Friday, December 07, 2007

Progress...Northern Shovelers Bog Brook Wetlands...Oil

A bit more work today, defining softening background
and refining and strengthening form of the pair of
ducks-



















I think the painting as a painting is coming along nicely, but
I'm still missing the mark a degree to where I wanted more
suggestion of motion. A Manfred Schatz I am not...but, the
ducks are still in keeping with my painterly treatment of the
background, feather groups suggested.

Here is a closeup of the drake shoveler...and clicking on it
will show the unique coloration and brushwork...

4 comments:

James said...

First I will say I like the painting even if it doesn't have the movement.

I think the earlier stage was cool where you could see through all of the wings to some extent. (The lower bird still has some of that.) I don't know if the movement would come from blurred edges alone. Schatz uses a minimal suggestion.

Larry Seiler said...

Thanks James...
and Schatz backgrounds are quite simple, little variation in values...softened, and often obscurred.

His career is safe with me! hahaaa...

I have no intent to become a "bird" artist...but remain a painter where wildlife at times may consume my interest. I was purely a wildlife artist the first near 20 years of my painter's life...now more aptly a painter of the outdoors.

It would take quite a commitment to get this wing thing down...and my chances will improve after this next spring arrives, and I can take a good number of pics or even video at a wildlife sanctuary I'm familiar with. Shooting at slower shutter speeds...

take care

James said...

Yeah, I think you have the right idea on you quest.

I recently tried a figurative of a cyclocross racer here. It had a similar goal; painting from my blurred reference shot where there are parts that are blurred and parts that are "ghosted" away including half of the back wheel. (And no, I was not satisfied -- it either needs to get tighter or more abstract.)

Larry Seiler said...

Hey James..

still that is a noble and honest attempt at it...and you know as well as I...much easier to judge such efforts as no big deal until it is tried.

Heck...not so easy!!!!

take care