Female Forktail Damselfly Step-by-Step
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
Pileated Woodpecker Step-by-Step
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
Brown-headed Cowbird Sketch
Birders are never to happy to see brown-headed cowbirds. They are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other birds. Its not uncommon to see a tiny common yellow-throat warbler trying to feed an enormous baby cowbird almost … Continued
Ruby Meadowhawk Dragonfly Step-by-step
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
Airbrushes vs. Washes
I have spent a lot of time using airbrushes and really loved them for a long time. If you want a perfectly smooth background or soft gradient, they are hard to beat. They excel at very soft and very hard … Continued
Eastern Chipmunk (Painting Fur) Step-by-Step
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
Coke Bottle Hummingbird Feeder
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.
Liquid Frisket Fix–it
Liquid frisket is a handy thing for anyone who does a lot of watercolor. I tend to use it as little as possible. It ruins brushes and there is only so fine a line you can get with it. Because … Continued
Bluet Damselfly Pencil Sketch
I’ve been sketching a lot of damselfly and dragonflies from photos that I took last summer. I’m already looking forward to this summer’s crop. They are fascinating creatures to watch.
Burrowing Owl Transparent Watercolor
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