Picture Profile 2502: Otter Beauty © Artist Code 2502. ORIGINAL Iridescent water colour and Pen & Ink on Aquarelle Arches 100% cotton rag 140lbs size 16” x 12”. Completed 27th April 2025.
I am most grateful to Simon Stirrup (Wildlife Photographer) for allowing me to use two of his wonderful otter resource photographs in the compilation of this painting. It is the swiftest painting I have ever done, but I do like the loose, swirly result.
I had purchased some iridescent water colours and wished to try them out. But first a pencil sketch was inked it in and then I added the water colour. The way otters move in the water is so beautiful and I was hoping to show the body movement.
This painting is quite out of character for me, but I felt it was good to try a change in style – I used size 10 and 12 brushes instead of my usual tiny “ten 0” and that was quite scary to begin with until I realised it didn’t hurt!
Otters are as playful in the water as Pine Martens (Artist Code 2501) are in tree branches and woody dells.