background studies II

[cyrillejubert]

I am lost. I cannot find out where the first chapter is. It was about woodcocks painted with watercolor with a very stylised background. I show you the next paintings .. these are on commission. It could be interesting for you because i learned a lot betwwen the first and the second one. My client wanted realistic birds in a stylised background... He thought that my woodcock 's background was close to chinese, japonese and arab calligraphy... Calligraphy was important.
I chose a framed pastel paper, straw colored. It was not easy to use when it was wet. It was making so much waves you could be sea-sick.
My first subject was a quail and logically, I chose wheat field as background.
I am not proud at all of the bird. It is flat and stiff. On this colored paper, i did not know how to get the light. Even if I am a bit ashamed to show here such a childish work, I assume it because The second one is such better that it shows the improvement.
The back-ground is painted with walnut stain more or less diluted, wet on wet. It is a very difficult matter to use. The wheat straws show the color of the paper and I draw them with different sizes of ink felt pens.

[ripvanblair]

This is excellent, fantastic detail in this one-----bravo-------Alan

[cyrillejubert]

Here is the second one the partirdge
Same paper about 30 x 40 cm 16x12 inches
Same technique but a much better painting
(If it works, because the uploader does not want to work with my iMac ?)
I post you a better view

[cyrillejubert]

What did I learn between the two paintings ?
On a colored paper, if you want to add luminosity to your colors and to your subject,
- you wet the part you will paint
- you add a light drop of white drawing ink on this wet part of your drawing
- and then you paint your subject, when it is still wet
- eventually details when it is dry.

A friend of mine, use white gouache.. but I prefer my ink
Here is a better view

[Yorky]

These are fantastic Cyrille, so much detail!

Doug

[painterbear]

Bonjour Cyrille,

Most of us would have been absolutely thrilled to paint something as wonderful as your woodcock, but, after seeing your pheasant, I understand what you mean when you say you learned a lot in the time between the two paintings.

The pheasant's feathers are fabulous, love the whites in there and the way the feathers sit on top of one another. The calligraphy of the reeds is exceptional too.

Both are lovely examples of your talent.

BTW, congratulations on earning your first star.

[madmum]

Superb realistic work!!!! I think the stylised settings set the birds off very well. Thank you for sharing, Cyrille

Ruth

[kaybob99]

You should be very proud of both these watercolors. Both are excellent. Good job!

[frieda_maye]

I think the second is very realistic, such a great job at capturing it's action, too. I just love its feather work, well, everything about it. It is excellent. your customer should be very pleased
Thank you for sharing about the white ink. I have never heard of that, im not even sure i understand it but it looks like it would be a lot of fun to explore that idea.

thanks for sharing!

Frieda

[babybrush]

here is the link to your other thread. it is in the Animal and wildlife Forum. I really love this stuff. it's so classy.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/show...threadid=91653

Bethany

[cyrillejubert]

Originally posted by frieda_maye
I think the second is very realistic, such a great job at capturing it's action, too. I just love its feather work, well, everything about it. It is excellent. your customer should be very pleased
Thank you for sharing about the white ink. I have never heard of that, im not even sure i understand it but it looks like it would be a lot of fun to explore that idea.

thanks for sharing!

Frieda

I am sorry... my english is far as good as I had like it to be...
But I know the translation machine is worse.. I am sure some one here knows this trick with white ink and can explain it better than I did. You have here the proof it could be a great improvement sometimes.
Does anyone allready submit to the "bird in art's contest" ?
I will try once more this year...

[cyrillejubert]

"A star is born" Thank's a lot... it is pined just in the middle of my heart.

This client was really happy with these "calligraphies" ... we became real friends. He is a great wildlife sculptor. (bronze)
The next bird I painted for him was the snipe on the right. The landscape is the mouth of the Seine, where I go for snipes. I painted it with my memory. but my client found it to realistic. This painting was published in the snipe hunter's magazine of this month.
So I painted the snipe on the left. Difficult to be more graphic. The drawing is with felt pens. The leaves of the reeds were a mix of watercolor and gold ink from Windsor & Newton. The effects were very interesting, but even on my photo, I cannot see the gold "nuggets" shining. The green background is pure regular watercolor.

[Joni St. Martin]

Cyrille,

Your work is superb! Very well done.

Regards,

Joni

[frieda_maye]

The snipe looks really good too. I have never tried such a difficult bird. But thanks to you , now i will know what it is called when i see one next. Both backgrounds are great too. the pool at the snipes feet is nice. and the grasses are masterful. I have so much to learn.
today i went to the library and looked at bird books. You might check out Louis Agassiz Fuertes' watercolors of birds. I find them to be amazing. He became famous for his bird paintings, for his incredible detail and unlike Audubon, he included detailed backgrounds.

Thanks again for sharing

[Little Old Lady]

Wonderful realistic birds. Can't understand how you get such amazing results working on pastel paper.
JoAnn