Wednesday 7 November 2012

Butterfly

During a recent trip to my family, my sister bought me a lovely book of butterflies. I thought they might make a nice change from flowers and hoped that they would suit my style of working. This is my first attempt, so I hope that with a bit of practice I will be able to refine the results.
I used Fabriano paper, and my usual palette, deliberately choosing to paint a butterfly with lots of orange and green so that I could make further use of the tube of Translucent Orange from Schminke. The green, I mixed from Teal Blue from Daniel Smith and Indian Yellow from Daler Rowney.
I did a simple drawing, and then painted in the background in the same way that I do with the flower studies, and whilst it was still wet, I sprayed the edges around the butterfly with granulating fluid, so that the colours of the background seeped into the butterfly shape, to give some soft edges.

I then painted the butterfly itself using the two colours mentioned and adding others where necessary. I think there is Quinachridone rust and Transparent Orange Iron amongst others.


I used Indian ink on the reverse end of a thin paint brush to put in the black lines and immediately sprayed with granulating fluid to soften them and to create some texture.

I finally gave the whole painting a good splatter, using all the colours used in the painting but predominantly black and white, being careful to allow each colour to completely dry before adding the next.

I think it has worked sufficiently well to encourage me to have another go. There might even be a series in the making!

10 comments:

  1. More than sufficiently well, I really like this

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    1. Great, thanks for the encouragement, Lorraine, I will certainly do more.

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  2. Beautifully executed Yvonne, a lovely painting. It was so interesting to find out how you achieved the result.

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    1. Thanks Ray. I am only sorry I did not do a bit more stage by stage this time. I just get carried away and forget to take the photos!

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  3. Very lovely - I love how you share your techniques - and I love it when someone does a series of a subject so look forward to more butterflies from you

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    1. Thanks, Sharon, there will certainly be more!

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  4. I don't believe you any more when you protest that some subject matter is not for you, Your range of techniques is of such a high standard that you can cope with anything. This is another wonderful piece. Thankyou.

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  5. Sorry Mick, I do not intend to be ingenuous, nor do I want to blow my own trumpet! I am always striving to improve, and do think I have weaknesses in various subjects, but also 'my type of thing' is often a lack of interest in the subject as well.
    I am glad that you like the piece and, like your 'Irises' I can feel a series coming on.

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  6. Lovely. Just shows what pushing the boundaries achieves.

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  7. Thanks Peter. It is nice to try a new subject which fits my style of painting. Glad you like it!

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