A studio for bird study

Tag: raptor

April 1, 2012

Rough-legged Hawk Again

by Bryce W. Robinson

Rough-legged Hawk- Buteo lagopus. 11x15" watercolor on paper.

I finally found some time and energy to sit down and paint again. I’ve been working way too much lately, and have lacked the energy and drive to put towards painting. Hopefully I don’t go through another lull like that again. I find so much happiness in painting, it needs to be a regular part of my life.

Even though the last painting was of the same bird, I felt I owed the Rough-legged Hawk another go, this time as a portrait. Often people ask me what raptor is my favorite. I hate this question, because I can never answer it. I feel inclined to say that the Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk is definitely the bird I find most intriguing, but then again, Buteo lagopus always creeps up in my mind. Perhaps I just like Buteos from the great north. Regardless, this will not be the last painting of this bird. The variability in Male and Female birds, and the juvenile, leaves a lot of visual ground to cover. Not to mention that just like the other Buteos, this bird has varying melanistic morphs, including a distinctive and impressive dark morph. The future is plentiful with opportunities to refine my skills and put more portraits of birds into the world. That fact pleases me.

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February 28, 2012

A Hawk In Flight- Buteo lagopus

by Bryce W. Robinson

Rough-legged Hawk- Buteo lagopus. Watercolor on paper

I absolutely love the look of hawks on the wing. Painting them, as I have stated in the past, is a challenge. With the time I spent in the field this winter photographing raptors, I started to gain an idea for my favorite poses of the birds in the air. This winter was a Rough-legged to say the least. I felt blessed, as I had multiple opportunities to watch these arctic breeders vacation in our warm fields. As I have said in past posts, the majority of the birds I saw this winter were juveniles. The plumage of the juvenile is beautiful, full of creams, brown, black and white. In an attempt to pay homage to the scene of the bird in flight, I painted a head on view of Buteo lagopus, the Rough-legged Hawk. If you prefer the style of my past few posts, no need to worry, plans for a portrait are brewing in my bird infested brain.

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February 26, 2012

The Red-tailed Hawk- A Second Attempt

by Bryce W. Robinson

Red-tailed Hawk- Buteo jamaicensis. 11x15" watercolor on paper.

After painting the Red-tailed Hawk the other day, I had an unsettling feeling of dissatisfaction. Interestingly enough, the same day Ron Dudley posted an incredible photo of a Red-tailed Hawk in dramatic lighting on his blog Feathered Photography. The photo captured the character and beauty of the bird, and truly paid due respect and honor to the creature. I am always taken aback by Ron’s work, and after seeing his photograph, I realized that I needed to make a second attempt at the Red-tailed Hawk.

My problem with the previous image was form and proportion. I wanted the hawk looking directly forward, locking eyes and directly engaging the viewer. This is a difficult exercise, and I failed in creating a natural looking bird. True, I did misrepresent the lighting with the shadowing, but I believe the bird itself did not look entirely real. This was the basis for my dissatisfaction. Some may say art does not need to present realistic images to be successful, but my goals at the moment are to develop the ability to illustrate birds as one may see them in the wild. If I am hyper-critical of my work, and feel the need to repeat a subject time and again until I feel satisfied, it will only further me towards developing the abilities I desire.

My attempt today presents the bird in a more natural pose, and I feel satisfied with the outcome. Although an easier way to paint the bird, I recognize the limitations of my skill at present, and will need to wait until I get some experience under my belt before attempting anything too crazy. For now, I feel the need is to practice, and paint tirelessly.

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February 21, 2012

Painting the Red-tailed Hawk- Buteo jamaicensis

by Bryce W. Robinson

Often on art blogs and websites I see the step by step process of the artist’s latest work. I have never done such a thing, and for personal reasons, however I decided to give some insight into how I go about putting together a watercolor painting. For my latest work I decided to paint the most well known hawk in North America, and a personal favorite, Buteo jamaicensis.

For B, every painting begins with a pencil, no matter the medium. I sketch the contour of the subject, solving any problems with proportion and placement before laying down anything permanent.

After I am pleased with the form of the piece, and my excitement and vision for the end product begins to bud, I begin laying down light paint layers to establish the base for color and depth.

I get extremely excited when the painting begins to gain depth. By bouncing around the painting, I get into a great rhythm and keep the formation of the picture balanced.

The eyes are always my favorite to begin working with. After the first layers of the eyes are drawn, the bird has some semblance of life. I can then begin analyzing the particulars of where to add and shape to create a natural looking bird. Also, I always make sure to have the catch light in the eye, positioned properly with balance in both eyes. This is certainly a challenge, and can make or break a painting. With practice it becomes intuitive, as is the case with most things.

The process of painting with watercolor is different from oil and acrylic. With the latter two mediums, you start dark, building out the light. In watercolor, you start light and build in the shadows. I am not sure which process is easier, or which I like better, but at the moment, I am loving the watercolor. I tend to keep the painting bland and monochromatic as I build the depth. When I get a bird that looks in place, I then begin adding the colors that are the highlights, such as the eye color and beak in this bird. Once these colors are added, the home stretch begins as I meticulously scrutinize the detail until I am satisfied with the ending. Often, I am not satisfied, but I recognize that if I continue to try and manipulate the painting to my liking, I may ruin it beyond repair. It is a fine balance between knowing when to stop, and going to far. This is a problem I am working on at the moment. Always something to learn.

Red-tailed Hawk- Buteo jamaicensis. 11x15" watercolor on paper.

Currently at work here in the Mojave, I am watching a few Red-tailed Hawk nests. Today I noticed that one female has started to incubate, and in a months time, 28-32 days to be precise, chicks will hatch. This painting is in honor of the cyclical ritual of life, and a symbol of luck to the prospective parents of the hatchlings.

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