Bluejay (Acrylic on canvas)

Hello again!

I got an easel and I think that it was a major game-changer. For this piece I drew the bluejay sketch first, then I did the background. This left a slight 'aura' around the bird, which I attempted to correct by adding another layer to the background. Since I have no idea how to do backgrounds well yet, I decided to focus on the subject and went with an abstract background. I will be getting a new brush to help me with blending for the next painting.

While I still have to experiment more, I am pleased with my growth--and thankful for your advice on my last piece. I tried to take that advice and apply it to this painting. As always, I am open to critiques--I want to keep learning! I really enjoy being creative and sharing my work with others.

Also, any requests for what I should try to paint next?

Have a great day, everyone!

a reply to: rukia

Excellent , you got the bird down to a tee.
I think you've captured the underbelly and top of the legs perfectly.

a reply to: rukia

It's a beautiful painting! He looks well fed though. Lol

a reply to: rukia

Nothing wrong with your background. Very nice piece. Whats always intrigued me is the worth of Van Gogh's art. If you look at them critically they come nowhere near the detail of Monet's paintings.

The bird is proportioned well, the background balanced.

I looked at your art in this thread www.abovetopsecret.com... You are very talented.

Nice painting.

I rarely call anything beautiful. My vocabulary has about five different words, nice, decent, interesting, OK, or different.

Wow, or holy cow might apply sometimes.

a reply to: rukia

It is a wonderful painting!

a reply to: rukia

He really pops out of the background. I like it. Did you intend for the background to look like a close-up of plummage or was it a happy accident?

I watched a documentary about Marianne North the other day, I'd never heard of her before (probably hence the documentary title, The Forgotten Queen of Kew Gardens - or something to that effect). The vibrancy, and realism, of her work reminded me of your painting of the Red Cardinal.

She might be able to give you some ideas in terms of composition.

prints.kew.org...

a reply to: KilgoreTrout

'Twas a happy accident

And thank you kindly!!

This is beautiful.