Barred Rock Hen, Original Chicken Painting

Original painting

Acrylic on paper

6"x8", 2023

Stickers

This painting was created in December of 2023 as part of my now-defunct Chicken of the Month Club on Patreon. Ever since I first painted a black-and-white chicken, I've really enjoyed the challenge of capturing shape and pattern at the same time. My secret: First, I paint the form of the bird as if it's a pale gray. Then, I add a somewhat transparent layer of dark paint to create the black pattern, allowing the shading to come through. I add highlights to the light areas and work in a back-and-forth manner this way until the painting comes to life. 

This piece is framed under glass and hang-ready. The mat has yellowed slightly.