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026a&b – Chameleon Nosy Komba Madagascar

By 14th August 2016Mailart

All of the nature postcards I have posted up so far have come from the same set of postcards, which I think I bought in the Natural History Museum early on when Elena and I started dating. As every postcard from the set so far has been of animals from Botswana, I had assumed that the set was of animals from Botswana, but it turns out that other countries are represented too.

Today’s offering comes from Madagascar. I found this really daunting to colour and actually completed the lines last week, but was too intimidated by the Chameleon’s reputation to start on the colours until last night.

026b - Chameleon Nosy Komba Madagascar

Everyone knows the Chameleon as the master of colour, and with my watercolour style being flat and toneless, I was really worried I would make a mess and not do justice to this magnificent creature.

Turns out I shouldn’t have been worried. I applied the dots first, thick watercolour on dry paper, and then wet the brush and gave it a light rinse to give the skin overall tone.

026a - Chameleon Nosy Komba Madagascar

Another thing I learned in this was to make a grey from blue and brown, which forms the background. I made that without consulting the net so am pretty pleased with myself. I’m getting the hang of this medium at last.

Here’s the original before cut. This was one I really didn’t want to take the scissors to at all.

026 - Chameleon Nosy Komba Madagascar

andytgeezer

Author andytgeezer

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Join the discussion 4 Comments

  • stripygoose says:

    Really nice one. So you create the whole image as a copy and then cut? I’d assumed you cut and then build the other half onto it. If that’s so, what you’re doing is far trickier!

    • andytgeezer says:

      Thanks Stripygoose. The process I have figured out works best is to create as identical a copy as I can first, then I have developed a number of cutting techniques to try and keep the 2 identical as well. You get the hang of it after doing a few

  • andytgeezer says:

    Just looked up Nosy Komba, as I thought that the Chameleon had a very cheeky name. Turns out that Nosy Komba is the name of the island and it looks like paradise

  • stripygoose says:

    I’ve never heard of it but you’re right it looks idyllic. No cars and no electricity!
    Interesting about your process – thanks for explaining.

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