Searching for subtlety

Searching for subtlety

Today I am feeling the need for just enough...not too much ,just enough to say what it is, and that is harder than it looks.

I am drawn to owls I have painted them in many ways. Today I am after the subtle approach, I find an image I like and draw my barn owl on a piece of bockingford watercolour paper 21cm x 30cm 

Now I begin work on the eye, I need my owl to be alive. I am using a blue palette cerulean blue, indigo, and cobalt blues. I leave a very small dot of white paper, and add and take away paint. Until he's here , he's looking at me.

Sorry about the photo, but you can see the blues in the eye.

Now the difficult bit to add just enough colour and water to give the effect of feathers , I use a lot of water and I rub bits away as well as add colour. Dropping it onto the paper, I work outwards from the eye, and a lot of this work is instinctive, sometimes it works....

I want the painting to become looser and looser and I need to be careful.

Adding some yellow ochre, some blues and purples. 

I also need to add a hint at a background so there is a separation between the owl and the background.

I add flicks and splashes, I spray the paper with water and keep standing back to assess the damage. Until I feel he is done

Barn Owl ...

 

 

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1 comment

I have decided this is definitely my favourite painting. It is all the white space and the subtle colour blending which catches my eye. Lovely work I am so envious of your talent. Back to the brushes for me

Lesley Evangelides

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