The Sandhill Strut

This is a detail of the painting on canvas that has kept me busy for the last few weeks. It looks very rough and crude when it is magnified this much. The actual Sandhill's head is only about an inch long.

Photos of Sandhill Cranes along the coastal trail are what I used to inspire this painting. Compare this bird's head with the top photo. You can see that I interpreted the reference photos very loosely.

I started out with the intention of using this bird as the most prominent bird in the painting. Somehow it ended up being the least significant of the cranes in the painting. Maybe I'll do justice with it next time around.

You can see it here, reversed and behind another crane.

Two more cranes that were incorporated into the painting.

The elongated feathers on their rumps were interesting to paint.

Another pose that interested me.

The photo that inspired the previous crane. It actually inspired the whole mood of the paining. This bird is a juvenile. I changed it to an adult.

The entire bird. It turned out well enough, though less detailed than the photo that inspired it.

So, here is the whole thing put together. The Sandhill Strut, 12x24". All the while as I have been working on this, I have considered making many alterations like adding more vegetation. Or maybe I should put a pale wash over the whole thing to create atmosphere. How about a warm glaze to increase color saturation.
I am hesitant to add washes or glazes because they can suck all the vibrancy out of a painting. For now I'll leave it as is, to see if it works for me over time. What do you think?