Just some Penguins... And other animals...

[markw]

Something topical for this time of year, as it’s around now all the chicks will be hatched.
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[Enug]

Lovely to see something from you Mark. The penguins are just beautiful - looks like watercolour - is it? If so you will have to give me some tips. As you probably know I'm struggling with that tool. Might help if I knew something about wc in the real world. :confused:

[sabena]

Fantastic Painting very well done :)

[D Akey]

Super design MarkW! Also love the charm of the scene. Looks like you've got a fine handle on the watercolor feature as well. I love the tooth giving it a real feel. And how the colors play over in glazes. Looks like it's had some TLC as well as a really good artistic hand working it.

Keep up the great work!

:cool::cool::cool::cool:

[markw]

Thank’s for the kind words every one :)
I realised recently that I’ve been hanging around these forums for nearly 10 years now and started using AR back in v2 but I’ve never shared any of what I’ve done with AR with you good folks.
That combined with June’s gentle prodding, and I thought I might post some more odds and ends here.

As for any watercolour tips I may have June, lets see…
I always have one or more layers at the top of the layer stack set to Overlay blend mode. These layers will be images, B&W or colour, of real textures like painted surfaces, stone, sand, water or me just splattering AR paint around, but it all adds more texture and life to the underlying paint layers. (And play with the layer opacity’s too!)
Don’t rely on the watercolour brush to do it all. I’m always using the Knife Tool to give hard and soft edges to the brush strokes.
One of my favourite sets of watercolour blenders for doing this were kindly donated to the AR community by user screenpainter in his post; So Sumi why don’t you? You can find them here: https://forums.artrage.com/showthread.php?37021-so-sumi-why-don-t-you&p=375896#post375896
In fact feel free to use any tool you like while painting if it gives the effect or look you want!
Also experiment with different canvas textures for different layers this will also greatly vary how a brush stroke can look.

But if you really want specific tutorials on replicating a watercolour paint look in AR then I don’t think you can do better than the advice and tips given by users Steve B & Someonesane;
Steve B videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/cloudofwords1/videos?sort=da&view=0
Someonesane: https://www.artrage.com/into-the-stars-watercolour-tutorial-by-someonesane/

And now an old watercolour from 2016 of a cat for you June, well a panther actually.

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[Enug]

Thank you Mark for taking the time to respond with your WC suggestions. I have collected quite a few textures and now I'm going over them to see which work best also which brush settings. I already have a folder of favourite blenders. In the past I have looked at the tutorials you suggest - I will have to go thru them again.

As for your 'cat' you knew I would just love it!

[markw]

This one’s from earlier this year, March appropriately enough! Intended print size A3.
Principle tools; Watercolour brush, Sumi blenders, Custom Brush and Pastel.
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[Enug]

Mark that is beautiful - I love the fur - in fact I love everything!

[eighty+]

hi fab stuff but i've always kept away from layers as beyond my Ken ok CIAO PLOOS

[debsym62]

I love these the penguins are really fabulous.

[markw]

Thought I might add another painting to this thread.
Still not sure about the background/environment on this one… :confused:
Funny how sometimes these things can be slippyer than an eel covered in butter to pin down!
Anyway, probably spent too much time fiddling with it now, so it is what it is!
Principle tools; Watercolour brush, Sumi Knife blenders, Sticker Spray.

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[Enug]

A wonderful painting Mark. Your background is perfect. I find choosing suitable backgrounds sometimes harder than painting the main image.

I love kangaroos - there was such a sad photo in our local paper recently of an incinerated kangaroo caught in a fence during our last horrific bushfires. However, I can't forget a kangaroo drowning my daughter's dog in a dam on their farm - who would have thought - but I find it's not an isolated case.

Gorgeous painting - I love all the detail and shading.

[D Akey]

"Wilder than a March Hare", as the saying goes. Very clear wildlife illustration, Mark. I echo what the others say. You really have a handle on the program and a great eye. Bravo!

Edit: I just now noticed the kangaroos. Wow. Fantastic subtlety. Masterful work indeed.

:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:

[hanzz]

Wow,great thread,with very Nice artwork

[markw]

Thank you for the kind words friends.
Here’s to ArtRage and what it lets us do!

@June Yes, we were all shocked by those devastating fires. Heart breaking:(
A kangaroo drowned a dog, you say?! I know those feet can do some serious damage!
Can you expand some more on what happened to your daughter’s poor dog?

