The Cornell Lab Bird Academy › Discussion Groups › How to Paint Birds with Jane Kim › Paint: Color Reference Card

    • Alisha
      Participant
      Chirps: 21
      colour reference sheetHello everyone!  So excited to be taking Jane's course!  Here is my colour reference sheet.  I noticed that some of the paints were more saturated than others, the Phthalo Green seemed to de-saturate much earlier than the Quinacridone Magenta, or the Carbon Black for example.  Alisha (Ottawa, Ontario)
    • Vanessa
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      This is the first time I have worked with a wet palette.  I seem to be having issues.  First, my paints ran. Even with just a pea-sized amount.  Is my sponge and/or paper too wet?  Then my paper has absorbed the paint and now it is blending with anything I put on top of it.  I am trying to avoid the paint from the day before, but I run out of room quickly.  the previous day's paint is seeping into the paint I am using for the next lesson.  What am I doing or not doing?  Can anyone help me out?
      • Martha
        Participant
        Chirps: 1
        Sounds like you have WAY TOO MUCH WATER in your sponge. The sponge should be very damp, but you don't want puddles in your palette box. If there is too much water, it will soak the palette paper and the paints will run. The paper should look dry on top, but the moisture from below will keep the paints from drying out.
    • C
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      I typically work with Heavy Body Acrylics which I thin with acrylic medium at the advice of the paint company representative. Are there any long-term problems with thinning the Fluid Acrylics with water? It seems more environmentally friendly, and it saves money.  What are the advantages you have found using the Fluid Acrylics over Gouache, that other bird artist use?
      • Jill Leichter
        Participant
        Chirps: 8
        The biggest advantage with using acrylics over gouache or watercolor is that when it dries, you can paint another layer on top, either opaque or transparent, and it will not affect the layer beneath. The key to the richness of Jane's paintings is the way she applies transparent layers to give a depth and richness that makes her birds come alive. Jill