Painting a Bobwhite Quail in Mixed Media (4)

Painting Session 4
Date: 12/30/2017
Subject: Bobwhite Quail
Medium: Mixed Media (Watercolor, Gouache, Ink)
Paper: Canson: 90lb traditional surface watercolor paper
Gouache: Zinc White, Naples Yellow, Yellow Light, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna
Ink: Prismacolor fine blank ink permanent marker
Links to previous sessions: Session 1, Session 2, Session 3

Gouache, Ink Bobwhite quail

This is only the second painting I have done in gouache and the first full painting. It turned out to be quite the challenge. Although the quail was not easy to paint it did not pose as many challenges as the grass and background.  I never really got either to the point I was satisfied, but I decided to stop before overworking and ruined the painting.  I think I experienced all of the difficulties with gouache people talk about, especially the drying properties. I could never get the values the way I wanted and any highlights on the grass. I struggled with the paint underneath reactivating and paint drying to a different value. I wanted to incorporate more watercolor but once I realized I had scale issues with the barn I had to paint over some watercolor areas in the painting with gouache. So I ended up with a painting that is mostly gouache. A little watercolor left in the sky and I was able to incorporate ink into the bird.





This is the final painting session for the Bobwhite Quail, and I am considering it complete.