[Enug]

Hi Mark,
My daughter and son in law took over (bought) his parent's farm and visit several times a week to check on the cows, etc. They take their two dogs and this time the dogs spotted a mob of roos and set chase. The big buck, probably doing what bucks do - protecting his girls, turned on the dogs and chased Simba into a dam on the property. The roo followed and in the ensuing struggle held Simba under and he drowned. Jane and Matthew watching couldn't stop what was happening and Matthew had to dive in to retrieve Simba's body. It was not long after this that I read of another dog drowning in the same way. It seems roos will do this.

Simba - pink zinc on his nose to protect from sunburn.

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[markw]

OMG, how horrific for Jane and Matthew to witness that and not be able to intervene!
Big dog lover myself, don’t have one now, but had a black German Shepard.
That’s a great little painting of Simba:cool: I may never have met him but I swear I can feel his character coming through those eyes!
A fitting tribute to him June.

[melvinjoe]

Wow This is very cute !! I love penguins most! I want to visualize this picture with a panda !!

[markw]

Thank you melvinjoe:) I've always had a soft spot for penguins too!
I think it's impossible for anyone not to smile when they see one:cool:

[markw]

So another addition to this thread, only just finished this one, a Bison this time.
Principle tools; Watercolour Brush, Sticker Spray, Custom Brush, Sumi Blenders.
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[Enug]

Oh Mark! That takes my breath away.:cool::cool::cool::cool:

[D Akey]

That is pretty terrific. Really well done and quite timely as Winter and snows come on.

I love the snow effect. Adds a layer on interest that really smashes it.

:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:

[markw]

June, D Akey, thank you for the kind comments.
Saw a documentary about Yellowstone recently and thought I just had to give painting a Bison a try!

[markw]

So this one originally started out as another watercolour.
But it kept saying it wanted to be an oil painting. So I listened to the painting.
Principle tools; Oil Brush, Knife, Custom Brush.

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[Enug]

Funny how they talk to you - mine keep saying "I know I'm at the ugly stage but keep going it will turn out OK".:D

A lovely painting Mark - I have a cat who loves to sit on the mantlepiece just like that.

[D Akey]

I have a black cat so I really love this one, Mark.

The shimmer in the fur really works to describe the form. Lots of pleasing details throughout. A right fine job, this!

:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:

[Kate12345]

Not much more to say than that really LOL! I've come here for the oils, so won't be distracted haha!

[markw]

Thanks for the kind comments friends.

Yes, June, it’s always important to listen to what the painting is telling us!

Glad it hit a chord with you D Akey.

Go on Kate, what harm could doing one little watercolour do…? You know you want to!

[markw]

After June’s recent posting of a couple of excellent bear paintings in her Gallery thread; ‘Mr Bruin’ (https://forums.artrage.com/showthread.php?55834-Mr-Bruin) I thought I might jump in on the theme and post a couple from my back catalog too.
A Spanish brown bear and a Sun Bear.
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[D Akey]

Terrific illustrations, Mark!

A great vision to end a year on a high note, a year that's been something of a "bear". . .

:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:

[Enug]

So much attention to detail. I can tell you spent a lot of time on these illustrations, not like me - churning one out almost every day! They are so beautiful. You are very talented, have you had artistic training? Thanks for showing.

[markw]

"... have you had artistic training?
Well, I suppose yes, though perhaps not in the way you maybe thinking!

I trained as a stone carver/mason many years ago. But I’ve also been a mosaicist and a stained glass restorer too since then.
All of which require a degree of visualising 3D & 2D forms in your head, as well as working ideas out in clay or paper and pencil. And of course there is the constant flow of ideas and techniques you pick up from the people you are fortunate enough work with.
So perhaps inevitably all that then leads one into drawing and painting for it’s own sake.

And then came along computers and a whole new digital medium to play in that doesn’t require any special dedicated space, consumable items or cleaning up at the end of the day!
But more importantly with computers came the internet and instant access to the sum of all the worlds art and the knowledge and teaching of many of it’s creators past and present.
But as you know the learning/training never really stops, every time we pick up a tool, however ambitious the project or simple the doodling around, we learn and grow a little bit more.

So now, what's your story…?

[Enug]

Sorry Mark that I didn't get back to you.

Not much of a story really. No art training - not even a subject at school in my day. For many years I was a member of a Paintshop Pro forum administered by a woman in Holland. Who became an online friend and I eventually visited. We didn't paint as such but followed tutorials for making tags.

