Eagle wip - (xpost cp)

[catchlight]

This is an eagle I've just started working on. It's 8x10 on drafting film with coloured pencils. I've never actually tried an eagle before, so hopefully I can work those feathers out! :D

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/21-Nov-2006/57873-eagle_1.jpg

[aRt4us]

Looking very nice so far, you'll do the feathers fine. I've seen your work.

Fun painting
Gary

[LEIGH RUST]

Hey Wendy, you'll do great. Just take your time with the feathers and all will be good.

[PatrickHedges]

Looking forward to this :) Wendy, pardon my ignorance, what's drafting film?

[Bertoni]

Wendy:
I can tell, this is going to be a winner!! :thumbsup:
Can't wait to see the next WIP!!

[sati]

Gorgeous start!! I'll be watching. I'm sure you will master the feather challenge just fine.

:clap:

Linda

[jody007]

Wendy I no you can do those feathers, I have seen your work. This is off to a magnificent start. I will be watching.
Jody

[cyber_holic]

Looking fab! You keep at it! I know you can do those feathers! :clap::clap:

[catchlight]

thanks guys! I'm glad you all have faith in me, I wasn't quite so certain believe me :D

Well with some trepidation, into the feathers we go.....I'm not too displeased with it so far. I think my plan to pretend it's multidirectional fur seems to be working LOL. I should really have done the background by now, I usually would, so I ought to get on with that sometime soon!

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/21-Nov-2006/57873-eagle_2.jpg

[catchlight]

oops sorry patrick, I forgot to answer your question :D

Drafting film is a thin plastic (like mylar but thinner) film that has a frosted surface (kind of like a frosted lightbulb) that works really well as a support for things like graphite, coloured pencils, pen and I've even done acrylic paintings on it (its' quite slippery so that's not so easy). I think it's originally meant to be used for things like architectural work etc but a lot of cp artists are starting to use it as well. Gayle (glenspey) uses it for cp with airbrushed backgrounds for her pieces. It's my favourite surface these days :D

[Sumariel]

Hey, Wendy, this is looking great, as your work always does!
Suzi

[PatrickHedges]

Thanks Wendy. Oh, and that 'fur' looks great :lol:

[Sumariel]

Wendy, I can get Mylar at my local drafting supply store, where could I get some Grafix, without making a major investment in an entire box of it?
Suzi

[Iaartist]

This is looking very good!

[catchlight]

hehe thanks guys :D

suzi, I'm not too sure about grafix? I know drafting film isn't quite the same as mylar, but I know that you can buy drafting film in pads from dick blick. it's called duralar matte on there I think. I buy mine from my local art store (which also has drafting supplies - so if your art store doesn't carry it, you can always try looking for somewhere that supplies architects etc) where they carry it in open stock but keep it in shelves behind the counter so it doesn't get dirty or bent.

I did a post about it on my blog which tells you pretty much all I know on film if that helps?

[Sumariel]

Thanks, Wendy, that does help! Am trying out Stonehenge right now, it is not bad, but I have liked everything you have had to say about drafting film and wanted to try it without making a major investment, will check out Blick's as a source, I appreciate your getting back to me!
Suzi

[catchlight]

No problems Suzi :D It's great if you can find it at your art store especially because you can possibly buy it one sheet at a time. Here, it's only about a dollar for an a4 size so it's pretty cheap to buy that way! Once you start with it, it's pretty addictive :D

[Sumariel]

Item: GAS-12308 $9.29
Grafix® Dura-Lar™ Acetate Alternative
11x14", 4 mil. thick, 12 sheets per pad


FOUND!!!!!!!! At the local teacher's store!!!!!!!!! Oh, I may be in heaven!! It's affordable! Thank you very much for all of your help, Wendy! You are, indeed, a gem!!
Suzi

[Piper Ballou]

Wendy, you are off to a great start....i am pulling up my chair to watch.
piper

[jody007]

I am still watching and loving it.
Jody

[bjcpaints]

Hi Wendy! Fur, feathers, You can do it! I'll check back!

