h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For anyone interested, I uploaded seven of my most recent paintings to Webshots:

Chinese pond heron:

http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2317656360103203115EsZoAo

Donkeys grazing after bush fire:

http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2034642000103203115HVeVwg

Another Baobab tree:

http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2934634850103203115TFYwly

Leopard:

http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2249456560103203115hrrfln

Bull Elephant:

http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2101392530103203115UdQXhN

White Rhino:

http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2266846760103203115rXalPm

Waterbucks:

http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2123095610103203115EcXNZi

These are all watercolour paintings. The pond heron and leopard using online photos as reference, the waterbucks modified from a photo in a book, the baobab, donkeys, rhinos and elephant from photos taken by myself.

They are all lovely, but I am a sucker for an elephant

Websailor

Wow! These are FANTASTIC! I especially love the Baobob tree. How large are these paintings in real life? How do you achieve such fine detail? Do you use a ten aught brush? You have definitely mastered watercolor, which is one of the hardest mediums I think.

That is real good work Willem , well done

Hello everybody and thanks for looking at the pictures and for the compliments!

JEllen, thanks very much. These paintings are all 21.5" x 15" except for the Chinese pond heron, which is 15" x 11".

I use a fairly average sized brush ... how big is a 'ten aught' brush, I've never heard of that sort of designation? My own brush I've been using for many years now, just the one brush.

I might take a picture of my watercolour painting equipment! It's all extremely simple ... I only use six colours ... payne's grey, raw umber, alizarin crimson, french ultramarine, cadmium yellow, and *rarely*, viridian. I mix every colour I need from that.

Anyways as to the detail ... the secret to that is *patience*. I actually simplify much of the detail but put in the bits that are crucial to the painting. It's just a matter of painstaking work. A typical painting takes me two weeks, of a few hours' work every day.

Very skilled. The leopard's my favourite there .

I liked the Pond Heron best .

Willem did you find the frog on my Lucky Gloria pic?

Geagte Willem,

I shall look at them tomorrow. and then write to you. Have had a busy two days.

Tuesday 7th July, 2009 21.32 BST

With affection

Christianeand K.
AR80

Hello Everybody! Waz, great to see you here, happy that you liked the leopard! Nice to see you too here Christiane and K. I hope you find time to look at the pictures!

Anoldgreymoonraker, it's good to know you liked the heron! I wonder if the species occurs in your part of the world as well? At any rate, people here often advise me to paint big mammals, elephants, rhinos, lions and so on ... but I also like painting birds, and I always believe, if I do my work well enough, other people will like *those* paintings as well.

Well thanks again everybody!

Willem

P. S. sorry Moonraker, I couldn't find the frog in the flowers!

Thanks Willem, we have been wondering how long your wonderful paintings take to execute.

Oh, and I agree that water colour is one of the hardest mediums to use. I have always wanted to try oils but have never got round to it. I have no skill, just got pleasure from it once upon a time.

Websailor