I eventually bought a Wacom Bamboo One (which I still use) and with it came ArtRage 2. I didn't bother with AR until I joined another forum and then I started using AR. From there I discovered the ArtRage Community where I am today.

While I don't know the whys and wherefores of painting, I have always been able to copy. Briefly, I was a member of a very small acrylic painting group held in a private home. My uncle could paint tho not professionally and my father could draw, so maybe it's in the genes. I also think my love of animals has inspired me.

So there it is!;)

[markw]

About time I ought to post something here again as I haven’t posted anything for a while now:o

Still not entirely happy with the feathers on this but I think I’ve probably spent more than long enough fiddling around with this painting now.
Feathers are definitely harder than painting fur!
But in my defense, this is only my third ever bird painting!
Principle tools;
Watercolour Brush, Custom Brush and Knife.
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[odemilson]

Lovely watercolour! I am studying to achieve such closeness but it's so tricky!

[Enug]

Just beautiful Mark. Such fine detail - do you work on a large size canvas?

[markw]

Thank you for the kind comment odemilson :)

@ June;
Large-ish I suppose:confused: Typically my canvases are around 3508px x 4961px.
Much bigger than that and I find I start to get more brush lag than I can live with on my system when using some tools at larger sizes.
I always setup paintings with the assumption of printing them and this size will give an excellent A3 print but can also be pushed to print somewhat larger too if needed without compromising perceived quality too much, as larger pictures are typically viewed from further away.

[Enug]

I usually work on a 3000px square canvas but I don't zoom in very much. I think with your attention to detail you probably do.

[limey-g]

A lovely water colour Mark it certainly gives the effect of the bird standing in somewhat steamy water.

Geoff

[D Akey]

Looks cool, Mark. Interesting take on the viewpoint angle of the tail region which appears to be looking at it from 3/4 behind when it's more of a straight profile in the front. Am I reading that right? Is that a sort of Audubon illustration thing for cataloging the appearance of birds in a scientific way to save having to do several pics of the bird from different angles ? It's very informative. Nice rendering.

:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:

[markw]

A lovely water colour Mark it certainly gives the effect of the bird standing in somewhat steamy water.
Thank you Geoff:) Yes, in my mind I saw it as morning with a thin low mist rising...

[markw]

Interesting take on the viewpoint angle of the tail region which appears to be looking at it from 3/4 behind when it's more of a straight profile in the front. Am I reading that right? Is that a sort of Audubon illustration thing for cataloging the appearance of birds in a scientific way to save having to do several pics of the bird from different angles ?...

Yes, absolutely, spot on Mr D that’s exactly what I was trying for!
Is what I want to say! :o
But actually, er yes, I see what you mean. I may have fumbled the ball a bit on that!:o
Spent too much time wrestling with feathers and lost sight of it!
I think it’s that I haven’t really got the values or something quite right on the neck in order to show the twist or roundness of it falling away from you in the lower part of it relative to the body:confused:
Also not helped by those long black feathers coming too far out to the side, for a rear ¾ view, which is also tending to flatten out that part and make it seem more side on than it should be...
Thanks for the feedback there Mr D, your observations are always valued:cool:

On the subject of those old school scientific fauna & flora illustrations though, I have to confess I do have a bit of a soft spot for them!
So maybe something in my subconscious was trying to exert itself!
And as for Mr Audubon illustrations they are just stunning, and the size of them!
Although painting birds is somewhat new for me, I have long wanted to see his work in the flesh someday for a long time now.
Have you ever been fortunate enough to have seen his originals?

[D Akey]

Hahaha. No, Mark, I haven't see the originals but I have one of those oversized art books with plenty of his birds exclusively. They would really be informative to see the originals, I agree. I think even medical illustrators may have taken a page or two from how he painted -- at least the old school ones.

When I was in junior college trying to figure out a career after my military stint, I was in the audio visual lab where they had some of the most vivid, wildly interesting illustrations of amoebas and parameciums and other microscopic creatures, and I dare say I was blown away at how gorgeous that (those) illustrators managed to make that world. All pre-desktop days, so those images were illuminated and totally Art (capital A). I think I was probably more interested in the art than anatomy and immediately dropped science in favor of art classes. Who knows where inspiration will hit.

I didn't really get into Audubon until I found his big book on a shelf one day. I wonder if I would have gotten into birds as subjects had I found it as a young student. I love birds, especially the tropical ones with all that spectacular plumage.
Your animal stuff is great. Keep going. Very pleased you have finally opted to start showing. It's a real pleasure.

:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:

[markw]

Just the head and neck this time.
I was doing some thumbnail “notes” for painting the whole bird but somehow this one just took over and became the finished painting.
Principle tools were the usual suspects; Watercolour brush, Custom Brush and Knife.

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[Enug]

Annother beauty from you Mark. Funny how they 'take over'.;)

[Stephen Lo Piano]

Nice work, these images remind me of information books like dictionary or encyclopedia. The type of images you see in those type of books when you look up the word of the animal and they have a picture there as an example of what they look like.

[kenmo]

Wow....these animal paintings are incredible!!!!!!

[markw]

Thank you; June, Stephen, Kenmo for your kind words :)
@Stephen;
Yes, it’s true, I do have a soft spot for those old scientific textbook illustrations.
And inevitably I suppose that liking percolates through into my own work!

[markw]

Thought it about time I posted something else to this thread again.
Finished this one this past weekend.
My usual tools used, with the addition this time of the Oil brush for some bits. Was trying to replicate more opaque water based media like Gouache with it.
Printed size 30cm².
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[Enug]

So beautiful Mark - takes my breath away!

[markw]

Thank you June, much appreciated:)

[markw]

Polar Bear
My first painting for 2022!
Bit of an experiment this one; to paint a polar bear in a landscape, while keeping as far away from using whites as possible!
Watercolour brush, and all my other usual tools…
Intended print size approx 42cm x 23.5cm
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[RedSaucers]

This is awesome work!

[Enug]

If anyone ever had any doubts about the power of ArtRage in the hands of an artist, they have only to view your wonderful paintings Mark. Once again it proves that in the right hands a fancy display tablet is not needed. Wonderful work - Andy should include your watercolours in his next promo for ARV.:cool::cool::cool::cool:

[markw]

Thank you Redsaucers and June for your kind words:o
Yes, AR is very versatile. Your work Red and June, and of others who also post on the forums, are all very different from each other and I’m always impressed with the diversity of work that the same software allows us all to produce.

[markw]

Never really sure what to write here? Hopefully the picture speaks for itself!
Would like to say thank you though to nekomata for recently posting his watercolour stencils over in the Art Supplies section of the forums, some of which I used in the background.
Other than those, it’s mostly Watercolour brush, Custom Brush and Palette Knife blenders.

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[Perendale]

Hi Mark

These are beautiful and very skilful watercolours. I like them a lot!

When we lived in California we had ruby throated humming birds in the garden. I miss them …

Thanks for the paintings

Brett

[markw]

Thank you for the kind words Brett, glad you like my scribblings.
And hope you get to see your hummingbirds again soon some day.

[Enug]

So beautiful Mark. Of course, the hummingbird is perfection but the flowers would work well as a botanical watercolour. Bravo!

[markw]

Thank you June:)
Well, there you go, two paintings for the price of one:cool:
Bonus points if you can name the flowers…?

[markw]

A Cheetah and a Thomson’s Gazelle trying not to be lunch!
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[Perendale]

Beautiful Mark. I love the energy in the cornering cheetah.

Brett

[markw]

Thank you Brett, glad you like it:cool:

[Enug]

Hi Mark - another wonderful painting showing your eye for detail. I've held off commenting as I keep going back to look at the cheetah. My brain or eyes are seeing something that I know is not there, but it's bothering me. In my view of the cheetah, it looks like his chest is a round ball. Perhaps he's already eaten a previous kill and it's his round belly.??

I have just had cataract surgery and I am awaiting new reading glasses so perhaps my vision is distorted.:eek::eek::eek:

[markw]

Good to see you again June:D
Yes, I see what you mean, it’s actually the pectoral muscle bunching and to some extent the biceps too, as the front right leg pushes him to the right as he turns.
In contrast the left fore leg has moved back and is no longer pushing or taking weight.
Cheetahs have quite powerful and developed chest muscles. Not just from all the running but also for holding onto their pray as well.

When I do these paintings I use still reference images of course but also a lot of video reference.
I think video has an advantage over stills in that it helps you see subjects in a more rounded form, how one thing relates to another and moves.
But I concede I may have over emphasised that muscle here!
Thank you for bringing it up, you are helping keep me on my artistic toes as it were!

Sorry to hear you’ve needed eye surgery:( But glad that it has all gone well for you:)
So once you have your new glasses dose that mean we can look forward to seeing more paintings from you again?

[Enug]

Thank you Mark for not taking offence at my remarks - I was a little nervous as to how my comments would read.

