Xuan is very delicate and translucent paper, so I don't usually draw directly on it. I start by sketching on drawing paper, and then bold the main lines of the sketch so that I can trace it onto the xuan with a very light wash of ink.
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In-progress Chinese watercolor painting of a Pink Lady's Slipper plant, with the original sketch shown on the right.
#WIPWednesday
I got some xuan (Chinese rice paper) samples and doing some traditional gongbi paintings. It's been more than 10 years since I've worked on xuan, so it's an adjustment! I'm starting with a Pink Lady's Slipper, a wild orchid species native to MN.
#SciArt #Watercolor #ChineseArt
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Detailed watercolor painting of an American Coot standing on a log floating on still water. The bird's lobed feet are visible.
Newest piece, I don't see a lot of American Coot artwork! I knew I'd want to paint their crazy-looking feet for my Life List Series, as they're not often seen but are a great indicator that they're rails and not ducks!
#BirdArt #SciArt #Watercolor #FineArt #AnimalArt #ArtSky
I love the giant strawberry 😆 I think I would be just as pleased!
Ink sketch of a male yellow-shafted Northern Flicker perched on a stump
#WeeklySketch
A Northern Flicker from one of my photos.
#BirdArt #SciArt #PocketBrushPen #FineArt
Very cool work! Chinese ink behaves similarly to watercolor and I've used it since I started painting 20 years ago, so when I use it, it's like breathing!
In-progress watercolor painting of an American Coot standing on a log.
#WIPWednesday
It's always satisfying to use Chinese ink! But I also want to bring in warm and cool tones in the coot's body feathers, which I've started mixing colors for.
I may have lectured a non-birder about how coots aren't ducks multiple times in my life 😅
#BirdArt #SciArt #WIP
Detailed watercolor painting of a Mourning Warbler perched on a thin branch of tamarack with fresh crimson cones. The background is a dark green wash.
My newest Life List painting, a Mourning Warbler on tamarack, since my lifer was at Sax-Zim Bog!
The upper corner of the background was kind of spontaneous. I was just like "what if I just left it like that?" because I like how it looks.
#BirdArt #SciArt #Watercolor #ArtSky #AnimalArt
Thank you to Community Arts at Health Sciences for featuring my work!
The Health Sciences Education Center is only accessible to UMN students and staff, but there will be a gallery celebration day open to the public. Stay tuned for that date!
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Flyer for my art exhibit, showing parts of my Bufflehead and Common Loon paintings. The text reads "Water City: Minnesota Water Birds Annie Shao UMN Health Sciences Education Center March 10-May 19"
Next week is the start of my first exhibit of the year! It features my watercolor paintings of native Minnesota water birds that can be found in the Twin Cities.
#BirdArt #TwinCities #ArtExhibit #SciArt #Watercolor #FineArt #UMN #UniversityofMinnesota
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I have tons of them too! Very sweet little birds, but will throw down for sunflower seeds 😄
Photograph of some prints and yard signs of my protest art
I got my protest art printed for my neighborhood mutual aid fundraiser, and it’s a mind fuck seeing it in real life…
Watercolor painting of a Dark-eyed Junco that is very puffed up.
Line art of a Dark-eyed Junco that is very puffed up.
#WeeklySketch
Dark-eyed Junco, the most borbtacular winter borb!
Is this even still a sketch? I think so I was experimenting with style and it's much less intensive than my usual work. I used a very cute ref photo from Gordon Magee on iStockphoto for this.
#BirdArt #SciArt #Watercolor #FineArt
Thank you! Not sure how many I'll have time to do, but this reference photo was so cute that I couldn't resist 🥰
Detailed watercolor painting of a pair of Black-cheeked Lovebirds based on the provided reference photo from the Bird Whisperer Project. Two green parrots with red beaks and dark brown faces are perched on a horizontal branch grooming each other. The background is a gentle green wash.
My first time participating in the #BirdWhisperer project! I experimented with a looser watercolor style on rough grain paper with these adorable Black-cheeked Lovebirds.
