The (very fun) wildlife (non-bird) art thread

Enjoy the fat marker, first, best (you do them so well) but I like last too for its simplicity. Is that WC or acrylic?

I feel ashamed for not contributing since I am carried away with birds. Last I did anything was this frog below a week ago but never posted it since it was not finished. The eye was meant to be splendid - what I love about them most -  but got lost from overworking, and once the focus has gone I lost the will to continue. Anyway, to contribute to the thread...

WC on paper

lovely colours on your frog - think you are being far too critical - still very good :)    my last one was WC - I would love to be able to produce paintings but definitely better with quick pen sketches!

Are you using (good quality) WC paper?

Thanks for the positive comments in regards my frog. And i know what you mean about paintings, but I do believe it all comes together in the end quite naturally. Not something that can be pushed, achieved without previous studies, or planned to the finest of details.

Keep chugging along!

will keep chugging thanks :)   use a variety of paper - have a wide selection of half-used pads I bought years ago - mixture of cartridge, WC and acrylic paper - most are fairly cheap ones bought to take on holiday (e.g. WH SMith own brand) - which I'm using for the experimental stuff - I do have some good quality WC paper that I bought for portraits (much larger stuff) - will work my way through the old stuff before buying more new stuff probably.   

what type of WC paper do you use?

Just wondered since cheap WC paper is absolutely deathly. Cheap paper won't be sized enough and can deteriorate if too much water is used, and I've had my fair share of student paper to get through.

I live mostly on student paint, synthetic brushes, etc. but not terrible paper. I don't need artist anything unless it's decent paper. I've found Bockingford finally, it's economical and a student's dream. And like you, 'save' my best, though I rarely touch it and stock up on more paper (as one does!).

I have mixed media pads that are terrible for WC though claim to be fine. I've tried to paint in sized sketchbooks and cartridge pads, but it's never the same. Good WC paper is so good I can use it for acrylic, inks, dry media, etc. A test to see if you have open working time with the paint is to wet the surface and seeing how long it takes to absorb/dry. If it disappears immediately, the sizing has gone, but your probably know this. I also have an acrylic pad (WHSmiths too) that hates anything but tube acrylic. If I dare dilute the paint/wet the surface it scuffs all over the place and I can burn a hole through it. I do find paper named 'student' is just that - horribly cheap and a false economy. But others live on it, so it's personal.

It is expensive but then again the paper I buy in huge packs lasts forever. And like you have too much paper, far too much choice. Nothing like lots of paper.

thanks for that interesting info re WC paper - will bear it in mind - in the meantime must use up what I already have!  however, I do intend to buy some better stuff for "finished" paintings as opposed to just practice and messing about.

as proof I am continuing to paint, here is a work in progress (this is quite large - somewhere between A2 and A1 I think) - good quality WC paper (albeit rather old and curly!)

I have a bad habit of discussing materials. It was a cue for talking shop, not a reflection on the quality of your work. :) Have not noticed any cockling so far either now that you mention it...

Your painting of tulips is a fab start, I really enjoy the colours and composition. The foliage has nice shape to it. How will you be take it further? Will you add a background? Whatever you do, I hope you post the final result because it's always interesting to see the 'what ifs' outcome. That is, what if I had taken a different route. (I have posted a lot of unfinished stuff myself so must get some finalised too.) I really like the range of yellows, oranges, red-oranges, reds and cool pinks, there's nice harmony there. And that vase is a really nice shape. I do like nice shapes!!

discussing materials is good - I don't know that much about watercolour paper :)

re tulip painting, thanks for your comments - I'm not sure what I'm going to do!   however, think I need to do something as a couple of tulips are much darker than the rest (and I quite like the softer lines of the others).  I like nice shapes too :)  that is one of my favourite vases - a slightly opaque pale green glass.

Yes, that's why i stop sometimes too. When you know it's not finished but am unsure what to do next (especially when it's going so well and you are afraid of 'ruining' it, that's when I start several others to test out possible outcomes and keep that one to keep 'safe' in the meantime).

I think - even if it's not true to life - to make a better picture, the front three yellow tulips need differentiating. I actually think the reds are dark enough but it's your picture so it's always your choice. And I think I know what you mean, a frosted vase?

I have no chance of doing anything but birds. Have landed in crow country, wonderful!  First bird I met with were rooks at the airport's strip of green - terrible excited. This is a land of rooks and jackdaws, swarms of them, they look like black moths in the air, hanging off every tree branch and rooftop. I am in heaven with barely a magpie in sight. These rooks are just gorgeous! Have even seen hooded crows, I am not used to them at all. Will def. be posting some of these beauties in the other thread. Don't want to leave here without bringing some rooks home! :)