White egret

22 February 2024

Step-by-Step - Level ◆◆◆

It's feeling rather spring like here in the Pyrenees, although I think it's only a short spell before winter returns again. I hope the birds know this, because they're wide awake already and the other day we saw vultures building nests and golden eagles doing an incredible mating dance in the sky.

The frogs are croaking too, which means we see herons and egrets about. So wonderfully stately and elegant, they are great subjects to paint!

For this one, I've recreated a painting I did for my mother-in-law over 20 years ago. We abstract the background with cling-film (Saran Wrap) over a wet in wet background. This creates a combination of hard and soft edges which mimics those in the egret. Plus it's so much fun!

So for this lesson you'll need some soft plastic, masking fluid and a bit of patience. You'll need to wait at least overnight for the painting to dry under the plastic before continuing with the next step.

Happy painting!