#BirdArt #SciArt #FineArt #AnimalArt #ArtSky
Detailed marker illustration of an American Golden-Plover in breeding plumage. The shorebird has a black belly and a gold-spangled back.
American Golden-plover, the fancy sweater bird!
#BirdArt #SciArt #FineArt #Copic #Birdtober #AnimalArt
a digital drawing of 3 sparrows for a sticker sheet. the top sparrow is a leconte's sparrow holding a flower, mid is a fox sparrow, and bottom is a sagebrush sparrow. there are various sizes of stars across the image and "mushbeast" text on the bottom.
sparrows :3
house finch!
#art #birdart
Micron pen sketch of a Canada Goose from the neck up. The goose is hissing, thrusting its head forward and sticking its tongue out.
#WeeklySketch
Decided to do something silly 😅 I thought about painting a Canada Goose violently hissing for my Life List series, but it might not fit in well with the style.
#BirdArt #SciArt #Sketch #FineArt #AnimalArt
Thank you! 😊
Adding the seedhead was easy, but the background was so hard to photograph that I was like "no way am I doing that again!" This is an archival scan done by Tomazin Scanning Services. I spent about a minute editing vs the original hour it took for my own photo.
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Detailed watercolor painting of a Horned Lark walking in the snow. The bird is approaching thin stalks of dry, yellow grass with seed heads.
When I first posted this, I had completely forgotten about the middle stalk and left off the seed head! I was so focused on the bird and snow shadows that it slipped my mind. So here it is, finished for real!
#BirdArt #SciArt #Watercolor #AnimalArt #FineArt #ArtSky
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Two in-progress watercolor paintings. One is of a pair of Black-cheeked Lovebirds in a loose style, with the green background and the belly of one bird painted in. The other is a detailed painting of a Mourning Warbler, with most of the bird's head and body painted.
#WIPWednesday
Two watercolor pieces I'm working on with very different styles. One is for my Life List series, and one is my first time participating in the #BirdWhisperer project! (Well, I did intend to once but didn't realize I was supposed to use the provided ref pic 😅)
#BirdArt #SciArt #WIP
I remember seeing so many beautiful horses while driving through Pine Ridge Reservation on my way to the Rockies from the Badlands. This is one of my favorite horse colors! Reference photo by Susie Bell.
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Watercolor painting of a Buckskin horse galloping.
Happy Lunar New Year! I painted a Buckskin in honor of the Year of the Horse! I drew a snake last year, and decided to continue the tradition.
#Watercolor #SciArt #Mammals #FineArt #AnimalArt
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Thank you! It's definitely fun to experiment
Watercolor painting of the ocean surface on a narrow piece of watercolor paper.
I'm calling this a #WeeklySketch, I tried out Julia Barminova's dry-on-wet technique for painting water. I definitely want to keep practicing this! And adapt it to painting lake water, where there can be more contrasting greens, browns, and grays reflected.
#Watercolor #FineArt #ArtSky #Ocean
Thank you! That's one of my favorite pieces too ☺️
Thank you! 🥰
Detailed watercolor painting of a pair of black terns participating in courtship feeding. The male is in flight and has a minnow in his beak, while the female is perched on a dead branch with her mouth open to receive it. Diffuse cattails are in the background, fading into blue sky.
Detailed watercolor painting of a pair of Australian king parrots perched on a thin horizontal branch, facing each other. The male on the left is bright red with green wings, and the female on the right has a red belly, green head and chest, and green wings. A large scribbly gum trunk is behind them, along with gum leaves.
Detailed watercolor painting of a pair of hooded merganser ducks on rippled water. The male duck is in front and has a black and white hood with rusty sides. Behind him is a gray and brown female duck. Orange and browns are reflected in the water.
Detailed watercolor painting of male and female white-winged crossbills. The red and yellow birds are hanging upside down on tamarack branches with pinecones.
Some pairs of birds to celebrate Valentine's Day! 💕
#BirdArt #SciArt #Watercolor #FineArt #AnimalArt
