for the eagle, switching to just Van Dyk Brown as I went closer to the head, as the color will shift from shades of red, to yellow.

Color Layers and Value:

With my main shadows in, now I continue with even more layers. Instead of value, however, the purpose of these layers is to build color. Over the falcon, I still use the combination of Thio Violet with Payne's Gray, but with more violet. As I gradually paint the layers, I use a bit of Colbalt Blue, and then a very light mixture of Turquoise Blue and Cerulean Blue as I go up. Using the dark mixture for the shadows, I water it down a bit and start painting in some texture on the feathers.

For the eagle, I build up the color with Thio Violet/Van Dyk Brown, and as I go closer to the head, start using Cadmium Orange, and then Aureolin Yellow. Keep in mind I am painting many, many light layers! It's very hard to go lighter without getting a blotchy mess, so to build up your colors and value, it's important to gradually build up your layers. This results in rich, blended color and value.

Also at this step, I start building up the color in the gems. I may end up using acrylic to really make those gems vibrant. For both birds, I start putting in a bit more feather detail, particularly in the head.

To see the beginning of this project, please see: Radiance - Work in Progress Part 1

Radiance - Work in Progress Part 1

2012-01-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

Currently I'm working on a large (11 X 14 is 'large' for me!) acrylic painting. I'm just about done with building up the value, and when I'm working on a lengthy project, I have to have something else to do on the side. Otherwise I get restless!

Rough Sketch:

To find a 'side project' idea, I ended up going through my sketchbook for inspiration and found a few thumbnail doodles I'd done, one of which was a spiraling bird design. I solidified the design a bit.

Final Drawing:

After resizing the design, I transferred it to a sheet of 7.6 X 12 inch illustration board, and cleaned up the drawing.

One way I'm trying to improve my work this year is to spend more time in the sketch and planning stages. Looking back, I noticed I tried doing this earlier in 2011, but gradually fell back into my bad habits of immediately jumping into painting! I'm especially happy with how this piece is starting out, so I decided to do some value studies, and a color sketch.

Value Study:

I did two value studies. The first had fairly steady light throughout the piece (and was quite dark), and the second (seen above) features light radiating from the orb in the center.

Color Sketch:

For color, I had the idea to use the two birds' natural plumage as a springboard for more 'fantasy' colors. The peregrine is mostly slate blue and the golden eagle is mostly shades of brown, which I used as a basis for a more colorful palette. The colors will not be as saturated in the final painting - this is simply a color sketch for me to see how the colors will work beside one another.

I'm torn as to whether to paint this mostly in watercolor, or to plan on using the watercolor as an underpainting, and then using glazes of acrylic over it. I love watercolor, but there are limitations, specifically when you want opaque effects. I love using white gouache, but I've started falling in love with the effects you get with acrylic glazes. Any suggestions are welcome!

Barred Owl - Omar

2012-01-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

After a lengthy gap due to the untimely death of my computer, I am now able to scan and post artwork again! Hurray! The laptop I was using in the meantime had a very poor screen, so it was several months before I could scan any work. Here is a continuation of the previous post, finishing the painting of Omar, the barred owl.

Shadows and Details:

At this point, I really started pushing the shadows, particularly in the left of the image. Unlike with opaque media (acrylic, oils) where you generally work dark to light, with watercolor you work light to dark. Lifting color is possible, but difficult, and you can never go back to the pure white of the paper once the paint is down.

I also put in the detail of the wings with a wash of sepia, and darkened the eyes with a mixture of van dyk brown and payne's gray. At this point, I've only used a handful of colors. If you add too many colors, you tend to get mud, and the painting can fall 'off key'. The colors I've used so far have been sepia, van dyk brown, raw umber, payne's gray, dioxazine violet, ultramarine violet, and naples yellow. White gouache is what I used to pop out some of the feathers in the shadows.

Finished Painting:

A loose wash of sap green, cadmium yellow, and viridian green helps pop the grayish-brown figure out. I used a mixture of van dyk brown and payne's gray for the feather shadows on the wing, with a dab of white gouache for the highlights on the eyes.

Omar - Barred Owl Work in Progress

2011-09-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

I was asked to paint a watercolor portrait of Omar, a barred owl who was a long-time resident of the , and sadly died recently. After receiving several reference photos to capture Omar's personal appearance and a description of the bird to capture his personality, I started work on a portrait of this wonderful bird.

Sketch

Omar was described to always be looking at his handler, or whomever was speaking to him. The client explained that it was strange seeing photos of him from the side, because she usually only saw him from the front. This is why I chose to paint him from the front, to show him in a way everyone was familiar with - looking right at you. Two of Omar's personal characteristics include a diamond shape on his forehead, and the right side of his facial disk is higher than the left.

Basic Shadows

At this phase, I wanted to establish where the light would be coming from. I felt a dramatic light from the side would be much more interesting than a more global light. I used a combination of sepia, payne's gray, and dioxazine violet.

Markings and Deeper Shadow

Barred owls are a bit complex in their markings, although one wouldn't think it compared to barn owls and great horned owls. However, their chest feathers vary from vertical bars to horizontal - these markings are what gave the barred owl its name. In addition, the texture of the belly feathers are different than those on the chest. Painting these correctly are essential to capturing the appearance of the barred owl.

Here, I deepen the shadows and just barely begin the detail on the belly. I also put in a flat shade of brown for the eyes, which I will darken and add highlights to later. Note how the texture of the feathers differ from the tiny feathers beneath the beak, to the long, slender feathers around the beak, to the scalloped feathers on the chest. Feathers change depending on the location of the bird - the tiny feathers around the eyes would look abnormal on the chest, and vice versa. The chest at this point looks unusual because it has the most detail so far - once I begin work on the surrounding areas, the painting will start to come together as a whole.

The next post will show the next steps, and most likely include the finished painting.

Swamp Milkweed Nectarbird

2011-08-23T19:57:00.001-07:00

As shown in my previous post, I went with a variation of the grisaille technique for my most recent painting. Here is the completed painting, acrylic on cold-press illustration board, 8 X 10 inches:

To start where I left off with the process, I experimented with color in Photoshop to see exactly how things would look before I started putting the glazes over the gray painting.

What I suspected was that the tonal painting was too gray for the glaze technique to be successful, and I was right. The way I was taught to do this technique was to create a tonal painting with a grayed color, meaning not pure gray, but grayed green, for example. As I started putting down glazes, I saw that the gray showing through beneath was not what I wanted for certain sections of the painting, particularly those with higher saturation. Therefore, I had to add a bit more opacity to what were supposed to be glazes.

Although I had to deviate from my original plan with technique, I do not consider this to be a failure of a project. On the contrary, I learned quite a bit on what to do (and what not to do), and ended up with, what I feel, is a good painting. For future paintings using this technique, I will make sure my tonal painting is not so gray. I also found, once I started putting glazes down, that the overall contrast was too dark. I ended up lightening a lot of the composition during the color phase, when it should have been light enough at the tonal stage. All in all, a good learning experience!

Swamp Milkweed Nectarbird - Work in Progress

2011-08-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

Back in 2007 I painted a bird with daffodils for plumage, as part of a personal project to create a bird for each month, mirroring the month's birthflower and birthstone. These birds, which I called "Birdflowers," later morphed into "Nectarbirds." Nectarbirds were birds with the plumage of the flowers on which they fed. Whenever I go exploring and find interesting-looking flowers, I try to get good photographs and create a Nectarbird from that, which usually involves me doing some research to try to figure out exactly what flower I've found!

For DragonCon, I try to paint new Nectarbirds each year. Last year was the exception, but this year I will have two new Nectarbirds. One based on the Hedge Bindweed, and one (currently in progress), based on the Swamp Milkweed. For the Hedge Bindweed Nectarbird, I tried a technique of using acrylic on cold-press watercolor paper in a very watered-down way, more like watercolor. I can't say I really enjoyed this technique, and decided for my next Nectarbird, to try a more traditional approach with acrylic. More specifically, a medium tinted canvas, and then introducing darks and lights.

I learned a bit about the grisaille technique at SCAD, where a grayish painting is overlaid by layers of colored glazes. The technique, traditionally used with oils, works exceptionally well with acrylic also. I try to put a bit of color in my gray, but the foreground elements ended up being pure gray in the end. I am excited about adding the glazes, which to me is the most fun part of this technique.

Jumping Salmon - Painted Feather Progress Part 2

2011-06-14T18:45:00.001-07:00

This is the second part of the progress of the jumping salmon painted feather. If you did not see the first part, you can find it here: http://featherseeds.blogspot.com/2011/06/jumping-salmon-painted-feather-progress.html

At this point, I begin the detail on the salmon and trees. I use white instead of a mixture of green on the trees, as I will use glazes (thinned, translucent layers of paint) to bring the color in. Atlantic salmon have a lovely silvery shimmer, which is something the client wanted me to capture in this fish. When working small, you don't have to paint every single detail with sharp accuracy - sometimes less is more. An example of this is the scales. Simple dots are enough to give the illusion of glossy scales.

I also decided to add some variation to the water. Water is rarely 'blue', and often has shades of green and brown. Even putting glazes of green over blue will make the water look more natural, instead of artificial.

Now that most of the details have been painted, it's time to add the last figure - the fisherman. Instead of sketching him with paint, I use a white gel pen. These pens are perfect for sketching on acrylic, as they are water-soluble, and if you make a mistake, you can simply 'erase' with water. I also draw in the fishing line with this pen, as it is thinner and more fluid than any brush with paint.

Painting in the fisherman was the most tricky part, since on the feather he is only about an inch tall. Again, the same technique of 'less is more' can be used on the fisherman. By using bold shadows and highlights, he pops out. And delicate detail is unnecessary - it wouldn't show up well anyway.

After adding some last details to the trees and rocks, the feather is complete. The color and contrast is different from the progress shots because instead of photographing the final piece, I scanned it. Scanners will generally give you sharper detail and are not affected by the lighting of your room, which is why it is the preferred method for digitizing traditional artwork.

Jumping Salmon - Painted Feather Progress

2011-06-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

This painting is a commission for a friend's father, so I'm hoping he doesn't know about this blog (I'm quite certain he doesn't!). However, as it's been requested by several people, I decided to show the progress of a painted feather from start to finish.

With all paintings, I start with a sketch. Since I will not be transferring the sketch directly to my feather, I keep the sketch loose. I am not familiar with salmon anatomy, so I did quite a bit of research on these fish while sketching. There will also be a fisherman in this painting, so I not only had to research Atlantic Salmon, but also the specifics of fly fishing!

To prepare the feathers (my canvas), I take two turkey tail feathers that look good layered on top of one another. I try to use two feathers that curve in the same direction (both from the right side of the tail, for instance), as this creates a nice layered double feather. To attach the feathers together, I use PVA bookbinding adhesive, which is acid-free and archival. This glue is perfect, as it dries quickly and clear.

