Jarry Park, Red Winged Black Bird

Not long ago we attended a birthday party in Jarry Park. It was a beautiful sunny day albeit a little cold to fully enjoy the weather. The birds had clearly returned and they were waiting for the park service people to fill up the artificial pond again. I caught a red-winged black bird on the dried willow branches about to take off. Actually I finished the entire painting and then put the bird on last from memory. It was just luck that I got the colours right, red on top yellow on bottom.

5 x 7"  hot press. April 2019

Tri colour study

Blue, yellow, and red are the primary colours that make up all other colours. Green is a mix of blue and yellow! At least that is the theory. When buying paints you are confronted with over one hundred options, all with funny names. I realized over time that there are discrete hues with numeric codes used across all types of industries from art, to wall paint, to car paint etc. The paints you buy can contain one discrete hue, but some can contain two or more hues mixed up. In theory you can just buy the discrete hues, mix them yourself, and get the exact version of the mix they sell. For example, Hooker's green is a blend of PY110 and PG36, which are Isoindolinone Yellow and Phthalocyanine Green!

Watercolour paints can be mixed on the palette and then applied to the paper, or the colours can be put down in layers. A thin washed is applied and then let dry, then another layer applied over top. I used that extensively in this painting, so as to create more colours than I actually put on the paper... the orange is a layering of the red and yellow.

5x 7" hot press Watercolour. April 2019