FINCHforum

Hello all! I am actually an artist by trade, and have been brainstorming about painting an oil painting based on finches. I like to paint from photos, but can't get my little boogers to sit stillish. (Note I didn't say still, I know better. My camera can't keep up with their flittering and I get these "interesting" photos of flying smears.) Rather than "steal" pictures, I thought it would be nicer to ask for some. Does anyone have good photos of their birds that I can sketch and draw from?

Thanks!

A

If you'd like you could use any pictures that I have posted. My fav has always been of my male gould, whom you could find under breeding, 'is this what is meant by breeding condition''. I adore him so much, that I might even possibly buy an oil painting of him.

I can put you some on if you can ignore the wire???

Yes, I can ignore the wire, Poohbear. Thanks!

Lovemyfinch, I will go look for that photo. If you really would like an oil of him, pm me and we can work something out. I wouldn't mind. (I have done many, many pet portraits, lol!) Thank you for letting me use any of your pictures.

I might be able to help, take a look at the few I have on my website.

A few of my birds last year...don't know if they're any use to you.

Wow! I love that picture of the Hecks..... I didn't know you had Java's and that first one....(the mannikins) I would love to have a pair of them.
I have searched everywhere and haven't been able to find them yet.

Poohbear your birds, are all georgeous.

Thanks everyone! I am so excited to get started. I have a large canvas, it is going to be hard to pick which bird to start with. I haven't painted oils since the birth of my first baby, so I have been itching to get back into it. Thank you for sharing your images. I plan on painting the birds with a retro inspired background, but who knows what will happen once I start painting. Oils take forever, but once a painting is done, I will be sure to post a picture.

If anyone else has pictures, keep them coming! I am putting them into an inspired file. Very exciting!

BTW, How do you get such great photos?

Although I am no where even close to being an artist, I have been playing with pastels lately, concentrating on pictures of birds. While I did use one or two of our own pics, (the wife is quite the photographer) a lot of the pictures I used I found simply by doing an an image search on Google. In several cases, the images would then lead me to sites that had a plethora of beautiful pictures that I was able to "borrow" for inspiration.

On an interesting side note, an artist posted this link to her website on another forum.

www.taggallery.net

She has some amazing renditions of Zebra finches on there.

blueribbontoes wrote:
BTW, How do you get such great photos?

You take dozens of crap ones and scrap 'em

I have none of these birds now...I sold over 150 due to having to move house 'cause of this damn recession...I'll start again if I move to somewhere with the room...Watch this space.

just commit a crime Paul then tell the judge you want to be transported like Mike Fidler was . we get 360 days a year more than you do of pure sunshine and the house yards are big enough for lots of aviaries.

So sorry Poohbear Somehow I must have missed that. I sure do wish you the best of luck with the house hunting, for you are obviously, just by looking at those birds, a wonderful daddy finch who takes wonderful care of his happy and healthy fids.

Hey lovemyfinch, I have your bird sketched out for a watercolor study. I'll keep you posted how it turns out.

Swee and I feel so honored, I am going to love seeing what he will look like on canvas. Thanks