Painting Birds in Watercolour E-Book

Liz Chaderton

• Herausgeber: The Crowood Press
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 142

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

This practical book explains how to capture the character of various species of bird, without getting caught up in the detail. It celebrates everything that watercolour can offer as a medium when painting these fascinating creatures. It is not a field guide but instead offers a path towards understanding the behaviour and structure of birds to be able to paint their character. Topics covered include: advice on materials and getting started with watercolour; personal observation and drawing from life; looking at the features of birds and how to capture their behaviour; examples from major bird groups, including domestic fowl, birds of prey and songbirds, and finally step-by-step demonstrations of watercolour techniques.

Leseprobe

Flying Feathers, cropped from 55 × 35cm, line and wash.

First published in 2022 by The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HRwww.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2022

© Liz Chaderton 2022

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 7198 4082 1

Cover design: Maggie Mellett

Dedication

Naturally I want to express my thanks to my family for all their support during the writing of this book, and to all at The Crowood Press. However, I also want to express my appreciation of Emily Williamson. I only became aware of her amazing work to protect birdlife as I started writing.

In 1889, Emily Williamson founded the all-female Society for the Protection of Birds (now the RSPB) and was key in getting the Plumage Act passed in 1921, saving thousands of bird species around the world from being hunted to extinction for the hat trade. She pushed back against the fashion for Edwardian hats to be adorned with feathers or whole birds and saved the Great and Little Egret and the Great Crested Grebe from extinction in the process.

She deserves all our thanks.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

1 SUPPLIES, MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

2 BASIC TECHNIQUES

3 FEATURES OF BIRDS

4 COMPOSITION AND PLANNING

5 USING COLOUR

6 ADDING CHARACTER AND CAPTURING BEHAVIOUR

7 BIRDS IN FLIGHT

8 SPECIAL CHALLENGES

USEFUL RESOURCES

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

I wanted to call this book ‘For the love of things with wings’, as I do like a good rhyme, but in these days of search engines and algorithms, a more obvious title is required. Nonetheless, this book is for those who love birds in all their variety and plumage. Its aim is to introduce people to the joy of painting birds in watercolour – from the humble sparrow to the most colourful and exotic parrots.

I must confess I am not an ornithologist. While I happily sit in my studio watching a wren pull moss out of the lawn for its tiny nest, I am a bit hazy on the difference between lots of the finches. I can happily watch the red kites stacked up on the wind above but will have to check out the difference between a dunnock and a sparrow. However, I am captivated by their sheer beauty. I love everything about them, from the complexity of a single feather to the sound of a tawny owl hooting outside at midnight.

Atlantic Puffins, cropped from 35 × 35cm watercolour on paper.

I want to capture a little of this in my paintings and share my amazement. So, this book is not meant to be a field guide, or a textbook for zoologists. If I have committed a great ornithological blunder, please be gentle. I have thrown in a few bird facts I came across which I found interesting, in the hope that you will be surprised too.

I hope to encourage observation and greater love for the bird life we encounter day to day. This book aims to give artists the tools and ideas to turn their observations into art. I hope it will appeal to those who know more about birds than I and also to those who love the challenge of capturing a fleeting subject.

Drawing and sketching are brilliant tools for making you stop and look. Our brains assume that because we can see, we can observe. Actually, we have to train ourselves to truly look and to really see what our eyes are showing us. The more we look, the more we understand. And once you really start looking you will be amazed at what you have taken for granted up to this point.

I encourage you to sketch from observation, whether in the garden, on location or in museums. Inevitably we will work from photos, but a few moments of true observation will be more valuable than seeing the world through a viewfinder. You will see that these sketches, however fleeting, will bring vitality and energy into your work in a way which will surprise you.

As well as being enthusiastic about birds and observation, I have a great love of watercolour. I believe it is a magical medium, which can capture emotion, energy, detail and essence. My natural inclination is to try to capture the character and gestalt of a subject, rather than get caught up in the number of feathers on its chest. If you are looking for exact detail, this book is not for you. It does, however, demonstrate a full range of techniques including pure and not so pure watercolour. There is plenty of pen and wash, watercolour on canvas and other techniques which use this wonderful medium.

The book covers a range of subjects and examples of head studies, single bird portraits, flocks, birds in flight and in the natural environment. Each has its own challenges, so I try to introduce techniques and concepts as we go along and give lots of step-by-step examples to guide you, as well as finished work to inspire you.

The first couple of chapters set the scene for those who are new to watercolour, but I am always discovering new things about the medium, so I hope there will be something in these chapters for even the most experienced.