It's been a couple of months since I have done any painting and I've missed it. I purchased a pair of 'el cheapo' glasses from the chemist to tide me over, so I might test them out with a painting.:)

[markw]

Something a little more whimsical this time!

Believed to have once been widespread throughout Northern Europe and preferring the oldest and thickest hedgerows and copses, the diminutive Hedge Dragon sadly seems to have followed the same fate as it’s larger cousins, and is probably now extinct due to persecution, habitat loss and scepticism.

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[Enug]

Aw! Mark, only you could make a dragon look cute and cuddly.:eek::eek: Seriously tho, that is a tremendous amount of work - it must have taken ages, not like my couple of hours. That's why it is so perfect - painted by a 'perfectionist'.:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::coo l::cool::cool:

[Perendale]

I really like that! The details are wonderful.

And, yes, if we don’t pay attention to our ancestors and don’t talk about them and to them, then they too will die of skepticism.

Brett

[sabena]

Hello Markw super your paintings about animals:)

[markw]

Thank you June, Brett and Ana for you kind words:o
I’m really glad you all liked this one:cool:

[MrKhan]

Hi Markw,

I cannot believe these are created using a software, They look so incredible and hand painting, do you ever get them printed on something like Hahnemuhle etching paper?

Thank you for sharing really quite inspirational

[markw]

Thank you MrKhan :)
Yes, I do often get Fine Art Giclée prints done, though not always.
Depending on the print service I use, the paper used is usually one of the following;
Arches Fine Art Aquarelle Rag
Bockingford Watercolour Paper
Somerset Enhanced Velvet
Hahnemühle William Turner
If the original digital version in ArtRage used a canvas texture then I might use;
Hahnemühle Fine Art Albrecht Dürer
Hahnemühle Canvas Artist
Hahnemühle Leonardo Canvas

[terry0205]

Hi Mark,

I really love all your paintings!!! They are very cool!!:cool::cool::cool::cool: Way beyond my simple efforts. Please, let us see more!!

Sue

[markw]

Thank you Sue:o
Yes, there will be more! It’s just a matter of fitting them in around my other commitments:rolleyes:
So as they say; "watch this space..."

[LaFemmeDuLac]

You expressed perfectly not only a penguin-family. I feel in your picture while observing it is what I see when I watch movies and pictures of penguins. They are so caring, loving and tenderly.

[cartuneman]

I love your work and the animals are great! I too love painting animals. and in your big cat chase of the gazzel the movement and stress on bothe animals is so evident. great job. but my fave is the sleeping dragon.

[markw]

Thank you for the comments LaFemmeDuLac and cartuneman much appreciated:):):)

[LaFemmeDuLac]

Thank’s for the kind words every one :)
I realised recently that I’ve been hanging around these forums for nearly 10 years now and started using AR back in v2 but I’ve never shared any of what I’ve done with AR with you good folks.
That combined with June’s gentle prodding, and I thought I might post some more odds and ends here.

As for any watercolour tips I may have June, lets see…
I always have one or more layers at the top of the layer stack set to Overlay blend mode. These layers will be images, B&W or colour, of real textures like painted surfaces, stone, sand, water or me just splattering AR paint around, but it all adds more texture and life to the underlying paint layers. (And play with the layer opacity’s too!)
Don’t rely on the watercolour brush to do it all. I’m always using the Knife Tool to give hard and soft edges to the brush strokes.
One of my favourite sets of watercolour blenders for doing this were kindly donated to the AR community by user screenpainter in his post; So Sumi why don’t you? You can find them here: https://forums.artrage.com/showthread.php?37021-so-sumi-why-don-t-you&p=375896#post375896
In fact feel free to use any tool you like while painting if it gives the effect or look you want!
Also experiment with different canvas textures for different layers this will also greatly vary how a brush stroke can look.

But if you really want specific tutorials on replicating a watercolour paint look in AR then I don’t think you can do better than the advice and tips given by users Steve B & Someonesane;
Steve B videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/cloudofwords1/videos?sort=da&view=0
Someonesane: https://www.artrage.com/into-the-stars-watercolour-tutorial-by-someonesane/

And now an old watercolour from 2016 of a cat for you June, well a panther actually.

99689
Wow, I love animals, I even wrote work presented for my examination of my Social-Work-Diploma about the psycho-social meaning of animals and pets in our western societies.
And above a recognice "La Panthère".