Once the glue is completely dry, I spray the feathers with workable fixative. The fixative helps prevent the feather vane from separating, though it is not a perfect hold, and I still need to be careful when painting the first layer. Once the fixative is dry, I paint the first layer. At this point, I simply block in the main colors in watered-down acrylic. This also serves not only as an underpainting, but the acrylic also acts as a 'glue' to lock the barbs of the feather together, preventing it from opening.

At this point, the feather looks extremely sloppy, but at the beginning the main purpose is getting the feather 'locked.' The second step is to fill in the colors a bit more, but not putting in detail yet.

One thing to remember when painting feathers is that the paint seems to dry a bit slower than on canvas or board. I use this to my advantage to blend, particularly in the salmon where I want a smooth blend between the darker top half and the silvery bottom half. Here I start putting in minor details, still blocky, in the fish and background.

Once the main underpainting is done, I start on the detail. When I work with detail, I tend to work fast, as I want to be able to blend while the paint is wet. Unlike oils, which take several days to dry, acrylic dries in a matter of minutes, and although it dries slower on feathers, you still need to work quickly if you want to blend on the feather itself.

Although I have several reference shots of flowing rivers, I don't like to simply paint a scene right from nature. I see the opportunity with the salmon's wonderful curve to move the water around it and compliment both the form of the fish and the shape of the river. I've taken liberties with the water, not focusing so much on pure water physics, but seeking a more aesthetic river.

The next post will contain the second half of progress, as well as the finished feather.

Wind Spirit Starling Mask - From Start to Finish

2011-06-12T19:06:00.001-07:00

The second mask I was commissioned to do was a variation on my Wind Spirit mask, but with Winter Starling mask colors.

This mask looks huge when tooling, as it takes a rather large piece of leather. However, the wings wrap around the head, so it is not as 'huge' as one might think by looking at it at the tooling stage. Below, you can see the mask fully tooled and cut out:

Once shaped, you can see how it loses a lot of its volume, but becomes a very well-fitted mask:

I use blue dye, because this will be a dark mask. Although in my previous post I mentioned using a compliment as the base dye color (as with the Summer Bird Mask), in this case, I felt using blue would work better. There are no set-in-stone 'rules' when I work. If I feel something will work better, I generally follow my instincts:

I try to use the base color of blue as a springboard for my other colors. This mask will vary between green, blue, and purple, so I use thin layers mixed with a pearlescent white to create an iridescent effect:

Since punching holes for the ribbons would ruin the winged effect of this mask, I instead glued a piece of leather with a hole on each side, and threaded the ribbon through. Since the adhesive is extremely strong, I do not worry about it pulling loose. One 'test' I do whenever I glue something that will be tugged on a lot (such as ribbon) is I pull it firmly. If I feel or see any give, I reglue it. Both sides passed the 'tug test', and after varnishing, this mask was complete, and was sent on its way to the client.

Summer Bird Mask Completion

2011-06-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

While I finished this mask a while ago, I still want to post the second part of the progress post for the Summer Bird mask, as well as a look at creating my Wind Spirit mask (which will appear in a separate blog post).

After shaping the Summer Bird mask, I applied a layer of leather dye. The dye I use is alcohol-based, and also stiffens the leather a little bit more. Using scrap bits of leather, I cut out additional leaves, dyed and shaped them, and once dry, glued them onto the mask. Once the glue and dye is dried, I go over it with a water-based sealer (Mod Podge), to create an acid-free barrier between the dyed leather and acrylic paint. Since the dye goes on with variation, I painted a layer of burnt sienna as a 'base layer.'

You may ask, "well if this mask is going to be mostly green and yellow, why did you put a reddish base down?" I find using a color's compliment as a base serves to make that color more vibrant, as well as make its shadows more solid. As most of this mask will be shades of green, I used its compliment - red - as a base. You can see the first layer of paint, with the reddish base showing through:

At this point, I usually work pretty fast, and my painting style isn't 'step by step' enough for me to take a lot of photos. Instead of adding shadows all at the same time and then highlights later, sometimes I go back and forth. Here is the mask completely painted, minus the stone:

As you may remember from the first version of this mask I created in 2009, I simply glued the stone on the mask without a bezel of any kind. I didn't like this for two reasons. For one, I don't feel the 'stuck on' look has a very 'clean' appearance. On the forehead, the leather is still slightly curved, and the flat back of the cabochon does not sit perfectly flat, and thus you get gaps. The second reason is stability. Although the adhesive I use (Incredible Goop) is extremely strong, a stone that is simply stuck on is not as secure as one that is 'set' in the mask. Because of this, I decided to take a different approach.

I must thank Andrea Masse-Tognetti, known more widely as Merimask, for her tips on how to set a stone in leather. During the tooling stage, I traced the base of the stone on the leather, and then drew a second, identical oval about 1/16 of an inch in, so the hole would be slightly smaller than the base of the cabochon. After cutting out the hole, I beveled the hole inversely, meaning it would be wider on the bottom and narrower on the top. This way, it would act as a bezel over the stone.

Once the mask was shaped, painted, and ready for varnishing, I placed the stone in the hole and cut out a very thin piece of split leather. The leather I buy is regularly 11 ounces (leather thickness is measured in ounces), which is a little under 3/16 of an inch. This is very thick for leather, so for my masks, I ask the tannery where I buy my leather to cut it down to 7 oz. (a little less than 1/8 inch). By request, they sent me the thin split side, which comes in useful for things such as backing stones, as seen below:

I cut this piece big enough so I could glue it (with the Goop, again) to the back of the mask. I made sure the Goop covered both the piece of leather, and the stone, so once it dried, the stone would be set without wiggling.

I also placed sticky-backed felt over the glued-on leaves, so they wouldn't dig in or scratch the wearer's face. After a day of drying, I varnished the mask, front and back, twice, and tied on the ribbons.

Summer Bird Mask - Progress

2011-05-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

I will be posting the progress of two masks, as requested by a client. The two masks I am making are the Summer Bird Mask, and the Wind Spirit Mask (the Wind Spirit Mask will be in the colors of the Starling Mask).

Here is the Summer Bird mask, at the stage where I cut in the lines with a swivel knife. Despite its name, the swivel knife is not a true knife, but rather a very sharp 'chisel' that digs a smooth line into wet leather.

Once the lines are in, I use beveling tools. The whole procedure up to this point is called "tooling," in which leather tools are used to shape the surface of the leather dimensionally. This is what gives feathers and leaves their depth. When working with leather, you can go to either extreme with tooling. I try to keep my tooling medium, as the painting stage also gives the illusion of depth.

Once I'm done with tooling, I cut out the edges, eyes, and in this case, the hole where the stone will be. In this photo, the mask is also partially shaped, and ready to go in the oven for final shaping and drying:

Shaping the mask is tricky, and I usually open the oven about 4 to 5 times to remove the mask and reshape it, as it can 'sag' as it dries. Here is the shaped mask, ready for dyeing, and then painting:

A Glimpse of Sky

2011-05-03T22:08:00.001-07:00

At times the binds of the world are too strong. They pull and cut and hold your wings to the earth. But just as you feel ready to surrender to those biting vines, a sliver of blue pierces through the tangle above. And you find just a little strength left to pull and reach, and try to find the freedom you were certain you would never have.

Here is the finished painting, 8 X 10 inches on hot-press Fabriano. I ended up using a bit of colored pencil at the end, to really push the contrast. Since watercolor dries matte, it's difficult to get a truly dark black. Colored pencil leaves a bit of a sheen, and ends up allowing you to push your darks darker.

I took a new direction with this piece in terms of contrast and color. Looking at my previous paintings, I always used a lot of saturated colors, and very rarely actual black. I've always had it in my head that black is never to be used in watercolor, and that's simply not an accurate 'rule' to follow! Black dulls and deadens color when used in watercolor, but sometimes that's exactly what you want to achieve. Here, there's a lot of grayed color, which lends to the dark and helpless feeling. This piece would not have worked with my regular saturated palette.

In terms of contrast, I think I'm starting to get a bit more comfortable and confident with pushing values. Using the 'desaturation test,' I found the piece reads well in graytones as well as color. This is not usually the case with my work, as it often turns to a midtone mess when desaturated. I suppose what I learned with this piece is - don't be afraid to use black!

A Glimpse of Sky - Progress 2

2011-05-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

Here is further progress on "A Glimpse of Sky." At this point, I have painted the midtones for the vines, and started putting in detail in the feathers. I am using a mixture of payne's gray and sepia as a nice neutral tone for the shadows.

More contrast for the vines, including some texture. I use a white Sakura Gelly Roll pen in places I want to lighten. The Gelly Roll pens are excellent for watercolor as they are water soluble, and can be moved around much like paint with a wet brush. They also tend to resist darkening as they dry, as white gouache does.

Here, I've started laying down layers for the falcon's coloring. Peregrines have a beautiful slate-blue coloration for their plumage. However, since only using shades of blue would keep the overall color scheme too analogous (greens and blues), I decided to introduce some purples. The wings closest to the sky are tinted with cerulean blue, blending closer to purple as the wings get darker at the bottom.

You can see where I have started detailing the markings on the feathers, using a mixture of payne's gray and indigo. The tricky part here is darkening the markings on the wings without darkening the overall wing! If I'm not careful, I'll end up losing all my contrast with the detail.

A Glimpse of Sky - Progress

2011-05-02T14:17:00.001-07:00

As requested by a few people, I will be posting progress scans of a painting I am working on. The finished pencil drawing:

I wanted to capture a dark feeling of constriction. I decided on a muted color scheme, with the only source of vibrant color being the sky above.

I started by filling in the background with a wash of payne's gray. The midtone of the vines is a mixture of davy's gray and just a little payne's gray.

Next, I pushed the background even darker, with a layer of ivory black, and then a very concentrated mixture of payne's gray and sepia.

Once that was dry, I went over with a glaze of davy's gray mixed with just a touch of raw umber. The background will have faint vines crossing over and tangling, so I wanted the background closest to the sky to have the color of the vines. For the falcon, I created a gradated wash of payne's gray and sepia from the bottom to the top to capture the contrast of bright light and extreme dark within the vine 'cave'. As seen on three of the vines, they will be a mixture of chromium oxide green and raw sienna.

Share One Planet Sketches

2011-03-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

I was recommended by a friend to send an invitation request to the Share One Planet competition. It is an invitation-only digital art competition featuring a number of animals of concern. I am happy to say that I was accepted and given an invitation, and I decided this would be an excellent reason to try more digital art.

There are 5 categories (technically 10, but each category has a digital painting and digital sculpture category within it). The one I chose after doing a few sketches was "Mother's Love." The first set of sketches show ideas in other categories, such as 'portrait' and 'predator and prey.'

