Crow-Indigo Blue
Indigo Blue: my new favorite watercolor paint by Winsor Newton. https://amzn.to/2XQaO8h I used it recently on another painting and I was captivated by the richness of this paint color. While researching crow photos last week, I came across this indigo hued beauty and knew I had to paint it also. Crow feathers are highly iridescent, reflecting the light and the color around them. The painting from last Friday had more Winsor Violet in the color wash, but the indigo in this birds feathers caught my eye. The reference photo used for this painting can be found on Unsplash via the link at the bottom of the photo.
I cropped the picture, reversed the image and painted this beauty perched on a branch:
I was curious about the origin of indigo dye. By doing a bit of research I found that Indigo dye is derived from plants and believed to have originated in India. According to Wikipedia "The oldest known fabric dyed indigo, dated to 6,000 years ago, was discovered in Huaca Prieta, Peru" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_dye
Many artisans dye their own fabrics, but I think I will stick to painting! Next up on the painting list is the Bald Eagle...just in time for Inauguration Day.
Cheers,
Helen