Bird Portrait Painting in Oils

Rob with Macaw Painting

Oil on Canvas Board 1984

14 x 11 ins

private collection

A Photorealism Oil Portrait / Bird Painting of my brother 

Rob based on a Photograph taken on holiday when we were 

kids at Birdland in Bourton-on-the-Water, in the Cotswolds.  

The Tame Bird is a Blue And Gold Macaw.

This is one of the very few Paintings I have produced on a 

commercially bought Canvas Board. It was bought for 

convenience and really just to try it out. I don't care much 

for the regular texture of this kind of board, preferring that 

of a hand-prepared Gesso Primed Board painted with 

random directional brush strokes.

Photorealism Portrait Painting Technique:

The Oil Paint was thinned with turpentine, and linseed 

oil was used to keep the Paint fluid and extend drying time 

so that it could be worked on over a period of time. The 

Portrait Painting was built up over a number of days using 

several thin glazes of Oil Paint. The background is left empty

and given a coat of pure white Oil Paint.

The image shows the Photorealism Portrait Painting before 

it was fully completed, and it is my dad's favourite of all my 

Paintings.

Completed image to be added shortly.

A Signed Greetings Card of this painting is available  click here

Photorealism 

Paintings Book