Flamingo Part 2

Here we are....I'm building the basic textures and slowly building up lights and darks.  This is all done with washes of color.  My palette is burnt umber, white, cream, grey, ultra blue, and burnt sienna.  As I lay in the washes I'm careful to keep my brush strokes in the direction of the feathers.

 

A closer look at the feathers and neck/head area below.  Again...I'm just trying to establish the basic shapes of the feathers and beginning to build layers of color

I do use a matte medium (mixed with 50% water) in between the layers of washes.  It preserves the work completed and aids in adding depth to the painting.