following suggestions of my faithful readers: i added more birds on top of rocks; also applied 2 layers of a dark glaze to the rocks. while i was at it i repainted part of the sky. this project has almost, but not quite, reached point of diminishing returns for me. so it’s going to sit while i am gone the next 9 days and then we will see.

Thank you,  Mimi and Tandy, for your comments.  It occurred to me that maybe i should clarify what i have been thinking about with all those birds in various places on the rocks.  You are correct that in the original reference photo, the rocks are very dark and the only birds i saw when i first saw the photo were the ones in silhouette on top.  what happened was that when i took the photo into class when i was preparing the canvas to begin the painting, my teacher and another colleague said they didn’t like the big dark rock — thought it hit the viewer kind of in the face.  So i decided to lighten up the rock.I figured that would give me an opportunity to practice painting rocks. (Also changed some other features from the original).  Anyhow, when i lightened up the photo i saw there were birds there i’d Never even noticed in the first place.  Now, after all this, i might revert back to the original, having learned plenty in getting to this place. Attaching here the lighter photo — it’s not the whole picture, but i think you can see what i’m Talking about.

Between last week’s post and today this painting has undergone several iterations of birds.  I darkened the light areas of the gulls so they wouldn’t stand out so much.  Also moved a few around as well as adding more.  Added more cormorants, as well as a couple of gulls, to the top of the rock, and am attempting to keep them in silhouette.

One (maybe minor?) issue that emerged is that the dark feathers on the backs of the gulls which are down in the rocks blends in with the background rocks, so you can’t see where the bird ends and the rock begins, and vice versa.  I have not quite figured out what to do about this.  On the one hand, i don’t want to lighten up the rocks too much because that won’t look correct.  On the other hand, i need to keep contrast between the light and dark parts of those birds. And if i lighten up the light areas those birds may once again become focus, which i do not want.  And while I am at it, i am considering deleting all the birds except the ones atop the rocks.  Open to suggestions!!

I worked on the water some more over the past few weeks.  Then decided to leave it alone for a while and try to make a start on the birds.  Haven’t had class so i haven’t had teacher feedback.  What i am posting today is beginning effort to figure out those birds.  I’ll post below three photos. these are this week’s effort – so far — all are obviously preliminary! So — The top photo below was my initial effort.  realized belatedly that the raptors were not properly set in the rocks — i.e. they should be on the top of the rock; and below the horizon line.  In the second photo i have removed that guy and begun, with an outline, a hopefully more realistic bird (now on the left).  I am aware that the gulls look too prominent because their white is too white.  But i am waiting to tone them down till i get them all painted in — there will be several more.  There will also be additional raptors.  They look dull – opposite problem from that of the gulls — partly because i was painting over a repainted sky and partly (i speculate) because the mix i used to make black had transparent paint colors.