Watercolor Navy Blue Rooster | Birds Painting
“Watercolor Navy Blue Rooster” by Katerina Krjanina is a vibrant and expressive bird painting that brings energy, motion, and elegance to life through fluid brushwork and rich, tonal contrasts. Painted in watercolor, the rooster is rendered primarily in deep navy blue tones, with hints of indigo, ultramarine, and soft washes of lighter blues that create a striking sense of depth and dimension.
“Navy Blue Rooster”
Watercolor on Paper | 2024
The art work is painted on Arches Cold Press (140 lb. / 300 gr.) watercolor | Size:
The rooster’s proud posture and sweeping tail feathers are captured with confident strokes and rhythmic movement, conveying both the bird’s natural majesty and the artist’s intuitive hand. Krjanina avoids overworking the details – instead, she allows the watercolor medium to flow organically, emphasizing the spontaneity and vitality of the subject.
Set against a light or softly abstract background, the composition feels airy and free, drawing attention to the rooster’s silhouette and expressive presence. The contrast between the bold blues and the surrounding negative space adds a contemporary edge to this traditional rural subject.
This painting is part of Krjanina’s exploration of nature and animal life through watercolor, where she celebrates both the form and spirit of her subjects. The “Navy Blue Rooster” stands as a symbol of strength, alertness, and natural beauty, presented through an artistic lens that is both modern and timeless.
Watercolor Paintings by Krjanina
Katerina Krjanina’s watercolor paintings are known for their expressive beauty, fluidity, and atmospheric softness. Her work reflects a deep understanding of the watercolor medium, allowing pigment, water, and paper to interact in poetic and spontaneous ways. Whether she’s painting a delicate female portrait or a bold rooster in motion, her style carries a sense of natural movement, light, and emotion.
In some of her watercolor compositions, Katerina explores texture using traditional techniques such as salt application. When salt is introduced to damp watercolor washes, it interacts with the pigment by pulling the color toward each grain, creating organic, crystalline textures. This method allows for unexpected visual effects – subtle sparkles, soft blooming shapes, or feather-like granulation. While the effect is unpredictable, it brings a sense of depth and vibrancy that perfectly complements the airy, translucent nature of watercolor.
In bird paintings like her “Navy Blue Rooster,” the salt technique may be used to enhance the feeling of layered feathers or to add life to an otherwise smooth background. In more abstract or atmospheric parts of a portrait, salt can gently break up flat washes, making them appear more textured and alive without drawing attention away from the subject’s expression. Katerina uses such effects with restraint, always prioritizing balance and harmony in the final composition. Her use of watercolor and salt is not just technical – it’s intuitive, adding another dimension to her already emotionally rich and visually captivating paintings.
