Painting again!

I’m back painting again! Working on a fun little piece of a pair of Cardinals checking out a new home! Here’s my sketch. It will be painted on a 10 inch by 10 inch Ampersand Cradled Panel purchased from JerrysArtarama.com.

I’ve printed out the pictures I’m using for reference and taped them to my easel where they are easy to see. The basic plan for the painting is sketched on the panel with a thin oil wash of MUD (2 parts Ultramarine Blue + 1 part Alizarin Crimson) + Liquin. I’ve primed the panel with white acrylic and then painted the 1.5 inch sides with Black acrylic. Please remember as you read through my blog, you may click on any of the images to see them larger.

After the birds and the little bird house are drawn I begin blocking in the Morning Glories with oil washes of Magenta + Liquin and Dioxazine Purple + Liquin.

The background is covered with combinations, in several different proportions, of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + Cadmium Yellow Medium + White and Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White. The soft greens will make the Red Male Cardinal POP! It will also accentuate the subtle red tones in the Mama bird.

The heart shape of the Morning Glory leaves mimic the heart shaped opening of the sweet little bird house. The foliage is made of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Yellow and Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Yellow Medium + Lemon Yellow. Vines are drawn into the wet paint with some of the darker greens as well as warmer mixes of MUD + Cadmium Orange + White.

The painting is signed while the leaves are still wet. If the underlying paint was dry my brush would hop and skip over the bumps, making it difficult to make the calligraphy smooth. Thank you for following along today, we will finish up in our next session. I’m even going to have a video demonstration showing how I paint Mr. Chippers, the Red Northern Cardinal. With Colorful Smiles,

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