Kookaburra! Another study done!

[IamSam]

I've had the opportunity to spend some time painting. It's really where my heart is since painting has been a long standing vocation of mine.

Here's one of my latest projects.............more to come.

I'm not sure where I found the reference for this painting, so I don't know who to credit. I'm still searching. It could have been Dejavu Designs

These are progress shots. I thought I was doing enough of these but after it was all said and done, I did not take many!










Final finished painting.

 

[Rich54]

I'm curious to know a few things:
Is this a digital painting or an actual painting?
If actual, what is the medium?
What is the size?

I'm going to guess that it's digital, on the basis of the background and on the hard edges of the early phases. In all the progress steps the background is a uniform gray, but then in the final version it's green and cloudy. That change probably wouldn't have come so late in the game if it were an actual painting. I really like the sequence of the progress shots that show the evolution. I also like the different textures you've got in the final version, like the top half of the beak vs. the bottom half and the feathering (no pun intended) of the feathers. The eye is very well done, as well.

 

[IamSam]

Is this a digital painting or an actual painting?

You're right, this is a digital painting. Up until 2013 I worked exclusively in acrylics on canvas and illustration board. The industry at the time was going digital and leaving me behind. So I finally jumped on the bandwagon. I do miss working in traditional mediums though!

What is the size?

The actual PSD of the painting is 2978px x 2479px. Odd size I know, I trimmed it down from 3000px x 2500px.

I'm going to guess that it's digital, on the basis of the background and on the hard edges of the early phases. In all the progress steps the background is a uniform gray, but then in the final version it's green and cloudy. That change probably wouldn't have come so late in the game if it were an actual painting.

Great observation and absolutely true! In traditional acrylics, I always painted from the farthest object, being the background, to the closest. In digital it doesn't matter with layers. But, I still can paint the BG first if I wanted. Now with digital, I prefer to wait until the end. I usually paint the eyes last as well.

I really like the sequence of the progress shots that show the evolution.

I really had the intention of taking more! I will try harder to take more progress shots in future projects.

I also like the different textures you've got in the final version, like the top half of the beak vs. the bottom half and the feathering (no pun intended) of the feathers.

This was one of the reasons why I chose this subject. I won't lie, the beak was not really a problem, but those feathers were accompanied with some choice words I'm certain my neighbors probably heard!

The eye is very well done, as well.

In my entire painting career, I have worked very hard on painting eyes! So I save them for last and they (eye details) receive the most attention.

 

[chrisdesign]

This is great digital painting Sam. Love your progress shots. Anybody can learn a lot ! Thanks for showing.

 

[IamSam]

Thanks for showing.

Thanks! And you're welcome!

 

[JeffK]

I've seen that you still need the creativity of the brush to go digital. You proved that with some great work above!

 

[IamSam]

Thanks Jeff! Yes, just like traditional brush and paint, digital is the same. Other than a few minor differences, one being layers, the digital process of painting is still about using a brush to apply color to a surface.

 

[Korupt]

I'm curious. Not to post to every new post I see in the forums. But to what I find curious. And this peaks my curiosity. Do you use a stylus pen?

Why fill in the eye of the bird at all until the your ready to for the finish? Do you save selections for later additions.

 

[IamSam]

Do you use a stylus pen?

Yes. Wacom Intuos

Why fill in the eye of the bird at all until the your ready to for the finish?

Mainly because it's seems to make the painting come to life and I take my time on the details.

Do you save selections for later additions.

Depends on what you mean by additions? I'm done with this painting, I won't be adding anything else to it. However, if I did want to make adjustments, I would just paint them in.

For this painting there was only one selection that I saved and that was the basic outline. It was locked to contain any painting. All other "selections" where made on the fly with the Lasso Tool which were not saved.

There were not many of the Lasso Tool selections for this painting either. I only remember one above the bill when I was painting feathers and I needed a harder edge between the bill and the feathers.