#haliaeetus leucocephalus
Always on the lookout for a snack, bald eagles often perch in trees or glide through the air near bodies of water. Large raptors, their wingspan can exceed 7 feet. With their regal white heads, bald eagles have been the national emblem of the United States since 1782 and a spiritual symbol for native people for far longer than that. The oldest recorded bald eagle lived to be 38 years old. Since they usually mate for life, that means eagle romances can last for decades. Photo by Lisa Hupp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Photo by @little.sandi A pair of bald eagles fighting over a dead chicken in Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada #Wild #AT2G #ndutu #Nature #Eagles #Wildlife #Animals #Canada #NovaScotia #Wildeyesa #BaldEagle #Earthcapture
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9WG9qFAeg8/?igshid=5pckyb0pnn8t
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Well, it’s something! Even if photoshop is deciding now is a perfect time to struggle with everything. I think I’ll take a break from blaming myself for once? (SELF CARE!)
Moving on to the other eagle chick (beebeeboiii!) because I shouldn’t be lingering too long in any one place, there is still SO MUCH to do.
Keep your fingers crossed for me. I don’t need the struggle of wrangling computer software or doing surgery on the desktop just yet.
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*Mel Blanc voice* “OOOOoooooh I’m DYIN’ AGAaain!!!”
WIP on one of two bald eagle babs, this one’s file is titled BAYBEEGORL and she’s a hot mess. Not a rhyme or a reason to be found here. The lighting/color is being adjusted to fit a sunnier day with the light coming in on the right hand side, and I’m aware it doesn’t look that way yet. Just attempting to establish local color. How do you digital artists do this every day?
I need to take time for myself but, like everyone these days, there’s no time to be found. One day at a time, I’ll get there.
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Well, it’s been a journey, but it’s high time it’s come to an end. These baby baldies gotta leave the nest! *uploads massive file*
This piece reads well as a thumbnail/at a distance, which I quite like. I had to wind up the rendering so there are likely some little fiddly details that are missing, but I don’t know that they’re all that important.
This was an incredible project and I’m so happy I’ve tackled it, but I think I could sleep for a year.
Photoshop CC, 36 x 72″ (91.44 x 183 cm).
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Posting the state of the eagles as they are, before I go on a very well-earned vacation. Now with some adjustment levels, some shadows, and a branch for baby girl to perch on. They still need to be scaled (probably), and once that’s settled they’ll have their tails painted in/suggested. Also the branches at the back of the nest need a little more work done, and I think the cottonwood leaves need to be softened somewhat.
That said, I’m actually happy with where it’s at. And a little relieved that I’m finally near the end AND I’m feeling good about it.
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I feel like I’m going blue in the face, but I must be in the final stretches by now… Not counting all the final detailing/adjustment layers/edge refinements/proportional adjustments that STILL need to be made.
The eaglet(s) are still a little bigger than they should be, they’re meant to be life sized.
And now, with a comfier place to sit. Except, ya know, baby girl still floating. It’s past 5 am and I should sleep I guess.
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I feel like I’m going blue in the face, but I must be in the final stretches by now… Not counting all the final detailing/adjustment layers/edge refinements/proportional adjustments that STILL need to be made.
The eaglet(s) are still a little bigger than they should be, they’re meant to be life sized.
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The flying potato has sprouted… head and feet! My eyes have grown tired of this dude for now, so I’m gonna submit for feedback and move on (with considerable distress) to the nest.
The final piece is going to have so many adjustment layers, how do people do this every day my gawd.
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Working on a winged ‘tater now. Ignore the head/tail/feet, of course, they haven’t grown in yet.
I don’t know what brown is anymore. At this point, I might genuinely have tonal blindness.
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State of the Babs: there’s a ways to go still.
That mass of sticks will utterly kill my brain. I think I’ll move on to the flying adult next because that’s a productive way to procrastinate.
The background water is nowhere near finished, it’s lacking reflections/some ripples/other fun stuff. Also the cottonwood branch needs leaves!
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I think I’ve officially hit my maximum limit on shades of brown. This piece is going so much more chaotically than the golden piece, what happened? (Burnout, that’s what!)
Gonna send the babies off for approval and get started on the flying adult and the massive evil dreadful stick pile. I need to find better working methods.
I suspect I’m going to be doing a LOT of adjustment layer/overlay/multiply layers for the lighting on these guys, this is largely local color at this stage.
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Last few days of progress on the beebee boiii. I don’t know if he’ll end up quite as detailed as his sister, as he’s further back in the nest, but I don’t want to shortchange him just yet. At least his beak isn’t tiny anymore.
Just needs more refining, then I’ll submit for feedback and get to work on making a massive pile of sticks for them to sit in (I’m not ready oh noooo).
*hungry squeaky baby bald eagle noises*
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