Connecting With Joy

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Inspired by his myriad trips to Africa, Dylan Pierce has created a body of work that’s not only technically astounding, but also exceptionally communicative.

by Amy Leibrock

To cultivate meaning in his work, Colorado artist Dylan Pierce started a practice of writing before beginning a painting to zero in on what he wants the piece to be about. “Each painting connects back to certain experiences I’ve had,” he says. “I like to bring out the beauty and the good, too—glimpses of hope and the anticipation of better things to come. So much in this world tries to bring people down, but if you can focus on what’s good and beautiful—and celebrate that in your painting—it’s enriching to the soul.”

*Life Spring* (watercolor on paper, 8×22)

The result is a body of work that reflects the artist’s positive view of the world and how it affects him. A love of wildlife, for instance, drew him to Africa to photograph animals in their natural habitats. He has since made several trips to Swaziland, Botswana and South Africa, building up a library of material from which to pull reference. The many paintings that grew out of those experiences are luminous, ethereal and full of emotion. Soft, simplified backgrounds bring beautifully rendered subjects and scenes into focus, and limited color palettes create evocative moods. “I really want my paintings to take viewers to a different place and give them a sense of hope or sense of wonder,” says Pierce.

*Crowned in Light* (watercolor on paper, 21×30)

*The Long Stretch* (watercolor on paper, 30×40)

When he’s not traveling internationally, Pierce spends his time teaching workshops at venues around the country, as well as virtual classes. He also leads an online community that paints together twice a month. The artist’s future goals include finishing his children’s book––The Peculiar Discovery, based on the animals of Africa––and growing his body of work by painting more en plein air.

*Zululand Zebras* (watercolor on paper, 15×22)

Demo: Sumatran Encounter

Follow along as Dylan Pierce walks through the steps involved in creating a wildlife watercolor—from study to finished painting.

Sketch

I don’t want to develop the painting too quickly, so I make an initial sketch. This shows me what’s most important to the composition and provides a road map for the painting process. In this sketch, the contrast next to the tiger’s paw is really strong, which brings it forward and emphasizes his movement toward the viewer.

Color Study

After sketching, I did a quick color study to set the mood and the message. That’s where a lot of my color choices came into play. In this case, I wanted to portray the tiger with an intense yet gentle, non-threatening look. I added the purple color next to his paw to contribute to the overall mysterious mood.

Step 1

I started the first layers of the painting by laying in the contrast next to the tiger’s paw. I also began to build up the face. I like to bounce around the page, not developing or focusing on any one aspect or element too much.

Step 2

I moved around the painting, applying washes to different parts of the background so I could see how they developed in relation to each other. I worked wet-into-wet, putting a lot of water down, which allows me more time to work the color. I left the paper untouched in the highlight areas to make use of the white of the paper for those lights. I also started to establish the important primary spots with some contrast and definition, like the eyes, mouth and paw.

Step 3

I began to work a little bit drier in this stage. As the wash became more of a medium wetness, I started to put paint into more defined soft shapes. For example, the palm fronds behind the tiger’s elbow were worked into damp paper with a dryer mix of paint on the brush. I call this method “dry-into-damp.” I also created a glow next to the leg with transparent pyrrole orange and a little bit of gamboge yellow. While still wet, I added cobalt blue violet so the light would appear cooler as it recedes. Making the light areas warmer increased the sense of glowing light.

Step 4

I established the leg with bright, vibrant color, bringing it forward with a contrast of value. Then I made the tiger’s body and the background recede by keeping the colors low in contrast and muted. I also established the black in the eyes to give myself context to measure the values of the rest of the painting. The eyes are really important, especially here where the focus is on the viewer. That’s where I know I can put my truest, darkest black. The subject’s eyes are often the only place I’ll use that strong of a dark.

Step 5

I started to develop a little more detail while still working dry-into-damp. I tried to develop the planes to give shape to the tiger. I pushed the head forward with the shadow underneath and started to develop the planes of the face with the shadow on the bridge of the nose around the eyes. I also added the whiskers with negative painting.

Step 6

I started to develop the stripes on the face first because I know they can be dark there, like the eyes. When painting striped animals, I tend to make the stripes less prominent and softer because I want the eyes to stand out more. The stripes on the face are dark, but not black. Sometimes you must sacrifice a bit of realism to create more mood. The blue hue of the stripes creates the contrast with the orange fur, adding drama and excitement.

Step 7

I continued to define the face and the paw. That helped me know how much I could build up the surrounding background and the rest of the tiger without letting it get too strong. By this point, I had five to seven layers in some places and just two or three in others.

Final Step

To finish Sumatran Encounter (watercolor on paper, 22×15), I continued building the purple layers, making the color more vibrant around the tiger’s face and mouth, then toning it down in the background by blending with surrounding colors. To the left of his face, I worked wet-into-wet, putting swatches of green and purple next to each other. I tickled the area with my brush to blend the colors just a little, so they neutralize each other.

About the Artist

Dylan Pierce has been participating in group and solo exhibitions since he was 12 years old. His paintings have won many awards and have been featured in numerous fine art publications, including International Artist, Wildlife Art, Strokes of Genius 8 and L’Art de Aquarelle, among others. The Colorado-based artist has taught across the United States, as well as in Italy, Russia and South Africa.