Both using Golden High Flow Acrylics on Strathmore 400 acrylic paper.
I experimented with painting one on a golden background and the other with a gray underpainting. Both methods created unusual effects. The golden background definitely made the painting bright and crisp. The gray underpainting looked nearly done on its own. I added several layers of paint, but I’ve learned to test colors first for transparency as some of the shadows were blotted out and needed repainting.
This cutie was studying my neighbors when I snapped its picture. I used a second reference photo of a field of weeds for the background.
Golden High Flow Acrylics can be used much like watercolor, so there’s a comfortable familiarity for me. They’re great for glazing. I love the glow that appears when a layer of Nickel Azo Gold is brushed over pretty much any other color. I’m struggling with detail, though. I either overdo it with a bold color or wash everything out with too much white. For this one, I ended up using some colored pencil for the finer lines.
I used a watercolor canvas board for this tiny 5″x7″ painting. Next, I’ll try these acrylics on paper.
This one started as a winter scene but I honestly got confused with adding snow, so I swapped back to warm weather. I used two reference photos from Paint My Photo, and the branches and leaves were from observing the crab apple in our yard–with plenty of artistic license.
I used a piece of Strathmore 500 Illustration Board for this, and I absolutely loved it. It’s sturdy, takes water, and has a very minimal texture. Expensive? Yes, but it’s perfect for this medium.
Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever paint anything but birds. They’ve fluttered around my brushes and pencils and paper for the past few months, and now that I’m pairing them with Inktense as a medium, they’re not showing signs of flying south.
The Bluejay and Goldfinch photos come from Paint My Photo yet again, a wonderful place to find all those closeups you can’t take yourself.
Although I’m pleased with the rainy day Bluejay, I like the colors in the Goldfinch painting. Inktense is responsive to layering, so anything that looks plain or washed out can be strengthened with a quick second or third gazing.
