http://www.painters-online.co.uk JUNE 2019 37
tStep 3
1 The next task is blocking in the subject by quickly establishing
the main tones, and not making everything perfect. Working
with your darkest colour first, paint the darkest shapes then
continue with the next darkest colour, and the next, until all
the main tones have been established.
2 Add in the highlights with titanium white. This bright,
opaque white should not be confused with zinc white, which
is transparent. It is worth making sure your painting kit
includes a top-quality titanium white. Cheaper brands may
not cover well due to insufficient pigment.
3 We’ll wait until later to paint the beak, as it will be much
easier to do when the water is complete. The dark beak will
easily cover the underlying colours. Painting the water around
a thin line, in a contrasting direction to the flow, would
be creating unnecessary difficulties.
tStep 4
1 Now that the main tones are in
place, you can start to adjust and correct.
Let’s begin with the water, as any stray
brushstrokes over the bird’s outline will be
easily covered when painting the plumage.
2 Mix three blobs of a similar blue to the
original colour you used for the water. Add
a little white to one blob and a smidgeon of
ultramarine and burnt umber to the other.
That will give you three slightly different
tones of the water.
3 Paint lightly over the water with the
medium tone first, taking care not to
obliterate all of the underpainting.
Then use the darker tone to imply ripples,
repeating with the light tone. This tonal
variety adds interest to the water on the
right half of the painting.tStep 5
1 Continue by mixing dark tones of ultramarine
and burnt umber with tiny amounts of
unbleached titanium to lighten the dark colour
tslightly. Use these mixes to paint the dark
reflections. Check the reference photo to
see how the dark reflection colour varies.2 Make the reflections lighter than the dark
markings on the bird so the bird will look
more solid and prominent by comparison.Heavy-body acrylics