Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Cinco de Mayo Flamingo

Well, no, it's not a Cinco de Mayo flamingo at all - but it is Cinco de Mayo (and here's hoping that run of swine flu/H1N1/whatever we are naming it has done it's worst in Mexico and they can enjoy their day - their week - and the rest of the summer).

And I took a different route on the flamingo, taking a single flamingo photo Jerry took and working with it on 1/4 sheet with the intent of using both opaque and transparent colors (for my color group). I've never used opaques much at all and found when I searched my colors that, according to Daniel Smith, I only have 3 tubes of opaque color and one was a color Sandy M. gave me (love it - a lemony, acidy yellow called Vanadate Bismuth Yellow). So I just mixed a staining Phthalo Blue (GS) with a blob of white gouache and put that down over most of the water - but first I put down the Vanadate Bismuth Yellow in the upper left edge with the intent to go over it with the Phthalo Blue (GS) and get a nice green.


When painting with the opaque Phthalo Blue, I did drop in some pure white gouache (it's Winsor Newton Titanium White) here and there to show the clouds. Then I realized I will need to play a bit more and darken that too blue/too pretty color. So I covered the whole bird with Pebeo Drawing Gum (my favorite miskit).

That's where it stands right now and I may get to play a bit today - in between sweeping, mopping, stripping the kitchen floor and rewaxing, etc. Gotta get it done in between headaches!

8 comments:

laura said...

It's looking great, Rhonda. I don't use thalo (or winsor) blue--they're both so vibrant, I shy away ... but I love it in your painting; great idea to add the white--the reflections/ripples in the water are fabulous.
What size is the painting?

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Laura. I don't usually use the Phthalo Blue, either, but thought I'd try it - wonder how adding gouache changes its properties? The size is 1/4 sheet only - just a study, really, for the larger one to come.

Cathy Gatland said...

This is looking great - I love those blues and greens and your water looks so very watery! Hope you get time to carry on with it soon - I too am getting bogged down in headaches - concentrated painting sessions seem like a forgotten dream!

Nava said...

Flamingos are so graceful - I took some photos of them which I've always wanted to paint, which never happened.

I really like where your painting is heading. Wise choice on getting away from too-pretty.

Ann Buckner said...

The movement in the water is looking good Rhonda. Hope you keep that going. :)

RH Carpenter said...

Wonder what it is about these headaches, Cathy? Hope you are painfree soon - it's hard to be creative when your head is pounding. And you are having fall there (my worst time here is fall).
Nava, always good to see a post from you - it's easy to be too pretty with watercolor at times! Have to tone down the sweetness :)
Ann, thanks, I won't do anything else to the water unless it needs more after the birdie is almost done.

Teresa Palomar Lois said...

That water is looking great, I love the ruffles (or whatever they are called) and the vivid colors, but most of all I like that it makes me wanna dive in! that have to mean it's really well done, right? can't wait to see the colors on the flamingo

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Teresa! Dive right in, I'm sure the flamingo will make room - and since you're Spanish, you could be a....wait for it...Flamingo Dancer! ha ha