Thursday, July 6, 2017

Excavator Bucket

One of the pages in my watercolor sketchbook has a random orange underpainting in casein.



It matches the orange color of the rust on this excavator bucket. I love the fact that the iron oxide of that rust is the same mineral in my raw sienna color that I use as I paint it. The wear straps and side plates are covered with mud and rust and seems to belong to the bare rocks and dirt.



The teeth of the digger bucket are made from a different kind of steel. They catch blue highlights from the sky.

The stiltgrass and mullein belong to another realm, one of upward growth and green.
(Link to video)

3 comments:

Karen VR said...

Hey! That bucket you just painted was made by ESCO, the company my mom works for! :-D Small world!

Rich said...

Love it!
In my view, it's not just an "Excavator Bucket":
It's the Portrait of an Excavator Bucket.

Bug said...

James, do you LIVE at the tip of that brush? Your control-- getting such small effects with such a large brush-- is amazing. I'd have to paint HUGE in order to get the weeds appropriately delineated! Very nice work.