Preliminary drawings for next painting

I've started sketching on the actual watercolor paper, and found that more thought is needed. The basilisk is well under way, but I find that the corners of the picture area are too distant. They need to be filled with something that won't distract from the main subjects, but allows the frogs to be a bit closer in toward the center. I believe that vines might do the trick. They can form a sinuous, undulating border around the painting's edge, and can do some twisting and turning in the corners. The frogs can be positioned on the vine, which gives them a base, too. The 4 corner frogs will be a bit closer in, since the vines can be arranged to take up more room in the corners. I'll do the orchids last, when I see exactly how much space needs to be filled between the basilisk in the center and the frogs on vines around the outside.

I'm changing the details of which frogs to use and where they will go once again. I always do the final designing on the watercolor paper itself, no matter how many preliminary sketches I do.

Academy of Sciences visit

I visited the Academy of Sciences today to see the new "Extreme Mammals" exhibit with my dad and niece, Amber. It was quite well done, and I learned a great deal about a great many mammals I had never heard of - mostly extinct. Fascinating!

While there, I tried to get some reference shots of the basilisk. This proved difficult, as the reflections of the glass could not be avoided. I did manage to get a fairly usable one of the Madagascar tomato frog, who is usually hidden away. Also, my very favorite resident of the Rain Forest exhibit - the paradise tanager - was right out in the open today. As a matter of fact, there were four of them together on a branch! They have to be seen to be believed, and these photos certainly don't capture all their colors.

Research for painting

I've begun researching frogs. Actually, I've now put together 12 pages of photo collages to use as reference material. Whenever possible, I include scientific names with the pictures to make it easier to make an ID chart later.

The orchids are already in my files, as I'm only using selections from my own photos. These, however, are not identified. I guess the painting will have an ID chart only for the animals.

I've started sketching lay-outs on large newsprint. I've developed a list of frogs I want to include, as well as where each one will go. Same with the orchids.

The four corner frogs will be a Tomato Frog, a Rainbow Burrowing Frog, a Horned Tree Frog, and a White's (Dumpy) Tree Frog. Midway between these, at top, bottom, left and right, will be a Red-eyed Tree Frog, a Blue-webbed Gliding Frog, Pristimantis Rain Frog, and Varied Clown Tree Frog. I'll fill in between these fellows with a large collection of different poison dart frogs.

Next, I started doing practice sketches of frogs in different positions. More details of their anatomy and proportions become clear as I work. After sketching about 28 frogs, I'm starting on the orchids.

Tomorrow I'll try to get photos of the basilisk while I'm seeing the new "Extreme Mammals" exhibit at the Cal Academy with my dad and niece. I'll work on sketches of him this weekend.

I decided to only use poison dart frogs that I can identify, so I now have that list ready.

New work in gestation

Finally, I can feel the emergence of a new painting taking form in my imagination. It has been gestating for awhile, and the elements have now become more specific in my mind. The main character will be a Plumed Basilisk, and I plan to get some good reference photos of the gorgeous specimen at the Academy of Sciences this Friday. That particular lizard really struck me the very first time I saw him. I think he will star in this next watercolor.

Another creature that I love at the Academy is the Tomato Frog from Madagascar. He has made me think of painting a selection of frogs at some point. I also have lots of lovely orchids I photographed at the Orchid Expo in San Francisco this year...

So, this is what I am thinking: A Basilisk is in the very center. He will be surrounded by a ring of orchids, each one different. A bit of air will surround the orchids, and then come the Frogs! Frogs will form a sort of outer border, but will be at least as important as the orchids. A large frog will sit in each corner, and smaller frogs will fill in between them, all anchored by a twining vine.

I plan to record the progress of this piece, for my own records, here in this blog.

The major first hurdle was deciding what the main elements would be: basilisk, orchids, frogs.
Second, I slowly imagined how they could be arranged together in a painting, as described above.

Once I stretched the watercolor paper, I knew this project would actually begin...