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Heatherzart β€” A Glimpse of the Past

Published: 2012-03-14 18:01:21 +0000 UTC; Views: 27998; Favourites: 1841; Downloads: 0
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Description Scratchboard and Ink
16" x 20"

This is a cormorant, a water bird common to my area for those of you who don't recognize it. They are one of my favorite birds to photograph because of how unique they look up close. It's almost like looking at a dinosaur or a dragon with their bumpy skin, scaled beak and brilliant green eyes. They are very expressive birds and I enjoy just sitting and watching them interact with each other, especially during breeding season. The male and female do a beautiful dance where they intertwine their long necks (not so easy to see in this pose but they do have long necks) and "sing" to each other.
They are actually black birds and my picture here is very blue, the original is not so vibrant, but when the sun shines on their wings the glossy sheen is a blue gray color.
I recently invested in a professional photographer to take new images of all of my work (well the pieces I can still get my hands on anyways). It was money well spent! The new files all represent the work as it looks in real life and so much more of the details can be seen. As of now I've reproduced about half of my inventory - it's an expensive and time-consuming process. And I've been forced to do something I HATE ... dreaded watermarks!! Recent thefts have forced me to reevaluate my views on them so you'll see new files from me with my website strategically placed here and there.
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Comments: 277

SunStateGalleries [2012-03-14 18:29:37 +0000 UTC]

Overall

Vision

Originality

Technique

Impact


I love cormorants, when I visited Morro Bay and SLO these guys were always seen on the sand beds at low tide or roosting on the rocks. They always had the most melancholy calls in the evening!

Vision: Excellent use of colors and detail. The beak is spectacular, I really love how you captured the mosaic like pattern of their beak in the sunlight. The lighting on this is great, it really brings expression to the artwork. The eye looks so real, and the scales around it really bring it to life.

Originality: No one paints these birds. No one. So I love that you chose such a unique animal to include into your gallery, I can only wish that his head was turned slightly more to the viewer, instead of a strict profile. But again, that is a very small preference, the detail you included really makes up for it, because it captures the curious almost mischievous expression of this species.

Technique: While I love the colors, and the detail of the feathers, the overall artwork seems a bit rough to me, not in the sense it looks unfinished, but the feathers look to be almost grainy. When I see these birds their feathers look slick as oil, and there are not many robust highlights to bring that out. However, the subtle lighting on this one makes up for any need for him to be improved much overall.

Impact: Overall, I love this work of yours. Maybe more than others because these birds bring back so many memories and joy from visiting the more northern beaches. Really great job, Heather!

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NettieBesos In reply to SunStateGalleries [2012-06-20 02:27:17 +0000 UTC]

5 out of 5. this is incredible. I can only dream of drawing this well. amazing.

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Heatherzart In reply to SunStateGalleries [2012-03-14 18:35:15 +0000 UTC]

Thanks so much for a very detailed review! I'm still trying to figure out birds and feathers in particular so I think I'll see some improvement over time. I'm happy to meet someone else who appreciates these birds, why don't more people draw them? They are fascinating!

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SunStateGalleries In reply to Heatherzart [2012-03-14 23:47:58 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome! I really was surprised when you submitted this, really brought back great memories (:

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designer356 In reply to SunStateGalleries [2012-06-18 21:25:45 +0000 UTC]

I agree with most of what you said. ^-^
However, when you said "I really love how you captured the mosaic..."
Hold on. Think about it a little...

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SunStateGalleries In reply to designer356 [2012-06-19 23:45:44 +0000 UTC]

I don't understand what you mean (:

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DracoAwesomeness [2017-05-04 12:42:54 +0000 UTC]

It's heragon!

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AmbergrisElement [2017-04-03 18:49:43 +0000 UTC]

Wow, those details are simply amazing!

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ArtofIndigo [2017-02-26 05:29:40 +0000 UTC]

Wow, this is astounding. Scratch board skills off the chart!