[LaFemmeDuLac]

This one’s from earlier this year, March appropriately enough! Intended print size A3.
Principle tools; Watercolour brush, Sumi blenders, Custom Brush and Pastel.
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If I will be able to do such precise watercolors ever, wet in wet, or mixed style here on ArtRage like this hare? Actually I still struggle still with use of layers. :confused:

[markw]

If I will be able to do such precise watercolors ever, wet in wet, or mixed style here on ArtRage like this hare? Actually I still struggle still with use of layers. :confused:
LaFemmeDuLac you are too kind:o But I’m sure that in time you will be able to!

If you have specific problems or questions regarding Layers do feel free to ask over in the Technical section of these forums:)

[LaFemmeDuLac]

So this one originally started out as another watercolour.
But it kept saying it wanted to be an oil painting. So I listened to the painting.
Principle tools; Oil Brush, Knife, Custom Brush.

100898
"Going" through your great gallery is like visiting a real exhibition of pictures of one artist. I like it in your style and technique. And here I stay longer and watch because it is almost my female cat Trixey, which had to go 2016 with almost 19 years. She was my sister, because she was convinced to be a human. And tried to habit like we do. As I wrote somewhere else, I love animals.

[markw]

Yes, I know, it’s been awhile and I’ve not posted anything new here:rolleyes:!

So to make amends; it's back to Africa again for this one and a couple of cheetahs this time!
So far it's been a day of sun and heavy showers, but time now to stretch those muscles before looking for a bite to eat!
Around 16’’ x 8’’. Mostly Watercolour brush and Knife blenders.

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[LaFemmeDuLac]

And I agree with you: I try and use every tool and colour, technique to receive the result I want to gain. If I should describe the paint-technique: Mixed technique, in German I often see it even in musea: Mixtechnik/Mischtechnik.
I learned: Only the result is important. Our old and famous rock-star. Udo Lindenberg paints watercolours with liqueur and called them : Likörelle (from German: Aquarelle, pl.). His famous song you might have heard: " Und sonst ist wieder alles klar auf der Andrea Doria...):cool: My teacher during studies grinded all from in and around the WW2 bunkers in her hometown and made watercolour pictures of it, sticked moss and trouvailles on the pictures, she found a lot. Or let tyres roll over huge wallpapers in all colours. But I'm not so brave nor do I desire to do like her.
If somebody love to paint "icones" from the Orthox-Church-type for instant? It is fine too. Artists are free, aren't they?

[markw]

And I agree with you: I try and use every tool and colour, technique to receive the result I want to gain...

...If somebody love to paint "icones" from the Orthox-Church-type for instant? It is fine too. Artists are free, aren't they?
Totally agree with you; at the end of the day it’s the finished painting that matters. Not which specific tools within AR were used.
If/When I list the tools used in one of my paintings, it’s meant more as a guide as to which types I used most frequently in the painting, not a exhaustive list of all the tools used, as I know some people here like to know these things!

And yes, outside of possible commercial requirements, artists should always be free to portray the subjects that resonate with them and in the manner of their choosing!
We won’t pleas everyone all the time or we may not pleas anyone! But we should always be true to our own visions.

[sabena]

Hi Markw I love your paintings especially this one of the cheetahs in Africa.
I lived 15 years in Angola and these images bring back good memories :)

[markw]

...I lived 15 years in Angola and these images bring back good memories :)
Oh wow, that’s interesting! We then are among the lucky ones Ana!
My dad (sadly no longer with us) worked in Zimbabwe in the 80’s early 90’s and I was fortunate to be able to go out and visit.
I think there is some deep genetic call within us all that you don’t know is there until you are in Africa. It was the birthplace of mankind after all.

[Perendale]

Wonderful cheetahs Mark!

I have always said I don't dare go to Africa because I knew would never leave again. It is a deep call!!

Brett

[Enug]

Mark, all your paintings are beautiful and this is no exception. Some years ago I was privileged to get up close and personal with some 15mth old cheetah cubs at a Monarto Safari Park here in SthAust. They've had a special place in my heart ever since. https://www.monartosafari.com.au/animals/cheetah/

[markw]

Mark, all your paintings are beautiful and this is no exception. Some years ago I was privileged to get up close and personal with some 15mth old cheetah cubs at a Monarto Safari Park here in SthAust. They've had a special place in my heart ever since. https://www.monartosafari.com.au/animals/cheetah/
Thanks June:o, and good to see you again:) how are you doing?!
Thanks for the link, just been looking through Monarto’s website. Would love to go there, but a bit far for me I think!
There are safari parks here of course that I’ve been to, but seeing African animals in an English setting just looks and feels a bit weird!
At least Monartos’s setting is closer to the animals natural habitat and climate.
Now one question dose spring to mind; how have you managed to resist painting us all here a cheetah cub or two?!

