Tropical Toucan

‘Tropical Toucan’
© July 2016 by Shiloh Moore
8×10″ White Oil Pastel and Watercolour on paper
I love the colours of a toucan!  This image brings me much joy.  You can buy prints and products from this and many other artworks on Redbubble here

Update:  a friend asked how I made ‘Tropical Toucan’.  Here’s a guide:

1) First I drew the outline in pencil, then traced it with white oil pastel, using a light box to make it easier.  The light box also gave enough light to be able to see where the white oil pastel was on the white paper.

2) Then using bright watercolours, (I use the watercolour blocks, you can use tubes too) I filled in the colour.  I used watercolour brush pens – I find them easier to control and use than ordinary brushes.

I find watercolour is a great medium as you don’t have to press hard like pencils.  And you are forced to ‘pace’ – I would sit up long enough to do one colour at a time, then lie down between colours, as if you do two colours at a time that are next to each other, they tend to run.  So it takes some time and patience, but is less strenuous than sitting up and doing too much all at once. 

2 thoughts on “Tropical Toucan

  1. Karen Iliff Reply

    I really like this Shiloh, I like the way it appears from a "technique" point of view. White oil pastel and watercolour. Could you describe a little more how you've done it? 🙂

  2. Shi Reply

    Hi Karen! Thanks so much 🙂 I have updated the post to explain how it was done. Thanks for suggesting it. Happy experimenting!

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