During the initial blocking-in stage, black was used to establish the placement of eye ring and pupil of each eye. Since the eyes typically are the focal point, I wanted to make sure that they would be crisp and clear. Therefore, I saved the eyes for near the end of the painting process.
The color of this owl’s eyes may be interpreted as yellow, but note that the eye in shadow is not only darker, but also slightly greenish. Grey/green and ochre worked well to push the eye into shadow.
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