Thinking about what a 'mother's love' is in the animal kingdom truly is about protection. Most humans have the luxury of protection by the law and society's standards, but in nature, the only law is that of survival.

The peregrine falcon is truly a remarkable creature. It is the fastest creature on the planet, yet is relatively small compared to other raptors. Young falcons are especially at risk of predation by larger raptors, particularly by golden eagles. Despite the size difference, parent falcons have been known to attack and kill golden eagles in defense of their young.

In this drawing I am trying to capture the fierce protection of the mother. Leaving the chicks to fly is risky, but the falcon's strength is in the sky...and all she needs is a bit of height and the advantage is hers.

Owl Women of Vaethiniel

2011-03-22T20:30:00.001-07:00

In the deep forests of Vaethiniel there live three women - one very young, one very old, and one between the valleys of age.

Once twenty winters have passed, the greatest and brightest moon rises over the sleeping trees. In this night, the old magic is at its most powerful. It is said the three women, with their ancient gifts, gather around a cauldron that mirrors the sky. In this, the secrets of the next twenty winters are stirred, and the three women peer forth with the wise faces of owls, for only owls can read the words of the moon.

The story was in part inspired by the Perigee Moon we had on March 19th. The moon truly was blindingly bright, and we had the good fortune in Connecticut of having a cloudless night, so the true brilliance of this rare moon was at its peak. I couldn't help but wonder what ancient cultures thought when the moon suddenly appeared bigger and brighter every 18 years.

Owl Women - Progress 2

2011-03-21T20:23:00.001-07:00

This painting is taking me much longer than I imagined, which is good! I'm spending more time thinking about color choices before jumping in. Although I have a color comp, I still need to decide how to create the colors I want, and what shadow combinations will be suitable.

Here I have put in another layer of shadow in the foreground wings, and put the first layer down for color. The great horned owl's hood is going to be a rich brown, so I used a layer of yellow ochre as a base layer. Since the barred owl's cloak will be a rich green, I used cadmium yellow. I find layering watercolor creates a tone that blends better than putting down one simple layer of thick mixed color.

Again, I found myself in such concentration I went a long stretch without scanning! Lots of detail in the feathers at this point. For the great horned owl's wing, I created a mask with tracing paper around the entire painting except that wing, then used a toothbrush to splatter white gouache and payne's gray watercolor to get the speckled appearance that great horned owls have on their wings and back.

For the sky, I mixed color with white gouache to make the color more opaque. I find this works well when I want a very rich, smooth color. At this point, I also removed the masking fluid from the moon, and painted in the branches.

Bridge Study

2011-03-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

It was such a beautiful day today that I got the urge to paint outdoors! My field watercolor book is woefully empty, and the last time I even touched it was early summer of 2009. Today, I went to the same place, the Oak Grove Nature Center.

The nature center has a nice pond in the center that is fed by and empties into a creek. I originally planned to paint the pond, but was drawn instead by the covered bridge that goes over the creek.

I didn't aim for completely accurate perspective, and drew the lines freehand instead of using vanishing points. The aim, however, was to practice with watercolor. I find it is much easier for me to discover proper mixtures for shadows when I am painting from life, rather than painting from imagination. It is also easier for me to 'loosen up' and allow natural mixing and flowing paint when I am not aiming for a tight illustration. I would love to be able to capture some of this ease in my tighter, illustrative work.

Also, as I painted, this red-bellied woodpecker decided to come by and see what I was up to. I must not have impressed him, since he didn't stick around for long.

Owl Women - Final Drawing and Shadow Stages

2011-03-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

As seen in the previous post, I've completed the color comp, meaning it's time to transfer the drawing and start painting! Below is the drawing transferred to the illustration board, with a few last things fixed:

When adding the shadows, I try to think about what colors will work best when the main color layer is applied. I never shade with gray or black, and always use a color or combination of colors for my shadows. Since this is a night scene, I try to use a lot of blue and violet-dominated shadows.

The shadows on the barn owl's clothing are a mixture of dioxazine violet and van dyk brown, which makes it a warm, yet dark shadow, which will work well with the red of her cloak. The wings of the barred owl have a layer of ultramarine violet, indigo, and just a touch of sepia - I used this very neutral color as her wings are much more of a grayish brown than the more intense brown of the great horned owl's wings.

As feathers are translucent, the 'light gaps' are where the light of the fire will illuminate the feathers. Where the feathers overlap, not as much light gets through. This is a hard concept at first to wrap your mind around when drawing birds' wings, but inclusion of this with back-lit wings results in a much more believable wing.

A note - the pink you see on the moon is not paint, but rather masking fluid. I used masking fluid so I could apply washes freely to the sky without worrying about going over the perfect white and circle of the moon. Once I am ready to paint the branches, I will remove it.

Owl Women

2011-03-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

I seem to have owls on the brain, lately! Much inspiration is thanks to the live owls I work with at Horizon Wings Raptor Rehabilitation and Education Center, of which I am lucky enough to see up close. You really get a better understanding of birds of prey when you see them in real life. Their movements and mannerisms are simply impossible to discover through photographs alone.

There's something so enjoyable about drawing owls. Perhaps it is because of their incredible softness and roundness. If you enjoy drawing fluffy feathers, then an owl is the perfect subject. I also associate these birds with (no surprise here) the night and the mysteries of the world when the sun goes down and the moon comes up. Owls are creatures that live with a perfect harmony with the night. Their hearing is unlike that of any bird - some owls hunt in practically complete darkness, using their asymmetrical ears to pinpoint a creature's location on the ground. Their wings have a fringe to allow them to fly with complete silence.

Below are sketches for a painting I am about to begin. Three owl women gather around a cauldron of starlight. One holds a sphere of perfect crystal, which reflects all light and allows her to see beyond the dark of night. Another carries a staff, which still grows living oak leaves and acorns.

And the finished sketch. I didn't put in as much detail, here, as I planned to incorporate the values with the color sketch:

As before, with Celebration, I used Corel Painter to create my color sketch:

Painting this will be tricky, as I have two main light sources: the moon above and the fire below. The crystal ball also gives a little light to the face of the barred owl, allowing the eye that would normally be in shadow to have a highlight.

The shadows were easy in Painter, but with a translucent medium like watercolor, it's going to be a bit more challenging. I may end up using colored pencil to really pop the highlights.

Ceremony

2011-03-08T15:44:00.001-08:00

I meant to post work in progress scans as I painted this, but I got so caught up I forgot! Here is the finished painting:

The main difference between this and all my older paintings is the inclusion of two important colors I never used before: Aureolin Yellow and Rose Madder Genuine. After recently reading A Watercolor Artist's Guide to Exceptional Color by Jan Hart, I learned that the yellow I had been using previously - Cadmium Yellow - was closer to a yellow-orange instead of a pure yellow, as Aureolin is. Therefore, my 'yellows' were always darker and redder. I also had never really had a true magenta, which I now have with Rose Madder Genuine. Adding these two colors has expanded my palette immensely and solved many of the color issues I was having before.

I also discovered that Rose Madder smells just like Froot Loops. I am completely serious.

Ceremony - works in progress

2011-03-06T19:11:00.001-08:00

Many apologies for the long hiatus! It is a bit fitting, in a way, that my first post in a while is to show progress on a work that I had put away for a long while. I reopen a neglected art blog with a neglected painting!

I started this drawing on an 8 X 10 piece of illustration board, late in 2010 when I was struggling with technique and wanted to create a piece to experiment with. Other projects got in the way, and this got tucked away in a drawer 'for later.' Well, later is today, and I pulled it out to finish the drawing, and get started with painting.

Below is a color sketch - I'm usually very bad about doing color sketches, but I think this may help the issues I have of plopping down color on a final piece before thinking it through.

I used Painter IX to put in some color ideas and establish the lighting. The 'smoke' will be a bit more challenging with watercolor, but it will be a good opportunity to experiment with technique...which was the initial purpose of this piece to begin with!

Simple Eye Masks - Progress

2010-08-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

I've taken a number of simple eyemask commissions. These are fashioned to be a simple, solid color mask with a design on one side. These are three examples:

The commissions I received were for a magpie, a snowy owl, and a rat design. After doing a number of sketches and having the client's approval, I started work on the masks. Here they are at the tooled stage:

...and shaped...

...and dyed.

I try to choose a dye color that will be closest to the color I will be painting the mask. In this case, the magpie will be dark and the background will be very dark blue. For the rats, the background will be black and the rats themselves will be light blue. Sometimes I will use a complimentary color for the dye, such as with leaf masks. I feel having a reddish-brown base gives a better and more natural green.

I will post final photos of these masks once they are painted. Painting them is the best part!

Lieutenant progress and masks

2010-05-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Edit 5/24/2010: This entry contains a revision of a painting, based on some helpful suggestions by Linda, who commented on some anatomical issues. Thanks!

I am going to put more effort to be active in my blog. There's lots going on artistically and I haven't been posting any of it!

As many of you know, I paint mostly birds, or winged creatures. My 'people drawing skills' are at a different level (lower) than my avian abilities, which I waffle between "ughhh I need to practice more figure drawing!" and "ughhh I don't care I'll just crawl into my safe cave and keep painting birds." Of course, we all know the second choice is not acceptable! My problem, I believe, is one with perception. I'm not quite sure why, but I just have the hardest time understanding the human form, despite years of figure drawing.

I've read books on bone and muscle structure, drawn nude models, studied references, but when it comes time to put pencil to paper, it's all warped - out of proportion. I know the 'rules' but it's difficult for me to actually put it on paper. That is of course no excuse to simply give up! And so I am trying to work more with the human form, even if it feels like pulling teeth sometimes.

Below is a progress image of my latest painting, Lieutenant. Consider the giant gryphon a support mechanism for the trauma that came with drawing a human! (I kid, I kid...sort of):

And the final image (revised per a suggestion from Linda):

I am well aware that there are still some 'distortions' with the figure, though I think it's a step forward compared to my previous work. You would think Connecticut would be full of figure drawing opportunities, though a search left me with very few, with the closest being about 50 miles away! Hopefully I will find some so I can get back to practice.

I have also been working on more leather masks. This one is another 'tribute' mask to a tree species that fell due to an introduced disease. The American Chestnut used to be one of the most plentiful trees in the eastern United States. By the 1940s, they had been virtually wiped out by a blight introduced earlier in the century. Now, the only American Chestnuts that exist are in the western United States, and efforts to introduce blight-resistant chestnuts to the eastern part of the country are underway.

My most recently created mask was based on a painting I did for Hayley Lavik (which you can see in her banner), of a mask based on a celebration in her story. Below you can see the original painting (set with a stone) that I completed several months back, and the completed, 3-dimensional mask, set with a sodalite cabochon, and adorned with rice pearls:

It was a challenge to translate a 2-dimensional image into a 3-dimensional mask. I had to change a few elements, such as the thin curls (as they would have been near impossible to create in thick leather), but I think it retains the feeling of the original design.