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mockingbirdontree [2016-05-12 09:38:09 +0000 UTC]

Brilliant!

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Tokolosch [2016-02-24 21:28:17 +0000 UTC]

This colors are so beautiful!
And as you say, the bird looks indeed a bit prehistoric/dinosaur alike
I love it... That looks really really good!

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ElwynEllessar [2015-10-10 01:58:53 +0000 UTC]

The details are amazing in this scratchboard! The design in his beak, the texture around his eyes and the edge of the beak, the coloring, and the texture of the feathers is spot on! Incredible job Heather!

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Blue-Anima [2015-09-10 18:48:09 +0000 UTC]

I really enjoy the way you render textures. You are extremely skilled.Β Β Β 

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TchaikoGret [2015-03-25 22:51:33 +0000 UTC]

Woow, I was sure it was a photography, until I read the traditional art / scratchboard. I love the eye !

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Koeskull [2014-09-24 14:47:25 +0000 UTC]

Seriously amazing, everything in your gallery is! What kind of scratchboard and ink do you use? I recently got some scratchboard paper but it doesn't seem like it would hold color well since the underside is glossy. Or is that normal?

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Heatherzart In reply to Koeskull [2014-09-25 06:41:29 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! Β I use Ampersand scratchbord -Β www.dickblick.com/search/?q=am… - the paper stuff isn't very good for serious work and it depends on the substrate underneath the ink layer whether it'll take color or not. Β Ampersand boards are very good quality and still reasonably priced - they have a nice clay surface under the ink that takes many layers of scratching if you're patient and you use a light hand. Β I use Koh-I-Nohr inks to color and the Ampersand ink set. Β The Koh inks are a little stronger and I have more options for colors I'm too lazy to mix so I like using them but the Ampersand inks are pretty good as a starter set. Β Ink mixes very true to the color wheel so the set will allow you to make every color of the rainbow with a little work
Just make sure that when you lay ink on your board - dilute it first and layer it on - it gets dark FAST and wait until the board's completely dry before scratching again. Β All of my pics have 15 - 20 layers of scratching in them with coloring done throughout the whole process. Β Patience is key!

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Koeskull In reply to Heatherzart [2014-10-06 13:28:56 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! I'm very new to it so I'll keep practicing with the paper. I'll definitely try those though!

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sciencevsart [2014-03-10 00:57:50 +0000 UTC]

It's a beautiful bird. Your colours are rich and vibrant. The eye is so full of life, blazing with conscuousness, that it almost seems like a photo, or a window.

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ParagonofAwesomeness [2014-01-22 01:29:26 +0000 UTC]

this is so beautiful!!! I'm from NZ and I once visited a gannet colony on the side of a cliff. There were THOUSANDS of Β them, and some of them were doing courtship dances where they wag their heads about and invert their wings. Have you ever painted any gannets?

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mossoak [2014-01-12 06:21:40 +0000 UTC]

Spectacular!Β  The textures, the colors...jaw dropping!

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Costellomunteanu [2013-11-28 17:08:19 +0000 UTC]

____________________AMAZING !!!

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WillemSvdMerwe [2013-11-07 19:34:11 +0000 UTC]

Very well executed!

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Fajralam [2013-10-02 12:31:13 +0000 UTC]

incredible!!!!!!!!i am very much amazed i have never see such a excellent work before

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LadyCorvidaea [2013-10-01 14:01:15 +0000 UTC]

Absolutely magnificent! I love cormorants! They have such pretty eyes.

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Cypselurus [2013-08-06 15:50:25 +0000 UTC]

Stunning! Never seen anything like this before

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navmun6485 [2013-05-21 05:58:02 +0000 UTC]

great work

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Gough83 [2013-04-14 12:23:03 +0000 UTC]

Stunning work

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PaulChalmus [2013-04-09 17:43:21 +0000 UTC]

Your work is mind blowing.

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The-Rasmus-Raven [2013-04-09 11:21:41 +0000 UTC]

Your art is awesome!!

