Let’s Begin

The project

Ok, this is our project – Jack.  He was helping me put away Christmas decorations last January, checking to make sure the packing supplies would be suitable for his fragile cargo.  Hope you don’t mind the subject, however, after looking at the newspaper a second time …… I might be the one to regret it.  Eh, what’s life without a little challenge!!

Let’s begin.  I’m using 300 lb 12″ x 16″ Arches.  I originally had it sketched out on a full sheet and then looked at all the newsprint and I quickly came to my senses.   Since it’s 300 lb paper and I won’t be doing a lot of washes, it didn’t require stretching.  After projecting the image (yes I said project – I could spend a few days sketching it out, getting all those lines in the right place or I can project it and get down to painting –  I vote projection!)  I put a wash of brown madder transparent watercolor on the entire paper to get that pinky tint Jack’s fur is reflecting on the paper.

Start with the eyes

Starting with the eyes (I always begin with the eyes,  if the eyes aren’t right there is no point in continuing)  I  put down a light wash of Golden  Yellow Oxide, working wet in wet.  With FA (fluid acrylic) what I have found to work for me is to slowly build up the depth of color and translucency using light wet in wet washes.  After the yellow oxide I used a green wash of Da Vinci Cobalt Blue and Da Vinci Transparent Raw Sienna to glaze over his eyes and Golden Burnt Sienna to build up the color around the edge of his eyes.  For the dark rims and pupils I used Daler Rowney Sepia Arcrylic Artists Ink.  I will eventually go back over the pupils with a mixture made of violet oxide and pthalo blue.  I am using Da Vinci Raw Sienna and Golden Burnt Sienna for the beginnings of the tiger lines in his face, working dark to light.

Brown madder wash with fluid acrylic eyes

Supplies used –

Arches 300lb watercolor block 12 x 16

Winsor Newton Brown Madder transparent watercolor

Golden FA – Yellow Oxide, Burnt Sienna

Da Vinci FA – Transparent Raw Sienna, Cobalt Blue, Raw Sienna

Daler Rowney FW Acrylic Artists Ink – Sepia