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windfalcon โ Arctic Flight
Published: 2009-01-11 18:09:17 +0000 UTC; Views: 6377; Favourites: 300; Downloads: 110
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Description
A commission for =Bleuborzoi of an Alaskan scene with a red-tailed hawk and a gyrfalcon. At first I wasn't sure where I should categorize this, since it's sort of fantasy, but sort of not.I'm really happy with how this came out. I'm definitely going to be doing more ink and watercolor since it causes me to push my value range wider than my pure-watercolor pieces. I had a lot of fun with the clouds!
Holbein ink and watercolor with a little bit of white gouache on Arches cold-press, 9X12 inches
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Comments: 67
LOL looks like the two bird that I use to do my feathersona XD I never saw this before
WOOOW looks like two brothers
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This is an incredible piece...
The pair gives the piece emotion... Sorry, words can't describe it, because it's so good.
Some art just can't be put into words. All art, actually. Keep up the good work.
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Beautiful, I really like the contract between the two birds. The Gyr seems to belong, to blend in with the landscape while the Redtail stands out.
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the detail-work youยดve done with the birds 
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OOOhhhhh... wow.
My two favorite birds of prey!!!
I would say not fantasy, because they're both real birds, and you haven't made them anthro or anything, even if they usually would not meet in the wild.
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I'm goign to end up innundating you with my comments here. The gyrfalcon and hawk also almost give a sense of autumn and winter to me when I look at it. It's so beautiful. Your art is very striking. i wish I had half your talent. I can't think of anymore to say. Take care.
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A true commitment of loads of patience in the lovely clean line art and both birds are beautiful. I've been to Alaska a while back & it's an amazing place. 
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Absolutely beautiful! I have to agree with previous comments. When I look at this painting, it reminds me of an Audubon painting, only "fresher"
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I said just WOW, when Iยดve seen it!
Fantastic piece, this is just amazing! 
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Gorgeous! Nobody gives gyrfalcons enough love...really beautiful!
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I agree - gyrfalcons need more love!
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Agreed! 
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Oh I love red-tailed hawks. We have them all over here in OK ^^
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ahh you're so good at feathers! *dead*
great work on the background too
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the clouds look really awesome, but the hawk looks kind of stark against them. my only point of encouragement would be to find a way to make them blend into the environment better? unless ofc that was your goal in the first place! otherwise, it's prettyyyyyy! i like it ^^
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Thanks! 
Clouuuuuuuuuds!
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claaoooouuwwwwwwwds!
we went out on the water yesterday, the clouds looked like a swirling vortex of doom hovering over our heads. i can't wait to show you!
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I wanna *gasp* SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
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Impressive work, engaging composition, wonderful
choice of lighting and atmosphere just so WOW ...
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The birds are so pretty! Why are raptors so beautiful?
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Yeah, heh...I made a mistake today and went in, thinking today was my class. Oh well. I'm helping teach Intro to Illustration at 2:00
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this is really great, love the inking and all the textures you painted there
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I love seriously this so much
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I love how you draw birds; the feathers and overall anatomy are so very well done.
Just wanted to point out that Alaskan redtails are darker than normal redtails and have much paler tales as well. They're called Harlan's hawks and used to be considered a separate species. Very pretty birds, actually.
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Yes, the Harlan's variation is quite lovely indeed. 
Thanks!
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Ah, gotcha.
Pretty much no matter what variation of the redtail you choose, it's sure to be a lovely bird.
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Actually, we have Harlan's and Western red-tails in Alaska ^^. I know Western can be found near the Canadian Border, not sure on Harlan's though e_e
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Harlan's breed in nortwestern Canada as well as Alaska and winter as far south as Texas.
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I have such a big love for wings and feathers and you do them so wonderfully. Great work.
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Wonderful Red Tailed Hawk, I've seen lots of them around the state and this is a beatiful piece
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I totally in love with your ink and watercolours works! do you paint with the ink or is it just the black outlining ink?
I love ink
These are wonderful! and this one has an amazing background and it compliments the birds perfectly!
you are going places!
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Thanks!
The piece itself is actually fully detailed in ink. You can see just the inkwork here: [link] I might put a link to the inkwork in the description (since I'm quite happy with that, too.
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Oh wow! its funny that the white bird looks so dark in the ink HAHA!
PAINT IS AWESOME
Ya i know what you mean about the thick line work, I used a home made feather quill on a piece once and i was actually pleased with how flat it was! but ya the G nibs are pretty thick. Its been a long time since I've inked anything without a Copic multiliner or prismacolour pens though since they're the only pens that don't smudge with markers
I'm gunna get a couple colours more of ink and then start painting with that
koh-I-noor and FW inks are both amazing!!!!!
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Gorgeous, I love watching you improve on a submission-basis. Especially with watercolour and other paints. This is amazing<3
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This is the best background I think I've ever seen you paint m'dear. And the whole piece feels very very professional, I wouldn't blink twice at seeing this in some illustrated novel of some kind. And I'd agree with you on the tonal range you get with ink and watercolour.. you seem less afraid of being bolder with this technique. Awesome stuff!
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I am really happy with the background. Part of me was so excited to see it finished that I wanted to rush, but I forced myself to take my time and do it right.
I showed my other ink-and-watercolor piece, Winter Gryphon, to my Directed Projects class during a portfolio presentation and the professor said that that style is a direction where my work should be going. The other students said they thought that piece was also was one of my strongest. I've been struggling for a while with getting a wider value range. Even with Apparition, it just feels like there isn't enough contrast, and I think by using ink I'm forcing myself to go darker.
I'm definitely going to be doing more ink-and-watercolor pieces, and practice more, especially at inking (since I'm still not entirely up to speed with it). I learned a lot of the method I'm using through my Drawing for Sequential Art class. My professor taught us about lineweight and value with ink. I guess my biggest fear was that the dark black of the ink was going to be at such contrast with the watercolor, but I've found if you just push your values, it works very well.
And thank you! It means a lot to me to hear encouraging things from you (especially with your understanding of value and color).
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yep... the black inkwork isn't overpowering here either... it's really nicely blended into the painting. I think that's why it works so much.
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These two characters you painted here remind me of two of my Mythia novel characters - North and South. The white hawk is named South and the red tailed hawk is named North. They are named the opposite of their original locations of where the species of hawk is born. You do a wonderful job on your birds of pray. I love your work.
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