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I've never painted a bird before. I decided to do a trial run before embarking on the actual portrait of Jingles, so that I could learn the anatomy, proportion, and feathers of a parrot. There are a lot of different kinds of parrots. Mrs. Jingles told me that Jingles is a Quaker Parrot, like this one named Bugsy:
I Googled Quaker Parrots and found that although their feather colors are typically similar, each parrot is distinct in their looks. They are delicate, complex creatures, and their feathers and feet are fascinating to me. I know this may sound silly, but I never seem to see anything until I really have a close look at it. I mean, when you are drawing and painting something that is to resemble something, you really have to understand the structure and detail of the thing you are working with.
Truth be told, in past, birds sort of creeped me out. Animals without "arms", like snakes and birds had that effect on me. But now that I've been looking closely at Quakers, the unrest I had with armless animals has winged into a fanatical feathered fascination.
I decided that their feet are really their hands, and if birds could play instruments, other than knocking their beaks into bells, they would be concert pianists. They have long, slender toes/fingers, and are adept at using them for all sorts of purposes.
In honesty, I think it comes down to envy on my part. Would I give up either my toes or fingers for a pair of wings and the ability to fly?
Hmmmmm, I wonder.
Anyway, here are a few images of the beginning of my process and the progress I've made in parrot-ville so far.
#parrot,#petportrait,#petpainting,#parrotpainting,#birdpainting
FINIS! Updated 4/20/15