A Day at the Caprilands

2010-05-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

With spring here, I decided to make a trip to the Caprilands Herb Farm in Coventry, Connecticut (their main page is still in progress). It's only a few towns away, and the drive and destination is rather beautiful and relaxing.

I won't bore you with the tons of flower, plant, and tree photos I took, but below is one rather lovely butterfly I found, and two quick drawings and a watercolor study I did to loosen myself up.

A butterfly I have yet to identify:

A sketch of what I believe are irises, not yet blossomed:

Sketch of a tree with some rather interesting, twisty trunks. Also a pair of guinea hens that served as the resident tick control:

Lastly, some painting practice based on a reference photo I took of an unidentified flowering bush. This is watercolor on illustration board:

A lot of what I see here serves as inspiration for my paintings. Once more flowers start growing, I'm sure I will 'discover' some more Nectarbirds...

Courtship - WIP

2010-03-22T00:55:00.000-07:00

This is a bit of a spontaneous painting. I'm still experimenting a lot with watercolor techniques and wanted to try out mixing white gouache with my watercolors. I've always liked the creamy consistency you get when you mix watercolor with white gouache.

I'm still deciding on what colors I'll paint the gryphons. Perhaps yellows and reds to contrast with the greens. Maybe some dulled purples for the snow leopard part of the gryphon on the right.

Here is the pencil drawing, pre-paint:

Conjure

2010-02-22T17:47:00.000-08:00

As sometimes happens, I decided on a different title for this painting about halfway through. "Conjure" seemed to fit better for the purpose...

I've been having a bit of an inspiration block, partially due to the inability to find the right paper for watercolor. I know, it sounds odd for someone who has been using watercolor for years to suddenly have a 'paper crisis' but as you evolve as an artist, often your technique calls for different media.

This painting represents my muse in a way. I realize I've probably broken a hundred different 'rules' of color, but this piece was meant to relax and 'reset'. I went from a bundle of nerves to relaxed as soon as paint hit paper with this one. Sometimes it's good to just get all that color frustration out!

Sun Dreams - WIP

2010-02-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

I'm going back to an old method for watercolor. I also decided to do this on some 'lesser quality watercolor paper' (i.e. "not Arches") and was a bit taken aback to find that I was able to use this paper (Windsor and Newton Watercolor Paper) better than the Arches cold-press I usually use. While the Arches is great for holding onto vibrant color, that's also a bit of a drawback - it holds onto pigment and doesn't let go. Ever. I find I work best if I'm lifting up pigment, and it's near impossible to do that with Arches.

More spirit falcons! Yay!

I also got a temporary replacement monitor. It's a 19 inch CRT, but the colors are spot-on. I spent about 3 days off and on adjusting the brightness, contrast, and gamma until it was just right. One of the drawbacks of using a monitor that's dying to the point where you can't adjust it anymore is you get used to poor brightness and inaccurate color. I knew something was off, but I didn't realize how 'monitor blind' I had been until I got this new one! Once I'm able to save up enough, I plan on buying a good LCD monitor. While this CRT is good and accurate, it's a huge electricity hog and the natural refresh flicker (60 Hz) is just noticeable enough to annoy me. Still, it's better than what I had before!

Wisdom - Sketches and Line

2010-01-31T18:34:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been inspired by the lovely ink and watercolor work of a number of artists. Paired with experimenting with anatomy, I've started a painting utilizing ink and watercolor:

And the sketch:

I'm aiming for more control with my watercolors. Previously I was putting watercolor over detailed graphite drawings, but I also like the effect of watercolor over black ink. The line drawing was done with a G-nib and Holbein black ink.

Goshawk in the Pines

2010-01-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

Here is the second of the pair of paintings based on an inspiring quote by Helen Macdonald on her blog Fretmarks, which reads- "And then I thought, decidedly, yes. Goshawks are water. Falcons are air and hot stone. Goshawks are water and wood."

Below is the graphite drawing. Rick Lovell, an illustrator and an instructor of mine at SCAD-Atlanta, pointed out a confusing 'connection' of tail with branch which you can see below. I fixed this previous to starting the finished painting.

I'll admit, although falcons are my favorite raptors, I like this painting more. The falcon painting, which can be seen in my previous post, was on hot-press watercolor paper, whereas the goshawk painting is on cold-press. Hot-press is much smoother and thus is wonderful for tight details, but it comes at a price; paint seems to 'slide' on the surface and doesn't soak in as well. Perhaps I simply need more practice using it. Regardless, I like the way I was able to control the pigment in the goshawk painting better.

Sepia watercolor practice, two watercolor paintings

2010-01-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

From most recent to oldest, here are two paintings and a watercolor study I've completed within the past month:

Sky Painter
Watercolor on hot press arches, 4X9 inches

This painting was partially inspired by a quote I read on Helen Macdonald's blog, Fretmarks. The entire blog is quite interesting, though the post linked above, containing the quote, is one of my favorites.

"And then I thought, decidedly, yes. Goshawks are water. Falcons are air and hot stone. Goshawks are water and wood."

The next painting will be the same dimensions, but will feature the goshawk, with water and wood.

Ambition's Flaw
Watercolor and white gouache on cold-press Arches, 8X11 inches

Looking back on the palettes I commonly use, purple and pink are two colors that are definitely lacking. This seemed like as good an excuse as any to experiment with those poor, neglected colors.

Harris and Girl
Sepia watercolor on cold-press arches, about 9X12 inches

Using only one color is a good way to focus on control of the medium and light and dark without having to concentrate on colors. This was an exercise mainly in value in watercolor.

To the Sky - Finished painting and progress images

2009-12-23T21:28:00.000-08:00

As can be seen in my previous entry, I posted four progress steps for a painting titled "To the Sky." This is the completed painting:

This was primarily an exercise to push contrast. I noticed much of my previous work was lacking in contrast, falling either too light or too dark with not much variation between. While I definitely still see room for improvement, I was able to iron out some difficulties and definitely have ideas on how to improve for next time.

Although I included them in a previous post, I think it's worth posting the progress images here to show the steps leading up to this painting.

Thumbnail sketch:

This is where I figured out my composition and the basic figures. This was not my first thumbnail, as I did quite a few before settling on the composition and poses.

High contrast study:

Before even putting paint to paper, I wanted to determine the areas of light and dark. Anything below 50% is black, and anything above 50% is white. I still need practice on this, but I was able to figure out the basic areas of shadow.

Final pencil drawing:

This is where I fleshed out figures, forms, and details. The full tones will come with watercolor and not with graphite, so this is why this version is so low-contrast. There are many areas where I do not want graphite showing through the watercolor, and some areas where it's desirable.

Color comp:

A bit of digital color over the pencil drawing helps me decide my colors and detail the contrast a bit. For this, I wanted the vibrant blue of the sky to compliment the yellow and orange tones of the gryphon and cloak. These colors aren't meant to be a set in stone, however. Often I deviate slightly from the color comp if I find certain colors work better with the watercolor; digital color never quite works the same as watercolor.

More pen sketches

2009-12-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

12/15/09 Edit - I added a color comp to the gryphon rider images below

Here are some more quick pen sketches I did to include with calendar orders. These are my favorites out of all of them:

A peregrine with a huge head. Since these were quick sketches, often my bird anatomy gets wonky. They're all fun, though, and great exercises in hatching:

Possibly my favorite out of all of them. A Gray Crowned Crane:

It would make sense that if a burning phoenix landed on a branch, that it would catch fire too!

Anthros are something I haven't had much practice with, but they're pretty fun to draw! This is someone's eagle-anthro character on DeviantART. When they bought a calendar, they requested I draw their character:

After spending some time on ConceptArt.org, I've been really trying to do more figure drawing, and practicing contrast. When I was at SCAD, I took an amazing class taught by professor Shawn Crystal called Drawing for Sequential Art. The class primarily taught constructive figure drawing, and a large portion focused on breaking things down into pure black and white. I've strayed a bit too far from that, and I need to get back into practice. Today, I did some more sketches and decided to try to practice contrast in color.

Color can be extremely tricky if you have difficulty with light and dark. Yellow does not necessarily always equal 'light,' and purple does not always equal 'dark.' Taking a painting into Photoshop and desaturating it can show you just how 'muddled' your tones can get!

Below are three preliminary steps for a piece I'm working on before I even touch color, and then a digital color comp. Thumbnail sketch, tonal study, and then the full pencil drawing (color comp added 12/15/09):

Usually I try to get the composition down in the thumbnail stage, but as I was doing the final pencil drawing I felt there needed to be something in the middleground to the right. I'm also trying to experiment with compositions that fall out of my comfort zone. Instead of placing the subject smack-dab in the middle, what about having a large expanse of sky? The subject still falls within the 'focus' area of the rule of thirds, but I wanted there to be a feeling of vastness. It will definitely be a challenge.

Two ink drawings and quick figures

2009-11-20T22:59:00.000-08:00

Each year I make a calendar and offer it for sale, and this year my calendar features the paintings I created for my thesis. On my DeviantART account, I posted a calendar sale where if you order a calendar directly through me, I will sign it and include a small pen drawing of your choice. The calendar is also $5 cheaper than if you buy it directly through DeviantART, so it's a better deal all around.

Here are two of the pen drawings that were requested by people who ordered a calendar:

Snow leopard/peregrine falcon gryphon:

Osprey - I was going for an Audubon-esque, moment of suspension pose. If I could do it over, I would have given it more of an angle (and fixed that beak!) but it's serves its purpose as a simple pen sketch, and I'm sure the person it's meant for will like it all the same:

After some anatomical frustration, I decided to just get back to basics and do a night of figure studies and gestures. Here's a page of simple figures, references from stock photos:

Poses referenced from the following stock photographers:
Top left - Chamberstock on DeviantART
Top right, bottom left - Torino Stock on DeviantART
Bottom right - Mjranum Stock on DeviantART

I truly wish I had access to live models; drawing the figure from photographs is never the same as having a real person right there. Luckily, I have a friend who has volunteered to pose, and we're playing with the idea of starting up a figure drawing group.

Blue Falcon Leather and Feather Mask

2009-10-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

After making all these masks, I figured I should wear one for Halloween. Except, the mask I wanted to wear (my Dusklight Raven Mask) was bought by someone else who had the same idea! No matter, I went and made a personal mask all my own:

Hand-tooled and hand-shaped 7-oz leather, painted with acrylics, and adorned with feathers. None of the feathers here are from actual birds of prey - they're all pheasant, chicken, and rooster plumes.

I hope I find a fun excuse to wear it on Halloween!

Autumn's Turn Process

2009-10-26T16:31:00.001-07:00

I thought it might be fun to show the progress of a painting, from sketch to ink to finished painting. Here are the process shots, from beginning to end:

And a larger version of the finished piece:

Firebird - Leather and Feather Mask

2009-10-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

I've discovered I'm not very good at this 'take progress photos of work' thing. I got caught up in painting and didn't take any pictures until I was finished working.

