Geese Facescape Composite (finito)

Well this is almost done now, I am so loaded with pastel and the light background is dropping down onto some lovely silky darks in the geese themselves, so I am going to have to 'nudge' the darks again.

I will very likely crop the outside boundaries, so the rough edges will not be a problem.

I did take out one of the bird's bodies and just left it a (head)peeping between two other geese, the body just did not read that well.
When in doubt, take it out huh?

I see maybe I need to work a little more on the texture of the white goose's face (to the bottom left), and then I think I can say it's a done deal!

Geese Facescape Composite

Okay here's where I left it yesterday, I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have given a small space over to the right of the picture where the bill ran off the page, it was too long anyway. I still also need to clarify the bodies to fit the individual birds, it's a bit of a GAGGLE right now, (ha ha) and confusing. Wish me luck.

Geese Composite Facescape 3

It's coming, still struggling a bit with the design.

Geese Composite Facescape 2

This is the second stage of the first post. I still see some problems, the bill close to the right edge is worrying me, will have to adjust that. There are so many bodies overlapping it's getting hard to know what belongs to what. I wanted the light which is hitting their bodies to be a big part of the design, (you know me) all about design.

Geese Composite

I started this yesterday in my studio, it is my answer to a FACESCAPE, one of the pastel competition categories. There has to be 5 faces overlapping to fill the picture, so this is what I came up with, I did the photo from three seperate goose studies I had taken years ago, and compiled them in Photoshop. The additional birds are sort of made up.
I know there are a few anatomical mistakes here, and will adjust as I go
(I hope)
It's another pastel study on Sennelier paper, love that surface now, it's my favorite!

Baby

Okay, I have all but finished this now, a few finer details stick out for me, and then I will say "it's done' ! I see I have been spelling {composite} incorrectly all along, my mother would be horrified.
I am sure you know what it meant anyway, if I go ahead and correct the spelling you will all get posts all over again, (as far as I know) so please delete them, and I am sorry for 'spamming' you.
I enjoyed this exercise very much, but then Baby is very close to my heart, and I have painted her before, never in pastels though. She is very happy to see this big picture of herself, she laughs at it a little, but then, she laughs at a lot of stuff, tee hee.
Thanks everyone for sticking with me on this.

Bird composite 3rd stage

Okay a lot happened with the birds now, the middle bird lost that pesky wing and the head of the front bird is better explained in the foreground. I like the size of the left top bird now, it reads a lot better in perspective for me. I began to bring a little foliage over on the left lower side as well now, to camouflage the deleted wing area which was beginning to get a little muddy. I am pooped now, need my vino and to relax and ponder this painting, but all in all, I am happy with it.. I Think!