A Notice

   I'm just putting up a quick note to let you all know that I have put prices on most of my paintings. You are able to view them on the "pages" section of my blog. The framed paintings are not inexpensive, due to the cost of framing, but I am sure you will find the unframed paintings quite a bargain. The unmatted paintings, I will send on thick cardboard or foam-core. Also, I must add the cost of mailing to the aforementioned price. Let me know what you think of the idea. You may contact me via the blog or my gmail   -   studioatthefarm7@gmail.com

A Carp of Substance ... or ... I Think It's Done

 

Both photos are at the same stage, I just played with the iPhoto adjustments differently.

   Firstly, I would like to thank all of you who follow my blog, and who commented on the progression of this painting. I honestly don't believe I would have pushed myself to put a shadow down around the carp; nor would I have shaded its body to give it roundness and depth. It has made it a much better painting! Again, thank you all, and all criticisms are welcome.

   Now, onto another perspective of Carmella.

YAY ... Baby Pictures

The Kid

   Around 7PM, I went to get BrunZ from the back lawn, to put him in his paddock for dinner. There was a great kuffuffle of killdeer noises. When I looked in the direction of the nest, there was action. Mom and Dad were very busy trying to keep an eye on the two scurrying kids. [one egg not hatched yet] The kids were ALL over the place, with parents in hot pursuit. I ran back in to get my camera, and then managed to take some decent photos. Boy ... those babies run like the wind, and they are so well-camoflaged. Other than proportional differences, they actually look like miniatures of the parents.

Mom, in mid-photo

Mom at lower right, and baby up against fence post

Another baby picture

SO well- colored, almost invisible 

Baby at lower left, and Mom or Dad at right

The remaining egg

A most protective parent

  

The Carpster

   It took a bit of "intestinal fortitude" to get to the point where I could lift some of what I'd done to create the illusion of ripples on the water surface. I marked it off with a dinner plate on the outside, then measured off the inside circles. I did it in an irregular manner, to get more of a look of reality. I also darkened the orange of the face, and some of the scales.
   I think what is left to do is to give the body more depth with some form shadow, and darken the pectoral and tail fins. What do you think needs doing?

The Carpoholic ...

 ... as of now

 I have it ... a plan for the water. I've done another sort of pour, with cobalt blue on the right and around the fish, and indanthrone blue on the left and around the entire perimeter. The carp needs more darkening/detail work. I may do some more indanthrone on left, and then I will create ripples from the lower right.












 

Carp Update

   I really have been having fun playing with the colors and scales, especially as I thought it would be impossible to create a decent impression of the scales without meticulously painting each one. But this has turned out to be OK. Now I think it's time to tackle the water, again in a more impressionistic yet realistic way.

The Basics Are Done ... Now ...

The plan

The finicky sketch

First "pours" of aureolin & quin. burnt orange

Some more aureolin, & indanthrone blue

Tone some of it down with burnt orange

Color on carp - aureolin, burnt orange & cobalt blue

   I've never painted a carp before now, and it seems almost all watercolorists do a carp sometime. So here I go ...