Here is the finished mask. The long feathers are dyed rooster coque, and I stripped the edges off the other feathers to give them that 'teardrop' shape. You can see the back of the mask here, to show where I put sticky-backed felt to protect the face against friction from rough parts:

Firebird Mask - Works in Progress 2

2009-10-13T23:21:00.001-07:00

I only got a little work done on the firebird mask today, but here's the progress so far.

Since the mask is primarily going to be painted in yellows and oranges, I dyed it with a yellow dye. Think of it as tinting your canvas - it unifies your colors and makes everything look more natural.

If you look back on the post containing the color sketch, you'll see that there are feathers going around the outer edge of the mask. Originally these were going to be all real feathers, but after contacting the person commissioning the mask, we decided to go with leather feathers. This will end up giving the mask a 'sturdier' look, as well adding more interesting texture and dimensionality to the existing base leather mask. Real feathers (the curving variety) will be added later. As seen in the image above, I cut out feathers from scrap pieces of leather. The lines in the feathers are done with a swivel knife. These feathers are also dyed, and shaped while still wet with the dye. Once dry, they will keep their shape.

Although this was a sheet of 'error' feathers (I drew them curving in the wrong direction by mistake), it shows the first step in creating pieces out of leather. And I never really waste anything - these feathers will find a home in another project. Perhaps I'll make pendants or keypulls out of them?

And one last note - I've finally come to accept that my studio will never, ever remain clean. After every project I clean it, and it always ends up cluttering up again. Oh well.

Firebird Mask - Works in Progress

2009-10-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

I thought it may be mildly interesting to show the progress of one of the masks I'm working on. I was commissioned to create a firebird-inspired mask, and decided this would be an excellent opportunity to test out the new, higher-quality leather I was recommended to use.

First some sketches:

As with any commission, I create a number of sketches to get some ideas on the table. Depending on what the person wants, it may take only a few sketches, or a lot. In this case, the person was quite clear on what she wanted, which is good for me - good communication always makes a job easier.

We ended up using a mixture of several sketch designs to come up with one final sketch. Then it was time for color sketches, and after a couple of revisions for those, this was the color scheme chosen.

Again, I am very new at mask making, so I am still ironing out my own methods. I've learned quite a lot from a mask maker whose work is on DeviantART and Etsy, who was kind enough to post a very helpful tutorial on how to make leather masks. In case you're curious, you can find her tutorial here. However, I've done a good number of drawing and painting commissions, so the commission process is pretty much the same even if it's a medium I'm still learning. Once I have the sketch and color sketch done, then it's time to start on the final piece.

I didn't take photos of actually tooling the leather, but at this point in the process, the mask has been tooled, cut, and shaped. Shaping involves wetting the entire mask and molding it around your face until you get the desired shape. Once you have a basic shape, you put it in the oven at around 250 degrees F to let it dry. I take it out multiple times to make sure I get the shape right. I've messed up a few masks mostly due to my own inexperience, but I think I got this one shaped just the way I wanted.

You may also notice the beak is a bit longer than in the sketch. Since I am still learning how to make a 2-D sketch that will match the physics of a 3-D mask, sometimes once I cut out a full-sized paper version of the mask to transfer onto the leather, I spot some things I need to fix. If I had left the beak as it was in the sketch, it would be nothing but a nub! And a graceful firebird needs a much more elegant beak.

More progress shots will come! Coming up will be dyeing the mask, painting it, and then putting the feathers on.

Watercolor surface experimentation

2009-10-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

As I work more with a medium, I find I tend to get particular about my tools, surfaces, and pigments. With watercolor, my constant struggle has been with what surface to paint on. I started, back in 2005, with cold-press Strathmore watercolor blocks.

This is what I consider to be my 'first' watercolor paining, titled "Angel of the Oak Forests." I had of course dabbled with watercolor in high school, but walked away from that thinking I 'hated' the medium, and instead turned to colored pencils, acrylic, and markers.

After using the blocks and loose watercolor sheets, I discovered the work of artist Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. She put up some excellent tutorials on her method of watercolor, and I discovered she used a very different surface - Strathmore illustration board. I decided to experiment with the surface, and fell in love with the way the board allowed easy lifting.

It was at this time I wanted to try a series, and I painted my first Birdflower - Daffodil or March, on a piece of Strathmore illustration board. I found it much more forgiving than traditional watercolor paper, which held onto pigment much stronger than illustration board. I wanted to do a lot of lifting, and so this board seemed perfect...at the time.

As my watercolor skills developed, I found myself more and more frustrated with the illustration board I had sworn by. I remember contacting Strathmore telling them how several sheets I'd bought had invisible 'scratches' that only appeared once I put a watercolor wash down. A Strathmore representative replied, informing me that the illustration board was not sized for wet media, and that I could use it for such, but he warned that it may act strangely. In addition to the 'scratch' problem, I started to want richer and deeper colors, and the board seemed to 'deaden' the pigment. I was a bit discouraged.

During the beginning of my second year at SCAD-Atlanta, I wanted to try watercolor paper again after some recent dabbling with a few sheets for minipaintings and liking the vibrancy of the color I got with watercolor paper. This time, I bought one of the best brands - Arches. I bought a sheet each of cold-press and hot-press, stretched them, and fell in love all over again.

I couldn't believe what I'd been missing all this time with illustration board! The vibrancy of color, the texture...I thought for certain I'd found my 'perfect' surface. And indeed, I worked with the cold-press 140 lb surface exclusively. Though in the back of my mind, I still missed the ability to lift. That was one 'drawback' of cold-press Arches - it tends to hold onto pigment and lifting is difficult.

This was on my mind a bit for the past week, and I dug out a sample piece of wet-media Strathmore illustration board. Unlike the board I used before, this was specifically sized for, as it says on the packaging, "light washes up to wet on wet applications." This, so far, is a work in progress of a simple painting for a friend of one of her characters from her stories:

This painting, as should be obvious, isn't done yet, but in my time working with this surface I've felt an indecision I've never experienced with a painting surface before. I don't know if I love or hate this board. Part of me dislikes it since it has that same 'dry on the surface' nature watercolor has on illustration board, but then the crisp lines and incredible opportunity for lifting draws me to it. I suppose I will have to do more work on this surface and come to a conclusion eventually.

Falcon With Blue Eyes - Watercolor Painting

2009-10-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

Three figures stand before a cracked vision and acknowledge an identity based in the simplest of elements.

The sun
The moon
The wind and forest.
A kingdom of clouds and their gift of rain

And yet they seek simple grains of sand buried beneath piles of gaudy jewels. All they want is to feel the earth again.
----------

Well, this took a bit of a different turn from when I started it. I literally had a moment where I was about to start painting and said, "well this is meant to be a bit of a self portrait, isn't it?" And so it was, and my handling of the colors changed as a result.

Of course, it's not a literal, physical self-portrait. I don't really look like that, but I incorporated portions of my anatomy (hair and eye color, primarily). There's a lot of symbolism in this important to me; the falcon should be the most obvious.

Watercolor and a tiny bit of colored pencil on cold press Arches watercolor paper, 9X12 inches.

Falcon With Blue Eyes - Work in Progress 3

2009-10-05T23:23:00.001-07:00

One more work in progress shot before I probably finish it. I'm rather pleased with how this is turning out. I'm using a bit of a different painting technique...and I got a sharp new #4 round.

It feels good to do some watercolor after being stuck in digital land with this client project...

Falcon With Blue Eyes - Work in Progress 2

2009-10-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a work in progress of the painting I'm working on. I finally found a title after it became apparent this was becoming a metaphorical self-portrait.

Per the suggestion of one of my professors at SCAD-Atlanta (Rick), I moved the ear straighter as it looked like it was sliding off her head before. I also need to move it back a bit. I also changed the bird closest to the face to a falcon since it was necessary with the change in meaning of this painting.

Hawk Woman Painting Progress

2009-10-04T17:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a work in progress of a painting I'm working on, which is yet untitled. Usually I don't discover the title until I'm nearing the end of a painting.

I drew this while at DragonCon last month. It's incredible how strong inspiration hits me after seeing all the incredible work in the art show. It's so important for me to experience it every year...it's a recharging of the creative battery, in a way.

DragonCon Art Show Report

2009-09-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks since DragonCon, but I've finally started to get settled again (though still working on a breakneck deadline for a project). Here's how the DragonCon art show went in a nutshell.

This year, the art show was held in the other Grand Hall in the Hyatt. In the hall where it has been in past years, they had the Pop and Comic Art gallery, and both were connected, so it was essentially one giant room. The print shop was also in a much bigger area, so people didn't have to bottleneck past the prints as they went through the exit as happened in past years.

This year for the annual art charity auction, the subject was "When Pigs Fly." The charity this year was the Georgia Alzheimer's Association, and we were directed to a specific kind of porcelain pig to decorate for the auction. I made my "I Wanna be a Gryphon Piggy," as seen above, with leather wings, beak, and tail and painted it with acrylics. The tail is 'tied' on with a ribbon, and the beak is 'tied' on with waxed leather cord. I reality, both are securely attached to the porcelain with Incredible Goop, which is about as close to an atomic bond as you can get with glue. It was also awarded 2nd place in the charity pig competition!

This year, sales were very strange. I fully expected to get only a few minimum bids on my smallest pieces, but to my surprise the majority of my sales were at the quick sale price. My 11X14 scratchboard piece, "Breathe," was the first to sell at quick sale. I also sold a mask (the Wind Spirit Mask as seen below), which I was quite happy about. I wasn't sure if any masks would sell, but if it can be used by someone and worn, then I'm happy.

Here are two more masks I finished since my last update:

This is the "Dusklight Raven Mask," sculpted from leather with real feathers.

This is a commissioned mask for a friend of mine in New Hampshire. She has a gorgeous skirt and shirt combination and wanted a mask to complete her costume as a sea fae. So she asked me to make her a mask based on that, which would also match the skirt. This is my first leather mask where I used fabric and real freshwater pearls. I think my favorite part of this mask are the adorable little barnacles on the bottom! They were so easy to make from leather, and I think they really give it a more oceanic feel.

Masks! And a little scratchboard.

2009-08-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been so quiet lately! I'm preparing for DragonCon, working on a project for a client, and taking care of a sick family member all at the same time. However, here's a peek of what I've been working on lately.

Iridescent Gryphon Leather and Feather Mask:

I've been slowly getting the feel of working with leather. This is my second mask, hand-tooled and shaped from 6 or 7 oz leather. I made a mistake in picking up the wrong weight leather, so it's not as sturdy as an 8-oz mask would be. It's still a good mask, though, and sits comfortably on the face. I painted it to compliment the iridescent feathers.

