365 Paintings in 365 Days #74

Blue Heron
11x14 inches
Oil on Canvas.

Learning Points:

1. Still learning "broken color" you can see it in the rocks

2. Water reflection: The reference image actually showed a mirror image, instead I made it more interesting by making the reflection not look exactly like what was reflecting

3. Underpainting and sketch for wet on wet ala prima. I sketched in the image first and lightly sprayed with a fixative. Then, I did a toned wash in burnt sienna with a mix of fast drying medium. I waited about 10 minutes and then wiped it off with the paper towel and it left a light yellow tone stain behind. This gives a little bit of color behind the blue to shine through.

4. Loosening up. I set a goal to paint this is an hour to try to get me out of obsessing. Once the hour was up, I stopped (not including sketching and doing the toned ground) I still think my brush strokes are a little too tight on the bird, but I will get better.

5. What not to do. I should have graduated the color of the water instead of painting it exactly like the photograph; which I am sure was edited. I thought it looked cool in the photograph, not so in the painting.

note: "guilty confession" I could not leave it alone and even though I stopped painting at an hour, this morning I still added some highlights, and deleted the image here and reposted it. So....still OCD on painting....but trying....going to get some coffee now and contemplate on my actions lol!