Colour Testing and Creating Texture

Working slightly backwards in my usual approach as I first chose three new colours to test before choosing the subject to paint.
After a little colour swatching to see how they played together I thought them perfect for Rainbow Bee Eater who have a great variety of blue greens, yellows and oranges. With the addition of a couple of pigments from my usual colours, Paynes Blue Gray and Cobalt Blue my palette for my painting was from just these 5 colours.
Transparent Orange (Winsor & Newton), Cobalt Teal Blue (Daniel Smith), Hansa Yellow Light (Daniel Smith) Paynes Blue Gray (Daniel Smith) Cobalt Blue (Holbein)

I worked on Saunders Waterford 425gsm hi white paper in Rough surface which is perfect for creating texture but I wanted more so played with adding a little salt and gauze and allowed my colour to dry before removing.

I was pleased with the effect, just enough for interest and a great background for my colourful birds which were painted with some areas on dry paper with some wetting an area first, mindful of trying to keep my fresh colours not mingling to create mud.

Chasing Rainbows