Goldfinch and Pear

A serendipitous sighting of a handsome goldfinch led to this imaginative illustration inspired by medieval illuminated manuscripts.

Luxurious surroundings seemed befitting for a creature that represents joy and positivity. This beautiful little bird is perched upon a pear symbolising wisdom, nourishment, balance and longevity.

The original is small, fitting onto an A5 sheet. I have used a combination of media, my favourite method as I enjoy the different characteristics found in each of them.

Here are some close-up details to show my techniques:

This corner detail nicely shows the bronze metallic hand-painted framework. It is notoriously difficult to scan art containing metallics due to the reflective nature of the media.

I was pleased with my results since the images show something of the shimmer. It is true that the shine and glimmer is more intense in real life, especially when the artwork catches the light, but the Coliro Pearlcolor paint has stood up pretty well in digital reproduction.

Since I discovered Coliro Pearlcolor paints they have become my 'go-to' for adding metallic detail. They dance in the light as you apply them which makes for a magical art experience, as well as being superior in providing excellent coverage for rich metallic looks.

Next we have a detail showing the goldfinch and inked architectural section. The green ink was applied using dip pen and a brush. It was a delicate job as the painting is relatively small.

It may be of interest to know that I used brushes ranging from a teeny-tiny size 10/0 up to a wash brush size 18. The actual sizes of brushes seem to vary from make to make which I find makes it somewhat interesting ordering online!

The pear was coloured using Polychromos pencils, professional grade colours such as these are definitely worth the investment for providing a great depth of colour and being pleasurable to use.

Likewise for the bowl, inspired by the bracts of a Christmas cactus plant!

As I was getting into setting up images for this page I've included a simple mock-up created at home. The wallpaper in the background, and for the main image above, is my own design.

This traditional chintz was created for the Make It in Design Winter School 2024, you can see some of the hand-painted motifs for the project on my 'Florrie', floral chintz page.