I apologize for my long absence. I regret to admit that I have no good excuse other than my own laziness. Nonetheless, I have still been painting avidly. This is one I did a few weeks ago. It was very different from anything I had ever done before. In fact, it is my first attempt at flowers and among my first attempts at a natural setting.
It is completely original. I took the base photos myself for the tree, leaves, flowers, and hummingbird feeder. For the hummingbird, I examined several pictures of its form online, in varying positions, before sketching it freehand directly onto the watercolor paper.
Flowers
- What I discovered while painting the flowers was that most shades and textures needed to be layered. Each flower has at least five or more layers. Start with the base color (this would be the lightest shade) and, while the base is still wet, add the basic shading. This will create a smooth flow of color. Wait for it to dry. Then add more shading, creating your next darkest layer. Continue adding new layers for shading. After this, begin adding the texture and creases of the petals. Fill in the center of your flow in the same manner as the petals. Finally, with a liner (a very thin brush), add any extra detail that you see in your reference picture (or in your mind, should you be working from your head.)
Feathers
- First, apply a base coat with the lightest color and basic shading (like the flowers). Then, layer. In this painting, where the feathers were the very small ones of a hummingbird, I used a liner for all detail. In paintings of birds with larger feathers, use a slightly larger brush until you get to the fine detail. Then, switch to a liner.
Overall
- The theme of this entire painting was layers. Layer after layer after layer. Everything had layers, all using the same basic technique (ex. Flowers, Feathers.) Do not underestimate the power of layers, and don't think that you can add all the detail you need in one layer.
