Vermilion Flycatcher Male-In Watercolor + 1

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Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

It was rainy last week which kept #1 Grandson and myself indoors. Some of the things I’m trying to teach him are coloring, writing, and painting.  One rainy morning I set up his paints, paper, brushes, water bowl, and crayons. While he was giving his crayons a bath, and finger painting I reached for a piece of his Artist Loft watercolor paper then using my brushes dipped into his Artist Loft’s watercolor palette to paint a loose rendition of the Vermilion Flycatcher I had photographed the previous week-end.

Vermilion Flycatcher in Watercolor

 

A few days later I tried to paint it with a bit more structure and detail using my Turner Watercolor paints, and Arches 140lb cold pressed watercolor paper.

Vermilion Flycatcher Male in Watercolor

I like the loose painting best even though the pigment isn’t as rich and the paper hasn’t much tooth.

The Reference Photo-

Vermilion Flycatcher-Male

The following evening instead of watching TV or reading I went in a different direction and painted Poppies.

Poppies in Watercolor

I used my Turner Watercolor Paints, and Arches Watercolor 140lb cold pressed paper for

this painting.  I’ve been doing poppies on and off for a few months and I like this one the best so far.  I have a LONG way to go before I’m anything other than mediocre as a painter, but I’m having fun learning and trying.

Panasonic Lumix FZ200| Lexar Professional Digital Film| PS CC 2015|

More to come…

31 thoughts on “Vermilion Flycatcher Male-In Watercolor + 1”

    1. Oh gosh, this was back when it was new. As it turns out I’m not that impressed with the camera’s long end. Which is why I bought it.

      I hope you see the Vermillion Flycatcher one day, Gordon he’s a beauty! Dali and I drove all the way up to Maxwell to see it.

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  2. Pingback: Draw a Bird Day Roundup for February 2016 | method two madness

  3. Wow! So many lovely watercolour paintings! I love the looseness of the first one. And the vibrant colours are delightful. Did you use the straw blowing technique on just the grass? I’ve never heard of it but your grass looks really cool.

    I recently got some watercolours and they feel quite alien. One of these days I’ll actually paint with a youtube tutorial instead of just watching it! Thanks for the inspiration! Are there any special tricks to the straw method?

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    1. Thank you so much Myriam! Yes, I did use the “straw blowing” technique on to paint the grass and branches. I loved the effect.
      No, it’s dead simple! Put down some light puddles of color then with a straw blow so the puddles streak and spread.
      I used a straw that is flexible near the top so I was able to bend it a bit.

      I’m still using YouTube tutorials to help me with techniques, and motivation. I probably will for some years if not life.
      I need to spend more time with the “parts” of the whole rather than just the whole, and sketching period.

      Open up those paints and give it a whirl! You’re so creative, and a talented artist already that I think your learning curve with this medium won’t be long.

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      1. Thanks Deborah :-). I like working on my skills by focusing on parts and sketching. Then I feel better prepared when I work on the whole. I did that when I drew the owl. I wasn’t sure how to draw eyes so I drew only the eyes a bunch of times. With the watercolours, right now, I’m mostly working on mixing colours and figuring out what the heck the paint does when I put it on paper. The straw method is a must try. Maybe I can work it into a bird painting too!

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    1. Thank you so much Donna! I don’t think I can. I’ve been working on it off and on since grade school. It’s only been since my 30’s on that I’ve made any progress beyond hills, and stick figures. This is worse than Piano! As long as it’s fun I’ll keep trying!
      Thank you so much for your kind comment!

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    1. LOL! That’s how I feel I paint too! After a lifetime of struggling and trying to paint and draw I am finally slightly better than drawing stick figures!

      Thanks so much for the comment Dan. I appreciate your insights, and comments very much.

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  11. Watercolor is the hardest of all mediums! What I also find is that progress is much slower than with oil or pastel. But I love the loose-ness of it in your first pic and I’m using the same Arches paper.!

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