Landing

Landing
Watercolor, 2012
10" x 18"
Gift to Cameron MacLeod

My first bird in watercolor that isn't a Chickadee. This is a female house finch from a photo online. My goal was to capture the translucent wing feathers and the motion of the bird. I was drawn to the photo because of the wing tips caught in stop-motion.

The wing feathers are a light wash of Ultramarine Blue (Daniel Smith) and Burnt Umber (Windsor Newton). I let the pigment sit in the outline of the feather then drop water without paint into the middle and let it push the pigment to the outside line. This defines the feather and makes it translucent. I then embellished the feather with either a pure blue or dark brown pigment to create interesting highlights. The body is heavy pigment of Burnt Umber and just a little Ultramarine Blue.

**note - it is frowned upon to use another persons photo as reference without their permission. I sent the photographer a note asking for permission and never heard back. I went ahead with the painting promising myself that I would not "profit" off the work if it "turned out."  (that last sentence is hilarious). I chalk this egregious faux pas up to my education in watercolor.