[markw]

Something festive to close out the year I thought. A tiger in the snow!
A3 printed size, done with all the usual watercolour tools.
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[Enug]

Another striking watercolour from you Mark. Superb attention to detail. Your paintings are always worth the wait.:cool::cool::cool::cool:


A watercolor painting of a Siberian tiger in the snow can be a beautiful and striking work of art. The use of watercolors can give the painting a soft, ethereal quality, while the depiction of the tiger can add a sense of strength and power. The snowy setting can add a sense of serenity and tranquility to the piece. Overall, the combination of the medium, subject matter, and setting can create a unique and captivating work of art.

I asked AI for a comment on your painting! https://chat.openai.com/chat Quite amazing how it responds - have a play.

[LaFemmeDuLac]

Something festive to close out the year I thought. A tiger in the snow!
A3 printed size, done with all the usual watercolour tools.
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I like your fine painted watercolour paintings. I like to create fine paintings with water-colors as well, but did not get it yet digital. I partly use watercolour-pencils and prefer only "Albrecht Dürer" by Faber Castell, they are the softest and very smoothy to get the effects with water. After drying you can of course use normal water-colors with "sword-brushes" or fine sharped tips of the pencils for fine structures. My picture of the Fujiyama (here in my collection) with the boat ist partly painted with watercolour-pencils, partly with AR.

[wkawhoosh]

Really great work :cool:

[wkawhoosh]

Great depth and feel. Observation spot on.,

[altimaître]

marvelous! we feel the tenderness of the winter during a moment without wind, it is soft, it is beautiful, it is joyful! Thank you!

[markw]

Thank’s for the kind comments and observations one and all, much appreciated :o
And June, I had a play around with the AI thing you linked to. Had some interesting “conversations”:confused: with it!
What a brave new world we find ourselves in!

[markw]

Not sure there’s a lot more I can say about it really:confused:, other than it’s a Barn Owl.
And just for a change I thought I would tape off the edges of the background this time rather than doing another of my usual random "watery" edged backgrounds:rolleyes:
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[LaFemmeDuLac]

Hi Mark, I do not understand what there was going on.
I never before saw this picture with the owl here than now when I opened this thread.
But I watched closely the penguins. And replied, that's all I did.
Greetings

[altimaître]

hello Markw, I like your owl! it's made directly on paper with real brushes? it's not made with artrage it seems.
there is something written at the bottom, is it for the copyright?

[Perendale]

Really beautiful barn owl. They have been blowing over from Oz for years, I believe, but about three or four years ago, I think, a breeding pair arrived and now we have about six pairs I believe. There’s lots of rats and mice here, so maybe they’ll help with Predator Free 2050!

Brett

[Enug]

I have just finished a book on the life of a pair of barn owls. I love their heart-shaped faces. Your painting is so sharp and clean with so much detail - I am so impressed with your talent.:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool: And I love your new background rendition.

[markw]

OK, I’m going to be a bit lazy here and combine multiple replies in one post!:p

@LaFem, yes I only just added the owl painting to this thread which is why you didn’t see it last time. Hope you like it!

@altimatître, thanks for commenting and I'm glad you like my owl too!:o
Actually like all my other pictures in these forums it is all 100% ArtRage!
And yes well spotted, that is a copyright watermark at the bottom there hiding in the grass!
If you look closely at all my other images I’ve posted here, they too have one in them! But I try to keep them discreet, so that they don’t distract the viewer.

@Brett, wow so these guys have even blown over to NZ from Oz! Amazing!
Yes, it would be nice to think that now they are in NZ they would confine themselves to eating just the invasive pests that they are familiar with eating.
But I worry about what they will turn their attention to once that natural diet has been exhausted?
I somehow doubt that once they have realized what a nice place NZ is to live in, that they will just pack up and go back to Oz!

And talking of Oz…
@June, thanks for the kind comments June, always appreciated:o
Yes very strange that we have both been immersed in the world of owls at the same time! The Universe moves in mysterious ways…!:rolleyes:
Now I know Barn Owls are the most globally widespread of the species but are they native to Oz:confused: Or did we Brits misguidedly introduce them there too back in the day...:confused:

[Enug]

The Eastern Barn Owl is widespread in Australia. The barn owl has been introduced into the Hawaiian island of Kauai to control rodents unfortunately, it has been found to also feed on native birds. :eek:

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[altimaître]

done with artrage ! congratulations ! it is beautifull !

