Part 3: Pteranodons / Step by Step

(Continuing the Pteranodons series) Now that I have finished the maquette, I'm excited to move ahead to the final oil painting. Here are four stages:

1. Pencil on heavyweight illustration board, sealed with workable fixative and acrylic matte medium.

2. Thin oil color scrubbed over sky with a big bristle brush. To thin the paint I use Liquin alkyd medium  and Gamsol mineral spirits.

3. Transparent lay-in continues. It's like a watercolor, but painted in oil.

4. Replace or redefine transparent areas with opaque mixtures.

I use a palette knife to build up the impasto texture in the foam and rocks. By mixing a drop of cobalt drier into the white, even thick passages will dry overnight.

Here's the final painting. Tomorrow I'll show you how I hatched the hatchling.

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Ranger Rick October issue

The Pteranodon series:
Part 1: Pteranodons / Thumbnails
Part 2: Pteranodons / Maquette
Part 3: Pteranodons / Step by Step