So on a wet and windy day in gloomy February I have decided to return to a subject I have painted many , many times before. Hares. I love the intelligence in their eyes and the power in their bodies.We are lucky enough to see them from time to time, but when we do it is always a glimpse before they rush back into the the landscape from where they came.
Firstly I find a photo to use and sketch out the body, I use masking fluid to mark out the whiskers
Then I concentrate on the head, you can see the circle I have drawn in the eye , this needs to stay white to reflect the light. I want to depict the power of a hare, it's single mindedness as it rushes past. Think about the bones and the muscles underneath the fur.
Keep you brushstrokes confident and only add what needs to be there
I move my board around in the direction of movement, as I move away from the head , my brushes get bigger and so do the marks make. I use yellow ochre for a base of much of the hare and drop in other colours as I go. yellow ochre is a great base colour but don't add too much pigment , it can make it dull. I add browns and reds to it, and use cobalt blue and cad red mixed together for shadows.
Now you need to be brave and just go for it. I have probably added more detail than I first intended, but paintings evolve as you paint them
Stand back and add the shadows , the lights , the darks, see where you need to add more and the bits you want to fade away
I use my spray bottle, and I flick paint
I like to add unexpected colours, the blues and purples, and the I like to add some quick flicks of white acrylic paint.
You can be as bold as you dare, see where the watercolours take you
3 comments
Hi Shirley I have added the Running Hare to the website
Thank you for that. Very helpful. I’m trying to psyche myself up ‘back to painting’. ?Artists block? Lolololol.
How much is this painting