Day 1221 In love with Alpacas

Took a lot of pics of alpacas on Friday as well as ponies burros and goats in a nearby field. Usually I roar by then but Friday it was sunny they were right by the fence and I had a carload of veg from Earthfare to entice them. The burro picked right up on the fact that I was tossing carrots and cane on over. Then a pony or two. The goats never got interested but the polka dot alpaca eventually did.

This is the photo I used. Backlight with a glow.

The whole painting. May be a few changes like adding more shadow on neck and hmm darken the blue background a bit on the left.

The sketch w a 2h on Canson watercolor board which night me my new fav wc paper. It lifts color like a dream.

I did the eyes first because as Kim Johnson says If the eyes turn out wrong who cares about the rest of the painting?

Colors used are big puddles of cerulean burnt umber and sienna ultramarine blue and that DS Green Serpentine. LOVE that green. And LOTS of water!!!

Adding more color. First incoated his neck and body with a very thin layer of quin gold. Barely colored it. Let it dry.

I used a lot of cerulean and burnt umber on the neck and body as well as some mineral violet. And lots and lots of watery paint layers.

I added more green Manganese blue to the background letting a bead of blue form along the horizon. I also added blond of color and splats to it of very watery Manganese blue, mineral violet and burnt umber.

Last thing I did was lift color. I lifted the highlight in his eye right eye the nose spot and the spot on the left of his nose so easily. The highlight was done w a small 1/4″ filbert acrylic brush. The others were lifted by dampening and blotting w a Kleenex.

The Canson Watercolor Artboard lifts like a dream. I even masked some of his wisps with masking tape and lifted it w a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. I just cut off a wedge shaped chunk to use.