[catchlight]

Excellent Suzi!!! It really is a good priced support, much cheaper than hotpress paper for instance and I love to work on it far more! :) can't wait to see how you get on!

Thanks Piper, Jodi and Barbara! Hopefully you still think it's okay now...

I'm getting a little more confident...and a lot more bored...with the feathers now :D I'm a little bored with the colour of it as it is in the ref, I think I may have to break out a few weird colours shortly and liven the whole thing up a bit :D It may not end up strictly accurate on the colour front, but the whole brown and white thing is getting a little boring LOL :D

I'm also really curious as to what type of eagle this might be because I don't actually know :D I'm thinking maybe Golden Eagle? Although he seems a little light for that?

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-Nov-2006/57873-eagle_3.jpg

[catchlight]

Rofl, I just thought, with that patch of feathers missing off the top of his head...maybe he's a bald eagle. Okay THAT was an utterly terrible joke! *groan*

[PatrickHedges]

Bald Eagle :lol: Hilarious :clap:
I'm thinking Golden Eagle too as I've just done one and found that there's many variations to their colour and also beak colouring too.

...and a lot more bored...with the feathers now :D I'm a little bored with the colour of it as it is in the ref, I think I may have to break out a few weird colours shortly and liven the whole thing up a bit :D It may not end up strictly accurate on the colour front, but the whole brown and white thing is getting a little boring LOL :D
:mad: Thanks a bundle!!! Guess what I've just started?? A Wedge Tailed Eagle!! Guess what colour it is?? Flippin' BROWN!! :envy:

Looks like I'll be entering yawnland too :lol:


Mind you, absolutely love your progress so far. Just make certain you pop a few feathers on top of the head to avoid confusion :p

[catchlight]

LOL Patrick! Tonight my hubby said
"If I had a dollar for every time you've said 'I hate feathers' today, I would have had enough money to hire someone to paint the darn thing for you!"

I guess I'm possibly not going to turn out to be a famous bird painter somehow!

hehe well I guess browns not ALL bad! If I had to do it over and it wasn't my first eagle, I think I'd probably go for an optical mix sort of brown by using colours like reds, blues, yellows etc all sort of mixed as I worked to make a brown when you look at it. That probably would have kept me much more amused. Probably would have been a darn funny looking eagle though!

hehe he's not bald anymore now, I've sent him to "Advanced Hair, yeah yeah". I just have to get a photo tomorrow when it's daylight to prove it. Hopefully I can restrain myself from making anymore dreadful jokes...although I don't hold out much hope :D

[Michael_Tewanka]

Wendy it looks great , very realistic eye;) You really give me inspiration of finishing the Bald eagle I'm working on right now, In my opinion your's is a golden eagle or sometimes cald a brown eagle.:thumbsup: Grtz Michael

[FaeLynn]

lol Hi Wendy!
I love this guy so far, you are doing great!
I bet you'll be done with him by the time I get back from work today:-)
Looking foirward to it!
~Fae

[catchlight]

Thanks Michael, I think I'll say he's a Golden Eagle since that sounds like the most likely one! thanks :D

LOL Fae, home from work yet? :D He's all done...ish

Here's an update, probably the final :D I did some colouring on the back to darken things up on the front a bit (one of the handy things about film, if you run out of grip on the front, just use the back, it's translucent so it can show through). I may do more yet, it's at the don't look at it for a couple of days stage I think :)

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/23-Nov-2006/57873-eagle_5.jpg

[PatrickHedges]

Wow Wendy. You really motored along there, didn't you!! Brown though the feathers may be, you've still managed to get a lot of colour into them. I think it's fantastic and really powerful. You've captured that 'power' side of it perfectly.

Thanks for the tip on the film. I bought a sheet yesterday and noticed it was translucent, so the 'other side' theory will get a workout. :)

[catchlight]

Oh cool Patrick! Can't wait to hear what you think of it : D