Sweet Little Bird

Today I have a sweet little watercolor bird to share with you.

I started out by sketching my bird using a watercolor pencil. Then I painted the background around my bird sketch. By painting the branches on wet paper it created soft dreamy distant branches. I love how it sets the mood. 😊

little bird on 8 x 8 inch fluid watercolor paper block

I worked on the bird and branch in the foreground next. The detail and additional layers of color brought the bird forward and into focus.

I hope you are inspired to create art and have fun. Until next time, share a smile and shine on!

Patty Anne 💙

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Updating a Winter Cardinal

While sorting through some paintings I came across a Cardinal that I painted three years ago. I liked the painting but something just wasn’t right so I never posted it. Today I’ll share with you how the update turned out.

Happy Sunday! 💚

This was the painting from 2018 before I made any updates.

Where I decided to make a few changes:
-the far side of the head should have a partial view of the other eye
-cleaning up the claws a little and maybe adding one that I noticed was missing
– a few darker areas on the tail and body
– bumping up some of the red color

9 x 12 inch Winter Cardinal – after the update

Rounding out the far side of the head and making the hidden eye slightly visible was exactly what this painting needed. That little change alone made a big difference. Now I can finally say this one is finished and I really like it. 🙂

I will be taking a blogging break for a few weeks and returning after the new year. I’m looking forward to spending time with family and making new cherished memories.

Wishing you peace and joy this holiday season,

Patty Anne

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Little birdies this week

I have a couple watercolor birdies to share with you today.  These little cuties were simple and fun. 😊

Happy Sunday, friends! 💚

 

A little birdie under painting, wet on wet dropping in different colors. I didn’t sketch anything first, just an oval shape for my bird and a flat oval for the top of the pot below him.

 

I added some ink detail with a few different colored micron pens. Then I sprinkled some joyful feathers, hearts, and flowers all over.

 

I wanted my second bird to be looking up and have a different type of eye. Here I was playing around trying to find a cute shape that I could easily duplicate. I also wanted a few soft feathers and so I worked on that a little bit too.

 

This little sweetie started off in the same way as the first bird. I decided to change up the colors on this one and to have him surrounded by flowers on a branch.

I tried to keep it soft and so I only added small ink touches. I like how the bird kind of blends into the tree. I kept the detail to a minimum so that it would be a little dreamy.

I hope you are inspired to create art and do more of what you love. Thank you for stopping by and following me on this creative journey.

Until next time, share a smile and stay excellent!

🌸  Patty Anne   🌸

#worldwatercolormonth … it’s going on now 😀

find me on Instagram @pattyanneart

Patty Anne Art

 

Backyard Cardinal and watercolor

I snapped a cute photo of a female Cardinal on my backyard feeder. I thought it would be fun to paint this lovely bird and share my watercolor process with you.

Happy Sunday!

My painting inspiration and backyard capture… a lovely Cardinal ❤

I started thinking about the colors I would need for this painting while viewing the photo on my laptop.  Below is a little test sheet with notes on the colors mixed and used.

 

Color mixing notes (Daniel Smith watercolors)
Orange:  Quinacridone Rose and Hansa Yellow light
Brown:  Yellow Ochre and Payne’s Gray
Red:  Deep Scarlet and Payne’s Gray
Purple:  Ultramarine Blue, Quinacridone Rose, and Payne’s Gray

The initial sketch and first light wash

With the first wash I put down enough color to define the overall shape and create a nice base to build on.

I just love her gorgeous feather tiara. 🙂  She looks like the queen of the backyard.

 

 The second wash starts to bring things to life as I build up color and add some darker values. As you can see, there is still more work that needs to be done.

 

The third wash builds up even more color and includes the addition of a background. I thought it was finished at this point. But after the painting dried I decided it needed a few more small details. I used a black micron pen with a very small tip (.005) and a white gel pen for the additional details.

 

I also brightened up the green a bit in the background before calling this one done.

Watercolor Tips:

• Test out your colors on scrap paper first and write down notes on color mixing.
• When sketching on watercolor paper, be careful to use a light touch. I recently used some new paper and found that it easily became bruised from my pencil markings. I realized the problem only after I started painting…..lesson learned and a good reminder going forward.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my watercolor process and are inspired to create art.

Thank you for stopping by and following along. Until next time, share a smile and do something you love.

Happy Painting!

Patty Anne

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Patty Anne Art

 

Backyard Bluebird

This little bluebird stopped by for a visit recently.  Luckily I had my new camera in hand  when this little guy arrived. I did my best to contain my excitement long enough to snap a few pics of him. 🙂

Backyard Bluebird

 

I thought it would be fun to try painting my bluebird. I started with a light pencil sketch first, and then moved on to the eye and beak making sure to get the placement and details correct.

Bluebird watercolor

While working on the feathers, I like to dampen a small area of the paper with a little clean water.  Then I drop in a little paint and let the colors move and mingle. A gentle touch with a small brush seems to work well for painting the feathers on a small bird like this one.

I decided to try something a little different for the background and create a frame of color around my bird. It has taken a lot of painting for me to get comfortable trying different backgrounds. There are still times when I have to push worry out of the way and just go for it.

Tip – how to flatten your watercolor painting if the paper curls up or has buckled
After you have finished your painting and it is completely dry, you can flatten it by lightly wetting the back side of the paper with clean water and then setting a heavy book or two on top of it until it dries completely.

I hope you enjoy seeing my work and are inspired to create art and do something you love. Thank you for stopping by and following along. Until next time, have a great week! 🙂 ❤

Happy Painting!

Patty Anne

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