I was commisioned to create a painting for a client who has a fondness for falcons. I decided to pose the falcon in a dive, one of the most spectacular feats of nature. A peregrine falcon can reach speeds of over 200 mph in a dive. I researched some images to get the pose correct. Below you can see how the painting came together.
I started with a sketch. This is actually the third sketch I made. The first two just didn't seem to have the right proportions.
I then add the darkest tones. This gives me a frame of reference for the other tonal values that I add later.
Next I add in some mid-tones. I mixed up a steel grey color (not easy to see here) and applied the wet paint to wet paper which causes the paint to spread out. This mimics the mottling of the feathers.
I continue to add layers of colors,shades and additional details. Now this painting is beginning to come together.
Nearly complete. Now to add in some motion.
I've masked off the falcon using a watercolor latex mask and some tracing paper. I splash and brush on some blue paint to show motion and speed.
It's easy to overwork a painting. In this case there are just a couple areas I want to touch up, and then my Chinese signature stamp to finish it off.
Here is the completed painting under a double matt I happen to have laying around. The Chinese character I selected means "to chase" or "overtake". My calligraphy could be a little better. Overall I'm please with how this piece turned out.