I have tried to pull out key tips for those who like to dip in and out of books, as well as longer explanations for people who like to know why. I have tried to use examples from around the world and not just my English garden. However, there are 18,000 bird species so only a few are represented, but the major groupings of garden, water, domestic and birds of prey can all be found here. Wherever you are, please use this book to look anew at these amazing feathered creatures. You can cradle an egg in your hand with fresh wonder and can envy, all over again, the amazing ability to fly.

All this is a long way of saying that this book shares three passions – a love of watercolour, a love of looking and a love of things with wings. I hope you enjoy it.

TOP TIPS

• Observe from life

• Experiment – ask yourself ‘what happens if…’

• Find subjects which fill you with joy

• Enjoy the process as much as the end result

Dorset Owlets, 35 × 35cm, watercolour on paper. Colour is one of the joys of watercolour.

Dodo, 50 × 50cm, ink, gouache and watercolour on paper. A reminder to us all of the fragility of life.

Peregrine, 45 × 35cm, ink and watercolour on paper. Line and wash can be a fast and attractive way of capturing birds in flight.

CHAPTER ONE

SUPPLIES, MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Painting birds in watercolour may not require unique materials, as compared to painting landscapes or portraits, but you may find yourself reaching for certain colours or brushes you use infrequently for these other subjects. It is always worth having the most versatile and hard-working materials possible at your disposal.

The quality of these materials plays a more important role in watercolour painting than in any other medium. Although a skilled artist might still produce a beautiful painting, spending time fighting poor quality materials is like pushing water uphill.

This is not to suggest you should buy the most expensive possible; look for a good quality at a decent price. Excellent materials will not turn you into a fabulous artist but they will minimize your frustration and let you joyfully get miles on your brush.

Tui in a Flax Bush, 28 x 37cm, ink and watercolour.

Paper

The paper you choose can have a huge bearing on the quality of your work and your enjoyment of painting birds.

Your paper is often left uncovered in watercolour, with its white surface acting as the white paint in your palette. Glints of the paper, through your transparent washes, might imply light hitting feathers so that the paper becomes part of your painting in a way that just does not happen with oils or acrylics.

Your paper has a huge impact on your painting. Papers vary in quality, colour and absorbency – from wonderful to downright horrible.

You can use low quality paint on decent paper and still produce a lively painting, but the best quality paint with the finest brush on poor paper will be frustrating. You will find that watercolour pigments do not respond well on cheap surfaces, making some techniques difficult to perform. You don’t want paper that will start disintegrating when you use it, or that becomes yellow and brittle with age.

Alternatives

While cotton or wood fibre paper is the most frequently used surface, bamboo papers, yupo (plastic paper), canvas and plaster/clay boards are alternatives. The advent of watercolour ground means that you can now paint on virtually any surface.

Some retailers sell sample packs of paper, so if you are not sure which suits you best, give them a go. If you feel your work is becoming stale, changing your surface is an easy way to spice things up.

Choice

Given the range available, personal preference is definitely key, so to help you make your choice you may wish to consider the following:

• Manufacturing

• Texture

• Colour

• Format

• Weight

• Sizing

• Content

• Watermark

• Deckle

Manufacturing

Papers can be made by machine or hand. Mould-made paper combines the consistent quality of machine-made papers with the individuality of handmade papers.

Both handmade and mould-made papers won’t easily tear because the fibres lie randomly across the sheet. The fibres in machine paper tend to lie in one direction, making the sheet weaker.

Texture

Traditionally, watercolour paper comes in three different surface textures: Hot press, Not/Cold press, and Rough. Be aware that textures vary between different paper mills, so that what might be considered Rough from one manufacturer is only Not from another.

Hot press is smooth and often used in very detailed work. However, the water can behave unpredictably on the surface. It is called Hot press as the paper is passed through hot rollers to ‘iron’ the surface. You might choose this surface if you want to carry out detailed studies of plumage, for example.

Not is also known as Cold press. It has a medium texture as it is ‘not’ passed through hot rollers. It is a good all-rounder and used for the majority of paintings in this book, as it has enough texture to help imply markings on the birds.

Rough has a more pronounced texture, which can be obtrusive. However, if you are looking for a high energy, impressionistic approach to birdlife, using broad strokes of colour and incorporating dry brushing, this paper will be your friend.

Colour

White paper is the one most often used for watercolour painting, but the degree of whiteness varies between manufacturers. ‘High white’ gives the greatest reflection and glow to your finished painting. You might choose this for more exotic birds in tropical lighting, to really give the colours punch. A creamier paper might be appropriate for more muted birds, while tinted papers set the overall mood of the piece. You will need to decide how to add highlights should you need to.

