I often paint things in the “wrong” season. I have to admit it’s a bit odd to be painting an icy cold winter scene of a Mourning Dove when it’s over 90º F outside. Maybe it’s better? It’s certainly easier to be enthusiastic about a beautiful winter scene when you are not freezing cold, day in and day out.
I had a blast with this little painting. I set out to see if I could get a super-soft background that incorporated the best features of airbrush with the best of a watercolor wash. In the past I relied heavily on the airbrush for smooth backgrounds with soft shading. It was easy to “squirt in a background” and add soft, blurry background elements. They looked great, but I found that I always preferred a true watercolor wash. On this painting I did wet-on-wet washes and glazes to build up what I think is a nice, soft background. It has the look of a low depth-of-field photo but maintains some of the unpredictable nature of a watercolor wash.
Lynn
This is so pretty. We have mourning doves in our yard most of the year. They do a great job cleaning up from the feeders.
Matt
Thanks, Lynn! They are great birds. THey don’t seem to have a mean bone in their bodies.