Dreaming Falcon Leather Mask:

With this mask, I finally got away from my fear of non-earth tones. I admit, I love browns and greens just too much. This mask is loosely based on one of the falcons in my painting, Apparition. There are iridescent and pearlescent painted portions.

Summer Bird Leather Mask:

Here is my most recent mask, made from 8-oz leather. It's definitely a lot stiffer and harder to cut!!! I suppose both weights have their advantages and disadvantages. This was my first attempt at incorporating a stone in with the design. In the center is a green agate cabochon. Originally I was going to paint this bright and flashy, but after putting a glaze of Hooker's Green over the reddish-brown-dyed mask, it demanded more subdued tones with highlights of yellow and green. I think it's better this way.

Masked:

It's been a while since I've used scratchboard, and there's always been a good response to them at fantasy conventions. I created this specially for the DragonCon art show. It's only 5X7 inches, but that's HUGE when you're working with scratchboard! This isn't the paper kind, but the Ampersand brand, which is on masonite with a white clay base.

Outdoor Watercolor Studies

2009-07-11T02:46:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not updating this since I finished my thesis. I've been very busy getting settled again into non-college life. I'm only now starting to get 'settled' a month later! Here are some watercolor studies I did at a local wooded area a couple of weeks ago.

I was sitting by a pond, and there was a beautiful, mossy tree. It's amazing the beauty you don't even realize is there until you start to paint. I even captured a tiny, quick study of a little orange slug.

There's a bit of a heartbreaking story behind this one. I had brought my camera with me, complete with my 200 mm lens, and a great blue heron flew right across the lake and landed on branch out in the open, with nothing behind him but blue sky. Of course, I took out my camera, focused, and...

...my battery died.

I did get one photo of him before it died for good, but I was kicking myself for forgetting to charge my battery. Ah well. At least I was able to capture him with watercolor. He stayed right where he was for about an hour, and was still there when I left. I hope he'll be there the next time I go to paint!

Thesis - Lanner Falcon and Gyrfalcon

2009-06-22T20:16:00.001-07:00

Here are the last of the two thesis paintings. This is the ninth of ten paintings, the lanner falcon:

...and the last of the ten paintings, the gyrfalcon:

Previously posted paintings:

Mongolian Eagle Hunters
Barn Owl - Mousers
Harpy Eagle - Overlooking Tikal
Saker Falcon - Desert Hunters
Red-tailed Hawk - Farmland Guard
Peregrine Falcon - Duck Hawk
Bald Eagle - He Who Catches the Salmon
Griffon Vulture - Fertile Goddess

Thesis Paintings - Bald Eagle and Griffon Vulture

2009-06-20T19:36:00.001-07:00

Here is the seventh out of ten paintings, the bald eagle:

...and the eighth of ten paintings, the griffon vulture:

Previously posted paintings:

Mongolian Eagle Hunters
Barn Owl - Mousers
Harpy Eagle - Overlooking Tikal
Saker Falcon - Desert Hunters
Red-tailed Hawk - Farmland Guard
Peregrine Falcon - Duck Hawk

Upcoming paintings (in the following order):

Lanner Falcon - Eye of Horus
Gyrfalcon - Bird of Kings

Thesis Paintings - Red-Tailed Hawk and Peregrine Falcon

2009-06-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

To expedite things, I'm going to start putting these up two at a time, since I keep seeming to forget to put them up one per day! Also, a note - after I'm finished with posting these, this journal will return to essentially an art journal, where I post sketches and works in progress, along with the finished pieces.

Here is the fifth out of ten paintings, the red-tailed hawk:

And the sixth of ten paintings, the peregrine falcon:

Previously posted paintings:

Mongolian Eagle Hunters
Barn Owl - Mousers
Harpy Eagle - Overlooking Tikal
Saker Falcon - Desert Hunters

Upcoming paintings (in the following order):

Bald Eagle - He Who Catches the Salmon
Griffon Vulture - Fertile Goddess
Lanner Falcon - Eye of Horus
Gyrfalcon - Bird of Kings

Thesis Paintings - Saker Falcon

2009-06-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Here is the completed saker falcon painting (the fourth of ten thesis paintings):

Previously posted paintings:

Mongolian Eagle Hunters
Barn Owl - Mousers
Harpy Eagle - Overlooking Tikal

Upcoming paintings (in the following order):

Red-Tailed Hawk - Farmland Guard
Peregrine Falcon - Duck Hawk
Bald Eagle - He Who Catches the Salmon
Griffon Vulture - Fertile Goddess
Lanner Falcon - Eye of Horus
Gyrfalcon - Bird of Kings

Thesis Paintings - Harpy Eagle

2009-06-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

Here is the completed harpy eagle painting (the third of ten thesis paintings):

Previously posted paintings:

Mongolian Eagle Hunters
Barn Owl - Mousers

Upcoming paintings (in the following order):

Saker Falcons - Desert Hunters
Red-Tailed Hawk - Farmland Guard
Peregrine Falcon - Duck Hawk
Bald Eagle - He Who Catches the Salmon
Griffon Vulture - Fertile Goddess
Lanner Falcon - Eye of Horus
Gyrfalcon - Bird of Kings

Thesis Paintings - Barn Owls

2009-06-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the completed barn owl painting (the second of ten thesis paintings):

Previously posted paintings:

Mongolian Eagle Hunters

Upcoming paintings (in the following order):

Harpy Eagle - Overlooking Tikal
Saker Falcons - Desert Hunters
Red-Tailed Hawk - Farmland Guard
Peregrine Falcon - Duck Hawk
Bald Eagle - He Who Catches the Salmon
Griffon Vulture - Fertile Goddess
Lanner Falcon - Eye of Horus
Gyrfalcon - Bird of Kings

Completed Thesis Paintings

2009-06-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

Now that my thesis is complete, I will post the finished paintings here. So as to not flood the blog with ten paintings at once, I will put them up one per day.

Starting from the oldest first, here is the Mongolian Golden Eagle:

Next will come (in the following order):

Barn Owl - Mousers
Harpy Eagle - Overlooking Tikal
Saker Falcons - Desert Hunters
Red-Tailed Hawk - Farmland Guard
Peregrine Falcon - Duck Hawk
Bald Eagle - He Who Catches the Salmon
Griffon Vulture - Fertile Goddess
Lanner Falcon - Eye of Horus
Gyrfalcon - Bird of Kings

Gyrfalcon Sketch

2009-05-27T01:30:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not putting up more recent progress shots of the Griffon Vulture and Lanner Falcon, but they're already finished! Since I will be handing in my thesis tomorrow, I will thus be able to start posting the finished paintings here.

But for now, I'm working on my very last thesis painting, which is the Gyrfalcon as used in European falconry.

In medieval Europe, which bird you were allowed to fly was dependent on your social status. Emperors could fly eagles, whereas peasants were allowed tiny sparrowhawks. In the social ranking of falconry, the gyrfalcon was a noble bird reserved for kings. It is the largest of the falcons, and its plumage can range from gray barring to a striking, nearly pure white. Quite fitting as the bird of kings.

Lanner Falcon Thesis Progress 1

2009-05-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

Once more, I'm trying my hand at backlighting. The 'moon side' of the falcon is going to have a blue reflected light tint to it.

Oddly enough, this painting is going much faster than the vulture!

Griffon Vulture Progress and Lanner Falcon Sketch

2009-05-25T10:01:00.001-07:00

More progress on the Griffon Vulture, plus a sketch of the next painting, which will explore the Lanner Falcon as the Egyptian god Horus.

And the sketch of the Lanner Falcon:

The sun and moon behind the falcon represent the belief that Horus' eyes were the sun and moon. I placed the focus on the Lanner's head since the shape of the Eye of Horus is believed to mirror that of the Lanner Falcon's facial markings.

Griffon Vulture - Thesis Progress 1

2009-05-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

Here is the first progress shot of the griffon vulture. As mentioned before, I am working quickly since I have this and two other paintings to finish within the week!

(Click for a larger version)

After looking at my previous illustrations, I realized all my lighting was shining right on the figure. This is the first I've done where I've experimented with backlighting. I think it creates a more interesting overall tone.

And the papyrus is giving me quite a bit of trouble. I think I'm going to have to break out the white gouache for this, but I think I can make it work.

Griffon Vulture Sketch

2009-05-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

Thesis painting #8 will be the griffon vulture. In Egypt, this bird was the symbol of the goddess Nekhbet. Its head was used on the Upper Crown and its wings were a common decoration for the headdresses of royalty.

It was believed that when the griffon vulture turned its back to the southeast, that it would become fertilized. For this reason among others, it was considered a symbol of fertility.

In this painting, I wanted to show the vulture with its back to the southeast, with the sun streaming through its feathers. All around it are papyrus, a plant that grew on the Nile River.

Bald Eagle - Thesis Progress 2

2009-05-21T18:56:00.001-07:00

I'm about 75% done with the bald eagle thesis painting. I'm looking forward to painting that salmon! Fish are another subject I haven't had much experience with.

I love the Pacific Northwest. It's such a beautiful area.

Bald Eagle - Thesis Progress 1

2009-05-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

The first progress of the bald eagle painting. I am working quickly because I need to have this and three others due in less than two weeks!

Bald eagle feathers are so beautiful and fun to paint. There is an interesting variation between reddish brown to nearly blue.

Bald Eagle - Thesis Sketch

2009-05-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

Here is the sketch for thesis painting #7, which is the bald eagle. In the Northwest Coast of the United States, the image of the bald eagle was carved on poles, masks, and other items by native tribes. Since fish was a staple food of the people of the coast, they respected the eagle's ability to catch fish.

Here I show the bald eagle overlooking the coast with a salmon, an important fish of the region. Although bald eagles are not one of my favorite raptors (too often portrayed in art, often painfully kitschy), they are quite beautiful. In my painting, it will be perched on a western white pine, a common tree of the area.

The next paintings will be (though perhaps not in this order):

Gyrfalcon in European Falconry
Lanner Falcon as the God Horus
Griffin Vulture as the Goddess Nekhbet

Peregrine Falcon - Homestretch!

2009-05-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

I'm close to finishing the peregrine falcon thesis painting, so here is a progress shot so far. I've never really painted ducks before, so this proved to be an excellent excuse to study mallard plumage and try my hand at painting one. They're such lovely birds with such interesting plumage!

And a detail of the peregrine and duck:

I will have my thesis done by May 30th, so on that date, I will start to post the finished thesis paintings here.

Peregrine Falcon Thesis Painting Progress 2

2009-05-09T02:48:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the lack of updates lately, however for the past week I've been concentrating on the writing portion of my thesis so that I would have a first draft done in time for editing. With that sent off, I've continued work on the painting of the peregrine falcon as used in falconry in the United States.

I am well aware that the peregrine is used worldwide in falconry, and not only in the United States. However, the purpose of this painting is not to exclude any region, but rather to focus on falconry in a specific area of the world, and I chose a bird that I feel represents a widely-used longwing species in the U.S.