Format

A standard sheet of watercolour paper is 22 × 30 inches (56 × 76cm), though it is possible to find larger sizes – for example, rolls of watercolour paper or the beautifully named ‘double elephant’: 26.5 × 40 inches (67.8 × 101.6cm). Single sheets are the most economic and flexible form, but spiral-bound pads, glued blocks, stitched books etc. are available and may be more convenient.

You don’t have to work on paper. This blue tit was painted in ink and watercolour on a prepared wooden panel, before the background was collaged and gold leafed.

Tommy Titmouse, 50 × 50cm, ink and watercolour with collage on wood.

The downside of working on a pad is that every painting ends up the same size and the same format. Maybe a tall narrow painting would be better for a heron, or a tiny square painting for a wren? If you work on a pad of paper, you might forget to change things around.

Weight

The weight of the paper is the measurement of its thickness. The thicker the paper, the less likely it is to buckle when you put water on it, but it will be more expensive.

Imperial measurements can be confusing – it is the weight of 500 sheets (a ream) of imperial size sheets (22 × 30 inches). Watercolour paper usually starts at 90lb and goes up to 300lb. The metric system is the weight in grams of a square metre of paper and ranges from 190 to 638 gsm. You will usually see both noted on your paper.

It is possible to stretch thinner paper to provide a dead flat surface to work upon. This is only necessary for highly detailed avian studies. In my opinion, life is too short for stretching paper, so aim to use a 140lb/300gsm minimum paper. Increase the weight of your paper if you use lots of water or are painting a larger piece.

HOW TO FLATTEN COCKLED PAPER

If your paper should cockle while painting, don’t panic.

• Dampen the dry painting on the back, and place it face down on a clean surface. Heavy weights such as books, placed on the back will keep it in place until dry.

• Gently dampen the back and cover with a clean piece of paper or cloth and then iron the piece.

• If badly cockled, a decent framer will be able to advise.

HIGH-QUALITY PAPER

Don’t wait until you feel proficient to use decent paper. Use good stuff from the beginning and your learning and results will accelerate.

Sizing

Sizing is a special additive to watercolour paper to control the absorbency. Traditionally it is gelatine; however, vegetarian options are available. Sizing can break down with time, so if a piece of paper is blotchy when you apply a wash, it may be that the sizing has deteriorated. Papers are described as hard or soft sized. Hard sized means it is not very absorbent, while soft sized is the opposite. Soft sized paper might be good for gentle, low-key bird paintings, while hard size is perfect if you wish to exploit wet-in-wet techniques and have high chroma plumage.

Fibre content

Paper may be made from cotton, cellulose, or a mix. Cotton paper tends to be higher quality and more expensive. The fibres of cotton are longer and stronger than those of wood. This is not to denigrate wood pulp/cellulose paper – I use it all the time. Either way, you are looking for an acid-free, archival paper, so that it will not yellow or become brittle with age.

Watermark

Some papers have watermarks. It is generally accepted that the correct side of the watercolour paper to paint on is the side from which the watermark is legible. However, you might prefer the other side – why not?

Deckle edge

An uneven edge is called a deckle. While it can be a sign of handmade paper, some mould-made papers have deckles. You can simulate a deckle by tearing your paper or even using a special deckle ruler. Deckles can be a lovely feature to echo the ruffled feathers of your subject.

Paint

The paint you choose makes a big difference. But there is no perfect brand of paint and as you gain experience you will end up with favourite colours from different manufacturers. Don’t worry: they all mix happily.

While inevitably you will end up with lots of colours, you only need seven or eight to start with.

Watercolour comes in two forms – tubes or pans. These contain the same pigments but differ in the quantity of binder (usually gum Arabic) which they contain. Pans are more portable, so convenient for studying birds in the field. Tube paints are moist, and it is easier to mix large washes with these. They are usually preferred for studio-based bird paintings.

There are three qualities of watercolour available: artist, student and horrible! Let’s not consider the ‘horrible’ category. These are the unbranded, cheap paints, which contain very low amounts of pigment. The Student range from well-known suppliers are of excellent quality, e.g. Cotman from Winsor and Newton. Indeed, some artists prefer using such paints. Artist quality paints contain higher quantities of pigment and are usually more finely milled.

Artist quality

• High pigment levels

• Varied price range (called Series – because pigments vary in price)

• Widest choice of colour

• Probably highest light fastness

• More expensive

• Finely milled

Student quality

• Lower pigment levels

• More affordable

• Consistent pricing

• Less choice of colour

•