This juvenile manatee was hiding among the lily pads in the Silver River, just upriver from the river-walk lookout, at approximately the 1.2 mile marker. This image was captured in 2018 with a Sony HDR-AS50 in a waterproof housing.
This piece started with a pencil sketch on a thin wood veneer.
I block in my values with a thin paint or wood stain. This process is technically referred to as underpainting. I have started some of my works without the underpainting as a framework for my art, but I recognize that my most memorable pieces all began with this technique.
After carefully selecting a limited color palette, I begin the process of painting. I often start painting the items that require the most detail (for example, the eye and feathers on a birds head), but in the case of this image, the fine detail of the bright green foreground stalks required more attention.
A technique of layering acrylic and ensuring proper values (light/dark) brings this painting to life.
This piece is among several that are currently on display at the Silver Springs State Park Friends Welcome Center. Join me at the meet-and-greet at the gallery on Saturday, April 27, 2024. The Friends of Silver Springs State Park are hosting. Refreshments will be available. Learn more.