Background & prep:
Supplies: 7×14 or 10×20 canvas, White tissue , Mod Podge, transfer paper
Colors: White, Black, Raw Sienna, Cad Yellow Med., Dioxazine Purple, Thalo Blue, Ultramarine Blue
Background: Apply design with transfer paper (quite darkly)
Apply tissue to create texture, keeping a diagonal through the center portion, using thinned Mod Podge, under & over. Dry. Paint over all with White, allowing the design to show through. Dry
Background Paint
Upper Left: wash over with (White + UMB), thinned down with water
Diagonal area: Wash with shades of (White+Thalo Blue) (Thalo Blue+CYM+ white) (UMB+CYM “dark greenish”). Apply washes in direction of the tissue flow. Blot & wipe with paper towel to get desired effect.
Lower Right area: Wash crossways w (thalo Blue + CYM), (Thalo), (Dioxazine Purple). Be sure to work colors in & around the texture.
Heron Body
Using thinned (white+ tch Black), (White+tch UMB), (white+ tch UMB+ tch Diox. Purp), alternate colors, using short (downward strokes to create feather shadows).
Go back and place white over and blend . Use short (feather-like) strokes. Dry. Add more Pure White where desired for contrast & highlights.
Beak: Lower part of beak is Raw Sienna+ tch White., Top part of beak is CYM + tch White.
Eye: Black with a White “life-light”
Legs: Thinned Black
Bird Accents: Go back with tiny amount of Raw Sienna + tch Diox. Purple & add color accents where desired. May also add touches of thinned, UMB, DP, RS
Foreground
Lily Pads: (Th. Bl + CYM), shadowed under w/ Diox. Purple
Leaves & Reeds: Add these using edge of a flat brush &/or a liner brush (UMB+CYM+tch DP), (CYM+TB), (DP+RS)
Have fun and Keep painting!!