Cyclone the Macaw

Rich vibrant colours and stunning clarity make this delightful picture of a native bird seem almost real enough to sing and take flight.

By Brenda Holden

MATERIALS • Genesis Heat Set Oil Colours: Genesis Red; Ultramarine Blue; Genesis Yellow; Sap Green; Phthalo Green; Titanium White; Burnt Umber; Red Oxide; Mars Black.• Brushes: Roymac Golden Sable sizes 000, 1, 2, 4 and 6.• Round Tip Palette Knife.• Background: Four coats of diluted Matisse Gesso, sanded between coats, on Saunders Hot Press Illustration Board.• GMC 1600 watt Heat Gun, to set the oil paint. STEP ONE After deciding on size and format, I drew the foreground objects to size with as much detail as possible before transferring them onto my prepared board. When I airbrush a background (as in this painting), I mask the bird and the branch with masking fluid. STEP TWO I checked the bckground colour against photographs taken, making sure that the foreground would stand out and not get lost.…

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Australian How To Paint (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 47

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