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Author: onlineart, Contributing Editor
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| I leave the painting to dry for a couple of days before carefully masking off the bottom area of the lioness. Next, I apply a spatter to the foreground with a dark paint mix and a toothbrush. After dipping the bristles into the mix, I bend them back towards myself and then let them spring forward. By adjusting the thickness of the paint, I can create different sized spatters. This gives a slight sandy texture to the soil. I have also begun to paint another layer on the cat, adding more solidity, enriching the colours and strengthening the lights. |
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| I now start to refine my colours and tones. Instead of adding Liquin to my paints to glaze, I prefer to brush it straight on to the dry canvas, wipe most of it off and then work into the slick surface with my paints. Here you can see how the face appears more solid now that the layers of paint are building up. The shadows have also been suggested on the ground towards the left of the lioness. These were painted as a glaze using Alizarin Crimson and Ultramarine Blue plus Sap Green to grey the colour out. The transparency of the mix was then adjusted by adding Liquin. |
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| It really is surprising how adding just a few little clumps of grass in the foreground really enhance the feeling of recession. I made sure that the grasses and stones were in sharper focus as they neared the same plane as the lioness and blurred out behind her. Notice also how a deepening of the shadow behind the paw really makes it look like it's standing on edge. |
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| With the colours and major glazes completed, I begin the detailed part of the painting by texturing the fur and highlighting the grasses and twigs surrounding the body and feet. The small fur hairs are put in with a No. 2/0 round brush on top of my usual very thin coat of oil/Liquin. Not every hair is put in, just the ones where I want to attract the viewers attention, mainly on the head, neck and front legs. Less detail is applied to the body to enhance the feeling of depth. |
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| Now the painting is so close to completion I frequently stand back after every couple of brush strokes to see how it's going. Although I love realism and detail I don't want to overwork it now. The final areas to go in are the lightest lights, followed by some light glazes and whiskers (mustn't forget them). |
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