This guy was fun to paint. Usually I leave the background for last and then struggle with what to do with it. This time I decided to jump right in and lay in the background first.
The background was done in two wet-in-wet variegated washes, with an emphasis on the brighter gold green in the front near the wolf's face. When both washes were completely dry I laid in the first washes of the trees, letting them fuzz and blur just a bit. The small tree on the left will need to be muted a bit to push it into the distance behind the wolf's body.
Close up of the eyes. I really wanted to keep the warm glow and intense gaze as this is my focal point. The colors I used for this painting are Winsor Newton Artist Watercolors, Green Gold, Olive Green, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna and Paynes Gray. I also used a little Titanium white for highlights.
"Keeping Watch"
Watercolor 14" x 20"
Arches Cold-Press Watercolor Paper