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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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 is a pencil sketch of a meadowhawk dragonfly. In hot weather they often perch with their abdomens pointed at the sun. This decreases the surface area of their body being heated by the sun so they don’t overheat. At … Continued