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Illirik [2013-02-15 11:53:52 +0000 UTC]

This is absolutely, totally stunning. It actually made my heart skip a beat for a second
Very well done, looks like a photography, you should be incredibly proud of this work.

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mishkuu [2013-02-12 15:11:01 +0000 UTC]

wow i thought this was a photo! amazing work!!!

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Metal-Bender [2013-02-12 03:54:23 +0000 UTC]

Amazing!

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SilkenWinds [2013-02-11 15:33:07 +0000 UTC]

I don't know how you do it, the realism is simply stunning. How long does something like this take you to do?

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Heatherzart In reply to SilkenWinds [2013-02-11 17:54:10 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! It just depends on how successful I am with my process - some pictures go smoothly like this cormorant and I'm done in a week - others I struggle with and it takes me a month. I LOVE these birds and as with anything else - when you're inspired things just come easier.

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SilkenWinds In reply to Heatherzart [2013-02-11 18:22:29 +0000 UTC]

Awesome! I've always had a passion for art but since I can't draw,cameras are my passion!

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nyanamia [2013-01-28 22:01:08 +0000 UTC]

Extraordinary detail! We have double-crested cormorants where I am. I have never seen one up close, as they are very skittish. Thanks for this enlightening view.

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Heatherzart In reply to nyanamia [2013-02-11 17:54:58 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! They really are funny birds, I have a whole series of pictures I want to do of them.

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Daicelf [2013-01-26 08:29:35 +0000 UTC]

Stunning..my daughter took me kayaking downriver to the beach near us....discovered a half buried cormorant corpse in advanced state of decomposure...so came away with skull...cleaning up nicely left in a bag of peat..outside my studio.....a wonderful elegant structure..I am sure will eventually appear in my work as a drawn element...or as a study in its own right...

This piece is amazingly inspirational....the command you have of this media..is a little intimidating...I have to say...but fires up the desire to try even harder...jaw-dropping work.

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Heatherzart In reply to Daicelf [2013-02-11 17:57:19 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! I love to hear that I'm inspiring other artists - and I've done a few skull pictures (not since college though) - I bet it'll be great. I did a cougar skull in stipple and it was lovely. Please send me a note when you do it - I'd love to see it and I can't always keep up with my messages on here.

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parastrell [2013-01-26 06:09:51 +0000 UTC]

this is quite honestly the most beautiful thing i have seen on this site in a long while; bravo <33

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Heatherzart In reply to parastrell [2013-02-11 17:57:41 +0000 UTC]

Wow! Thanks, what a lovely complement

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KimAlisse [2013-01-24 02:02:14 +0000 UTC]

wow, beautiful! I want to make a cormorant Dragon now!

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Heatherzart In reply to KimAlisse [2013-01-25 22:54:01 +0000 UTC]

Ooooh I'd love to see that! Your sculptures are amazing, I love the detail. Sculpting is something that I've always enjoyed but I don't have the time. Perhaps we could inspire each other! Send me a pm if you do the corm - or email me heatherlara@mac.com. Comments get lost on here if I don't check regularly so this way I'm sure to see it.

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KimAlisse In reply to Heatherzart [2013-01-26 01:55:33 +0000 UTC]

Awesome! I will have to start thinking about it more , I will definitely email u if I get it done.

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botticeli [2013-01-22 19:15:48 +0000 UTC]

Wow!!!

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Dozerson [2013-01-22 04:01:57 +0000 UTC]

Woah.

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ElizavetaS [2013-01-21 11:44:34 +0000 UTC]

Great job! I really like how you work detail

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Anto009 [2013-01-04 20:50:20 +0000 UTC]

How this hasn't gotten a DD is a mistery to me

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alllysa [2013-01-03 19:00:34 +0000 UTC]

This is fantastic. May I ask what type of scratchboard and ink you use?

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kemiking [2012-12-17 02:39:00 +0000 UTC]

Amazing! I am terrible with feathers, but your texture is spot on!

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