Although I have painted a few male ebony jewelwings, this is the first female that I’ve painted. They have more subtle coloration than the males, lacking the intense metallic green. Instead, they have more bronze tones with a touch … Continued
Damselflies have long been a favorite insect of mine. I remember first seeing them when I was very young. I thought they looked like little jewels. I’d see different varieties when we’d go to a nearby lake. All the damselflies, … Continued
Any day I see a bay-breasted warbler is a great one. This painting is based on photos of a cooperative male we found at Metzger marsh, at Crane Creek, OH. That is a phenomenal place to see migrant warblers … Continued
Forktail damselflies can be hard to tell apart in the field. The males have some diagnostic features making identification a little easier. Discerning the species of a female forktail is well beyond my abilities of identification. Nonetheless, they are beautiful … Continued
Although I did this painting few years ago, I scanned it in as it was being painted, so I thought it would be worth sharing as a “work in progress” series. PIleated woodpeckers lived in the woods around our house … Continued
I’ve been painting a lot of dragonflies lately. Lots of great color to play with. Here is the latest, a step-by-step through the process of painting a male ruby meadowhawk. These are really cooperative insects… so much so that my … Continued
Well, the chipmunks are out of hibernation here in Michigan, so it seems like a fitting time to share a step-by-step painting of one. Although they do plenty of damage to our garden, there is no denying that sure are … Continued
An oldie. This was a commissioned painting. The client wanted five male hummingbirds at the feeder. We settled on Blue-throated, Costa’s, Violet-crowned, Black-chinned, and Rufus Hummingbirds. It is an 18 x 24 inch transparent watercolor on Lana 140 lb HP Paper.
Anytime you have a lot of detail in both lights and darks right next to each other, especially when the area is small, it can be a difficult area to paint in watercolor. The colors can have a tendency to … Continued
This interactive Step-by-Step is of a basset hound called “Fritz” that I did as a commission. I thought it would be worthwhile putting together a demo with all the fur and grass that needed to be rendered in this example.