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!

Stage 2 of the bird composite

I saw that the top left bird was too large, and not reading well, so I shrank it down, the head in particular was all wrong, I am happier now. I started to introduce leaves and the tail of the right hand bird to get the bottom right area of my paper balanced. I still saw a confusion with the wing of the middle bird behind the frontal bird's head, so I begin take that wing off, poor Baby, she will be an amputee.

Bird Composite

Okay, those of you who know me well, know I own this bird (Baby), a blue and gold macaw. As we are having a composition at the Pastel Society here in Austin, I wanted to do this composit (looking up, which I think will be it's name) to fit one of the competition rule slots, (an ant's eye view).
I madly took the photos this morning and started to complile this picture from which to work. Thought I would share its process.I see problems in this first stage, but am plodding along just the same, see the next two posts to see where I am at right now.

Patio Lace

Well I think it is done, might be a few more final delineations to do, but my eyes are tired now, don't you just love getting OLD!!
For the most part I am glad I presented this challenge to myself, it was tedious ..yes, but rewarding just the same. I need to have more challenges in my art, maybe I should do a series of these... Just kidding.

A work in progress

This is a work in progress, and is in pastel. It is on Sennelier paper full sheet. I had to grid the photo taken of my patio chairs . I always draw freehand, and this was just a little mindblowing with all the patterns for that, hence the grid. I still got lost though, don't look too closely.
I am off to get the left hand side of the chair done now, phew!!Wish me luck.

Janine's Pathway

Janine is an art buddy and this is a lovely area of her wonderful backyard. Three of the girls got together last week and painted plein air, then had a great lunch in the cool of the cabana, what a life huh?

Granbury, Texas

Another Granbury scene, this was very near the B&B, and it was chosen simply because it was in the shade. We got there at about 10am and already the day was heating up. Another plein air attempt.

Granbury Garden Cottage

Well here is one of the latest plein air paintings done over this past weekend at Granbury, Texas. We stayed in the Iron Horse Inn B&B and it was great fun. A group of 12 people painted everyday in various parts of Granbury. It was hot, but we all managed some 'masterpieces'. Thanks Vicki for arranging this get together.