It's only fair to point out the efforts of falconers and a variety of societies in the United States for peregrine falcon reintroduction after the widespread damage done by the pesticide DDT in the mid-20th century. The Peregrine Fund, which was started in 1970, was one of the foremost organizations in the United States to rebuild peregrine populations nationwide. To this day it remains an active force in raptor conservation. Other organizations which focus on raptor conservation include the North American Falconer's Association and a number of individual rehabilitation and education centers.

According to Candace Savage in her book Peregrine Falcons, the peregrine falcon population in the west coast region of the United States went from over 1,400 pairs in the 1940s to just over 100 pairs in the mid-1970s (an in-detail graph of worldwide populations exists on page 54, in case you have the book). In the late 1980s, the population on the west coast rose to just over 400 pairs. Today, the population of the peregrine falcon is doing well, thanks to the banning of DDT and these conservation efforts.

That said, here is the painting in progress:

And a detail of the falcon so far:

There peregrine falcon is also known as the 'duck hawk,' for what should be an apparent reason. When choosing a duck species, I wanted to show mallards since that is one of the most well-recognized duck species in the United States. While I know the jesses probably wouldn't be flying so wildly as that, I wanted to put a bit of movement behind the stiff, angular falcon to compliment the curving ducks.

The markings of peregrines are so beautiful, and while challenging to paint, it's rewarding when it starts to come out right.

UPDATE May 9, 2009 2:48 AM Here's a bit more progress:

Detail of the falcon:

Rat with Wings

2009-04-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't have a new thesis painting progress to show, but I do have a silly little painting I did really quick to include with some art for a fantasy art show.

It's a pigeon/rat gryphon, and he really loves his bread.

A lot.

Enjoy.

Watercolor and white gouache on cold-press watercolor paper, 5X7 inches.

Red-tailed hawk progress 3

2009-04-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

This is probably the last progress shot before I finish the painting. Here's a bit more detail on the hawk and the greenery. I always have trouble using green in bushes and trees without making it look flat and too monochromatic.

I've used a lot less white gouache on this than with the previous painting (the saker falcon painting), and I'm happy - I prefer the transparency of watercolor to opaque pigment.

Red-tailed hawk progress 2

2009-04-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Another progress shot of the red-tailed hawk thesis painting. As before, I got carried away and forgot to take a progress shot, so it's much farther along for a 'second progress shot' than I'd planned!

The corn was surprisingly fun to paint. In addition to exploring each bird's plumage with watercolor, I'm also learning about landscapes and plants through each of these paintings. I've never painted corn before, and now I found a reason to!

For the sky, the detail-obsessed part of me is going, it's too simple! You need to add clouds! It needs to have more color! More more more!. Yet another, more (dare I say it) sophisticated part of me is saying, the sky is fine! Look at morning skies in real life. Often they are cloudless and simple. I think I shall keep the sky as it is. I think with all the detail in the hawk and plants, there needs to be some simplicity in the background.

I also wondered if I've been relying too heavily on the white gouache, so for this painting, you'll notice that there's no gouache in it yet. I think I will use it for the white bases of the feathers on the back, and perhaps for some detail on the leaves.

Double Feature - Peregrine and Red-Tail Progress

2009-04-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

Now that the end of the quarter is within view, it's time to really get things rolling towards completion of the thesis. So far, I have four out of ten paintings done, and a good deal of writing down for the written portion.

Oddly enough, I work better (and faster) if I'm working on two paintings rather than just one. Aside from practical purposes (working on the second painting while a watercolor wash dries on the first, for example), I find working on two different pieces keeps my mind sharp and discourages wandering off to become caught up in distractions (such as sitting mindlessly in front of the computer).

Here is the graphite progress on the peregrine falcon painting. The blue tint is the initial wash.

I will admit - I'm making the peregrine painting extra special because it's my favorite of the birds. Aside from my shameless bias, I wanted to show the action that I feel the peregrine represents, both in the wild and in falconry. Part of my inspiration was renewed when I spoke with Stephen Hein, artist and director at The Center for Wildlife Education and the Lamar Q Ball, Jr. Raptor Center at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia during a recent visit. He described a scene I've read about many times but never heard spoken by a falconer - he told about how he waited for his falcon to stoop, so high in the air, he couldn't see her. Then, that sound - the sound often described as 'tearing canvas' in the books - and she shot down into view in pursuit. Hearing of such an experience made my heart race again with newfound inspiration.

When I think of falcons I think streamlined, sharp, pointed. The shape of the stoop, even of the moment right as the bird is about to strike her prey, is sharp and angled. The peregrine is designed perfectly for speed, and in this painting, I wanted to show that, in contrast with the rounded, confused ducks.

The second painting is going to explore at the red-tailed hawk, and its passive role in human culture as 'vermin control.' Like the barn owl, red-tailed hawks actually benefit farmers by hunting the rodents that damage crops. Unfortunately, throughout history, this widespread hawk has been the victim of shooting, from farmers who incorrectly see them as 'chicken hawks.' In fact, the hawks that are most likely to take a shot at poultry are the accipiters - more specifically, the two larger species, the Coopers Hawk and the Northern Goshawk. Buteos like the red-tailed hawk are primarily rodent hunters.

I'm looking forward to working on all those beautiful feathers on the back, wings, and tail!

Jaguar Kamathawa

2009-04-14T18:07:00.001-07:00

Although this blog is meant primarily to show the process of my thesis paintings, I felt this one piece of personal work was relevant enough, in a way, to post here.

As mentioned before when posting the works in progress of the harpy eagle painting, I mentioned Kamathawa, the divine harpy eagle of Baniwa belief. Kamathawa is thought to bring summer and end the rains, and its feathers are considered to have power to those who possess them. According to Guardians of the Cosmos: Baniwa Shamans and Prophets by Robin M. Wright, "its predatory quality is enhanced by the title "Jaguar" Kamathawa."

This, of course, is not a portrayal of the Kamathawa of the Baniwa people, but rather an inspiration from their legends and descriptions. And, of course, the term "Jaguar Kamathawa" served as a springboard for inspiration for this particular gryphon.

This watercolor and white gouache painting is 11X14 inches on Arches cold-press watercolor paper.

Peregrine Falcon Study

2009-04-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't wait anymore; I had to paint a peregrine!

This was an study for plumage and form, and also it ended up being a study for rock doves, too. I love pigeons. They're so beautiful and so fun to paint! This is watercolor and white gouache on watercolor paper, 8X10 inches.

The saker falcon painting is done, and I'll be sure to post it up here once the thesis is complete. Now it's time to set up the show!

Saker Falcon Painting Progress 3

2009-03-31T23:40:00.000-07:00

This is probably the last progress shot before I finish the painting. One a painting reaches this stage, I generally work on it steadily until I finish.

I'm having a lot of fun with the hood. The silver adornment is especially challenging, since I get to experiment with a reflective, shiny surface.

Saker Falcon Painting Progress 2

2009-03-30T15:09:00.001-07:00

I should have posted this last night, but I got caught up on other things and it slipped my mind. Here is last night's progress of the saker falcon painting:

Right now I'm trying to get detail in while making sure the colors move around the composition. This shouldn't be a problem, since the falcons' beaks are bluish, so there won't be an overwhelming expanse of blue at the top third of the piece without any blue anywhere else.

Despite being a forest girl inside and out, I can still appreciate the dramatic beauty of the desert. There aren't many places you get such vibrant color, and the burning orange of the sand with the striking blue of a desert sky definitely serves for an interesting color palette.

Saker Falcon Painting Progress

2009-03-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

Now that I've finished with the harpy eagle, it's onto the saker falcon. I hope the experience gained from the study will help me with the plumage and form. Already I feel more confident with the forms of my falcons. It's amazing what you learn by staring at photo after photo of falcons! You begin to discover things about feather patterns, plumage, even little bits of personality that you didn't see before.

I knew essentially what I wanted to do for this painting, but the composition was giving me trouble. My professor, Rick Lovell, helped me and his suggestions helped me get to the composition I have now. At first I was hesitant to put a bird in with a hood, but then I realized this is as much about the humans in falconry as it is about the birds, and hoods, jesses, and perches are important to show the details of falconry.

Here is a quick photo of the first washes. I will be using a similar technique as I did in the study, with watercolor washes covering the entire piece to give everything a unifying tone (in this case, yellow ochre) with white gouache to give parts opacity.

Things look a bit warped and wonky since I have to photograph the progress shots instead of scanning. This piece is 11X14 stretched on a 16X20 board, which is next to impossible to scan. The sky will be that piercing blue you get in the desert, which contrasts so nicely with the yellow-orange desert earth, and the reddish-brown plumage of the sakers.

Also, just a reminder - if you're going to be in the Atlanta area on April 8th, be sure to stop by gallery 143 at the StudioPlex at 659 Auburn Avenue, to see the opening of the Four Voices thesis illustration exhibition. More information can be seen on the cards here.

Saker Falcon Study

2009-03-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Here is the completed saker falcon study

They seem to be rather diverse birds in terms of plumage. I found some with heavily streaked heads, and some with only a few streaks of brown. Of course, I know some of these birds may have had more immature plumage than others, but even the coloring on the back seemed different - some had slight barring, others didn't, some were more blue-gray and others almost entirely red. I think I got it for the most part, however, and it is good practice for my next thesis painting, which will explore the saker falcon in Middle Eastern falconry.

For this, I covered everything in the background wash (which I liberally textured with splatters from brushes and a toothbrush - lots of fun!), and then went in and painted the details on top. I also used a lot of white gouache, since I wanted parts to be more opaque.

Four Voices - SCAD Graduate Thesis Exhibition

2009-03-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

We finally have an official date for our thesis exhibition! In case you missed the first post of this blog, I am having my graduate thesis exhibition with fellow illustration students Goñi Montes, Heather Elder and Yossaya Aisiri. We officially have a date for the opening reception and the days and hours it will run.

If you will be in the Atlanta area on April 8th, please stop by and come to our opening reception. It will run from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the StudioPlex Art Center, Gallery #143, at 659 Auburn Avenue. If you can't come for the reception, the show will be open from 1:00 to 5:00 pm, April 9-11 and 15-18.

There are four sets of flyers; each has the same information as seen above on the back, but on the front, there are four sets of art that appear, each by a different artist in the exhibition. Below is the version with my work, which features my Mongolian Eagle Hunter painting. I know I said I wouldn't post them until after my thesis was complete, but since these are going to be distributed physically, I felt I could show it online:

The above flyers were designed by Goñi Montes, who never ceases to amaze me with his incredible illustration and design skills. It will be an honor to share an exhibition with these three talented illustrators!

Harpy Eagle Progress - 2

2009-03-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

I got a bit caught up in painting and forgot to take a progress photo, so it's closer to finished than I meant for a progress shot!

