Blue Heron Acrylic Painitng

[Jon S]

Blue Heron on 11x14 canvas. I've been wanting to paint a heron for a while...don't know why, lol.
Not real crazy about the water, but I don't know what else to do to it so I'll call it 'done'.

[Bobbi Meyer]

nicely done.
The only suggestion I would have on the water would be to possibly have a bit more contrast.
I think it's nice anyway!

[Trapperswife]

Hmm ..not crazy about the water huh? Well just give it to me then...I'll live with it! LOL!   Very nice!

[BVanKirk]

very nice! i like the water in the foreground, if you wanted to change it up i would blur the water in the background where it meets up with the grass, a shallower depth of field will push the eye forward, but i love the way youve handled the reflection

[Jon S]

Thanks a lot!   I hate painting backgrounds. I want a blurred background, but always end up spending way to much time fiddling with it.

[BVanKirk]

are you using any retarder or mediums? if you get those background colors really wet and blur your edges with a really soft brush (synthetics or sable, it can be done with bristle if youre light handed about it) that might help. everyone is different but i have a personal rule about not spending much time on the background, and getting it knocked out of the way quickly so i can spend my time on the focus of the piece

[Jon S]

I 'm with you on that, I  just need to get it through my head and do it. Its what happens when you try to paint from photographs. 

[BVanKirk]

I 'm with you on that, I  just need to get it through my head and do it. Its what happens when you try to paint from photographs. 

lol i HAVE to work from photos... sure dead ducks sit still but they also start to smell bad after a few hours into a painting

[baileystaxidermy]

Looks really good you did an awesome job... If you don't like the water you might just go back and put a little bit of different shading around the ripples to give a little bit more...