[Perendale]

… The barn owl has been introduced into the Hawaiian island of Kauai to control rodents unfortunately, it has been found to also feed on native birds

Yikes! I didn’t want to hear that!

Brett

[markw]

Once again too long a time has passed since I last posted anything here!:o
Hope this adds a little something to someones day:)
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[Enug]

Well Mark, it's certainly given me pleasure this evening and I realise that I haven't painted since I lost my furry friends and the new babe is making it hard for me to sit at the computer - he wants to chase the cursor!

But back to your lovely painting of the kingfishers - it's so delicate yet detailed and the suggestion of water is the perfect addition to an already perfect picture. Bravo!

[LaFemmeDuLac]

Hi Marc, fine to get this message from you. Astoningly not by a pigion but by very beautiful birds which do not have their biotop here. Concerning me I to loaded up just one picture and concidered myself as lazy. But I realized it's contemporarly a global symptom? Have a nice inspiring time though.

[altimaître]

Lovely drawing! the colours are light, like the bird, and clear, like the water it's diving into, it's all so refreshing! thank you!

[sueellen]

It does! It does add something to my day. Thank your for sharing this bit of joy with us. They are beautiful.

[markw]

Once again; thank you all dear friends for your kind words:o And coming from fellow artists they mean all the more.:)
It seems to me now more than ever that we all need to see something more positive and uplifting!

So, in the words of artist Aaron Blaise, we as artists should; go out there and put some beauty back in the world!

[Perendale]

So, in the words of artist Aaron Blaise, we as artists should; go out there and put some beauty back in the world!

I really like the idea (see philosopher/neurologist Iain MacGilchrist) that beauty, like space, time and motion, is a primitive that helps create the cosmos.

Lovely kingfishers, Mark. June, I haven’t see you post for a while, I hope all is well with you. I seem to have shut down for winter and I have been reading a lot, but not creating much at all. A few poems!

Kia kaha!

Brett

[Enug]

@Brett - I seem to have lost my mojo, briefly, I hope. Like you, I have been reading and seem to be consuming a book every three or four days.:) I usually have two on the go - one while trying not to be distracted by TV and an audible in bed before going to sleep.:rolleyes:

[sueellen]

I love these SO MUCH.

[Perendale]

Good to hear from you June and I’m glad all is well even if the mojo has vanished for a while.

Maybe I’ll make a painting :rolleyes:

Brett

[hildee]

You make glorious paintings, Mark 😍

[markw]

Thank you hildee, you are too kind!:o

[shekofte]

I found this work collection too late ! But surprising Artists and Art is here.

[markw]

A Shoebill Stork this time.
While perhaps not one of Nature’s prettiest of birds!:p, Their faces are undoubtedly full of character!
Found on the African continent, these birds are big! Averaging 1m to 1.5m tall, 1.5kl in weight, with a wingspan of 2.3m!
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[altimaître]

Wonderfull !

[Perendale]

Just great Mark. Beautiful and humorous too. Doesn't look like someone you'd want to meet in a dark alley!

[Enug]

Mark, just when I think your paintings can't get any better, you prove me wrong. Perfection!

[sueellen]

I never get tired of exploring your beautiful renditions of animals. Between your work and the paintings by enug I have a beautiful gallery to browse while I have tea; enjoying the same paintings over and again without tiring of them.

[markw]

Awww, thank you sueellen that’s so kind of you to say:o:o:o
I know quite some time has passed since I posted my last painting, I hadn’t realised just how long ago that was:o!
There will be more, just can’t say when right now…
But I am very glad to hear that the ones so far continue to bring you such pleasure:)
And thank you also June, Brett and altimaître for your last comments:o

[markw]

All a bit quiet on these forums of late isn’t it:confused::(
And sadly due to "life" I still haven’t been able to finish anything new in AR lately:(
But I thought I might see what old stuff might be lurking on my HD that perhaps has some small merit that I might post in the meantime.

Though the Kudu was painted back in 2016, I recently used it as a wine label for an otherwise entirely vector mockup of a wine.

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[Perendale]

Yes, very quiet!

Beautiful kudu and a great vector drawing. I haven’t done much vector stuff since I swapped from PC to Mac and had to stop using Xara, an app I really liked. I have Affinity Designer but never used it that much.

Brett