And the progress of the saker falcon study:

I'm being a bit more liberal with my use of white gouache on the saker study. I haven't used it for more than just minor opaque effects, and I really wanted to make this a study of both of the bird and use of an unfamiliar media.

Harpy Eagle Progress and Saker Falcon Studies

2009-03-07T23:06:00.000-08:00

I did the first few washes for the harpy eagle painting. I'm not sure how I feel about the challenge of so much jungle green, but I think it will work out nicely. In particular, I'm having fun with the eagle's crest feathers.

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:

Harpy Eagle Sketches

2009-03-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

Now that the barn owl is finished, I've gone full speed ahead on my next thesis painting, which is the harpy eagle. Harpy eagles throughout time have been seen as birds of power in Central and South America. Even today, the Baniwa People in the Northwest Amazon forests recognize Kamathawa, a harpy eagle deity.

Here are my initial thumbnails. You can see the rather boring compositions at the top that always come out until my brain gets warmed up and starts coming up with something better.

I decided on the bottom right sketch (of course it would be the last thumbnail I do! Just proof that you can never always go with your first idea), and fixed it up. After studying photos of harpy eagles a bit more, I came to realize that due to their rounded wings (similar to those of an accipiter, required as they hunt through dense forest), you don't see the primaries poking out from under the secondaries. It does look a bit strange at first, but it makes sense - harpy eagles don't have the long 'fingertips' of other eagles. Harpies also have a bit of a protrusion above their eye, just as accipiters do to protect their eyes from branches and leaves as they zoom through dense trees.

The final graphite drawing on my stretched watercolor paper. I try to only put in important shading and markings (such as bars on the feathers) with graphite, and do the rest with watercolor. I fixed a few more anatomical bits. One of the wonderful advantages of doing three sets of drawings (thumbnails, final sketch, final drawing), is that you have three points at which to check your anatomy!

The branch the eagle is standing on is that of the Kapok, which was sacred to Mayans. In the middle ground you can also see one of the Tikal Towers in Guatemala. Harpy eagles are often seen in this area, and I wanted to connect both the ancient beliefs (Mayan) with present beliefs (Baniwa). Although these two groups of people did not live in exactly the same region, there are parallels between their cultures, and the harpy is a bird who ranges between Central and northern South America.

The sky on the left side will be heavy with rainclouds, where the sky on the right will be clear and blue. Sunlight will be streaming in from in front of the eagle, as one of the Baniwa beliefs is that the harpy eagle brings summer:

"Feathers obtained from Kamathawa aid the shaman in his ritual to clear the sky of clouds and make the summer come." --- Robin M. Wright, Guardians of the Cosmos: Baniwa Shamans and Prophets, Part I

Barn Owl Detail

2009-02-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

The barn owl painting is almost complete, and this will be the last work in progress before the painting is complete. As mentioned in my first thesis post, I will not be posting the finished paintings online until after I complete my thesis. However, once that is complete (in May), I will post all the finished paintings here for everyone to see. And, as always, I will continually be posting sketches and works in progress of each thesis painting as I work on it.

These owls are not done yet, but they are very close!

And, as I was waiting for one of my stretched sheets of watercolor paper to dry, I did a quick, miniature painting of a barn owl as more practice. This is actually in ATC/ACEO format (2.5 X 2.5 inches). If your monitor resolution is 1024 X 768, then the size on your screen is close to the painting's actual size.

Barn Owl - Work in Progress 2

2009-02-24T21:53:00.001-08:00

Well, I have the wood in the barn and hay bales almost finished. Now it's time to work on the owls.

The wood isn't nearly as 'whitewashed,' but due to the size of the piece (and it being mounted on a board), I had to photograph it instead of scan it. Thus, there are some strange light things going on. There's still much more work to be done, but I think it's coming along nicely.

Illustration Portfolio Reviews - A Realization

2009-02-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

Today I received portfolio reviews from two very talented and well-established illustrators, who reminded me of a few things that I seem to have forgotten about in the past year. I hesitate to name them here, since I respect the suggestions they gave me and I would prefer to keep their identities private.

One of these suggestions was that I work on more humans. My portfolio was all birds, except for a couple of pieces. Last year, when Yuko Shimizu visited SCAD-Atlanta, she said the same exact thing about my portfolio, and it was a bit disheartening for me to realize that for an entire year, I haven't created anything non-bird related that I was pleased with enough to place in my portfolio. My plan for this year (aside from completing my thesis), is to work on more human-figure work.

The two artists I spoke with had no problems with my work having fantasy elements - in fact, one of the illustrators has worked for Tor Books, and his own portfolio has a bit of fantasy. As the other illustrator said, "you're great at birds. You've got the birds down. Now lets see some people."

I am going to listen to her advice. I'm quite excited with the ideas that are coming to mind.

Barn Owl - Study and Work in Progress

2009-02-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

A study of a barn owl, just for plumage practice:

I started the background washes for the barn owls. At first, I had in my mind to paint it as a moonlit scene. The owls would be illuminated by white moonlight, as would part of the interior of the barn. However, I as started working on the study, I realized that in order to really bring out the rich colors of this owl, I should place it in daylight. I thought the hazy, yet yellow light of sunrise would work well. It's even more fitting, since barn owls hunt at dawn, as well as at sunset and midnight.

There will be much more detail, but for now, I am establishing tones based on the light and its source. The owls are also masked with masking fluid, so I don't have to worry about the dark background washes interfering with their lighter tones.

An Important Message about Hiring Illustrators

2009-02-16T15:35:00.000-08:00

This post is temporarily in storage. It is cross-posted in my Livejournal under a friend's lock.

Thesis Paintings - Barn Owl

2009-02-13T20:16:00.000-08:00

I have started work on my M.F.A. Illustration thesis - a bit early actually, but with the amount of research and artwork that are required for such a massive project, it is necessary. The subject of my thesis will be an illustrative look at birds of prey and their influence on human life, history, and culture. In addition, I will look at the place of raptor artists such as John James Audubon, Roger Tory Peterson, Roger Bateman, and Peter Parnall and explore how their work affected peoples' perception of birds of prey.

Subjects I will look at include golden eagles as used by the Mongolian eagle hunters, falconry in the Middle East, Europe, and North America, owls and hawks as natural 'rodent control' on farms, and the place of birds of prey as deities, such as the harpy eagle in South America, the bald and golden eagles by Native Americans, and the vulture and falcon in ancient Egypt.

I have completed the first painting of 15, which depicts the golden eagle of the Mongolian eagle hunters. As I will be showing these for my thesis exhibition, I have chosen not to publish them online until after my exhibition. However, I will continuously be uploading the sketches and works in progress here as I complete them.

The second painting I am working on depicts the barn owl. A nice quote I found concerning the hunting skill of this intriguing bird is summed up quite well by Ted Andrews in his book, Animal Speak: "A barn owl can kill ten times the amount of mice than a cat in a single night and more if there are young to be fed.” This fact has been reiterated in a number of texts, including Iain Taylor's "Barn Owls: Predator-Prey Relationships and Conservation and Angus Cameron and Peter Parnall's The Nightwatchers. The fact that barn owls are simply excellent at hunting mice seems pervasive. Unfortunately, this knowledge wasn't always so widespread. Owls, as well as many buteos have historically been shot, trapped, and poisoned by farmers who incorrectly believe them to be poultry hunters. The ironic truth is that without these birds to control rodent populations, many a farmer finds his crops overrun by mice, voles, and other small mammals.

Here is one page of rough sketches:

For my final painting, I combined aspects of the bottom two. I liked the almost-profile view of the owl in flight, but I also wanted an owl perched, in the bottom left corner. I also found several problems with light sources (such as the moon behind the owl, which is illuminated from the other side), which I fixed in the final sketch.

This is the final drawing on the stretched watercolor paper (about 10.5 X 17 inches). I have purposefully left the owls undetailed, as I will be masking them with masking fluid to keep their edges crisp and white for when I do the first, broad washes for the background.

I have developed a fondness for barn owls after doing all this research on them. Their lifespans are strangely short for a bird of prey (under 8 years for most - owls in general usually live at least 10 to 15 years, and many hawks and eagles live up to 30 years in the wild). Paired with their almost ethereal appearance and presence, they seem almost otherworldly. Spiritual. Every time I look at the gray, white, and brown plumage of a barn owl, I cannot help but think of how these birds have such a natural aesthetic! I look forward to painting this one.

Art and birds

2009-01-30T21:44:00.001-08:00

Here is the first post of what shall hopefully be a good sketch and art journal.

For an introduction - my name is Brenda Lyons, and I am an illustrator currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia. For the record, I am a northerner through and through. However I'm in Atlanta, at the Savannah College of Art and Design, in my second-to-last quarter of graduate school. Come May, I will graduate with my Master of Fine Arts in Illustration. Right now, it's January and my heart yearns for snow! It's been in the 40s and I have my window open.

Every artist has their 'thing,' or more specifically, their subject. Mine is birds. Birds of prey, particularly, and even more specifically, falcons. The twist on my subject is fantasy - fantasy birds of prey. My dream would be to be able to combine the two - birds and art. I would love to be able to become involved in raptor rehabilitation along with my art. For about five years I volunteered at the Lutz Children's Museum in Manchester, CT as an animal caretaker. Since the museum took in both wild and domestic animals for rehabilitation and education programs, I encountered a number of hawks, owls, and a kestrel at one time. One who stands in my mind the most was a broad-winged hawk, who was a permanent resident of the museum due to an amputated wing. Her name was Casey, and she had a wonderful personality.

For art, I would love to become involved in the very wide world of fantasy illustration. Currently, I send my work to conventions and attend when I can. Conventions I've shown in include Dragon*Con (Atlanta, GA), MileHiCon (Denver, CO), and CONduit (Salt Lake City, UT), among others. Teaching college art is a career I plan on pursuing. I love being able to share knowledge with others and helping them develop and grow artistically.

Travel is more than just fun for me; it's also an artistic and emotional necessity. I've had quite a case of wanderlust ever since I made the cross-country voyage to Montana in 2003 with my brother. He was wonderful enough to rent a minivan so I could transport my belongings to college, and we made the trip from Connecticut to Montana, with the destination being Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. Originally I majored in Equestrian Studies, but after a year in the program, I realized art was where my heart really was. Though I ended up getting my B.A. in Studio Art, I still value that year I spent learning about riding and training horses. In addition, I have been to nearly every state, and I spent a semester in Galway, Ireland at the National University of Ireland, Galway. While over there, I also traveled to Germany and Italy.

I will use this journal to post sketches, works in progress, and finished works. However, here are links to my online galleries and website where my work prior to the creation of this blog can be found:

Falcon Moon Studio - The Art of Brenda Lyons
Windfalcon on DeviantART
Windfalcon on Epilogue