Sea Birds - Ibis Painting

Ibis in the Surf (c) Mary Hubley

I often see remarkable wildlife at the beach. The white ibis in Florida usually hang out in the quiet marshes, but occasionally make their way to the beach to grab little fish from the surf.

The problem with painting beach critters is that they don't stand still long enough for you to paint them. In addition, it's kind of hard doing a painting while sitting in the waves.

So, while I love to do plein air painting, sometimes it just makes sense to take some snapshots, do a few color sketches, and then go back to the studio to complete a painting.

That's how I did this new beach bird painting, "Ibis in the Surf". I relied on photos and color sketches. While the photo references capture the shapes of the birds quite well, they don't see color like my own eyes do. Thus, colored pencil sketches are essential.

To paint these birds, I first did a quick paint sketch on a white canvas, using the photos as a reference for the shapes. Then, I changed to my pencil sketches as reference for color and feel. I completed the painting using bold strokes of sea greens, whites, and finished with orange/red for the bird parts.


--Mary Hubley