First painting of 2026 Northern Emerald Toucanet for birbfest day 6 original painting by Chris Shopland acrylic on 30 x 20 cm canvas

First painting of 2026 Northern Emerald Toucanet for birbfest day 6 original painting by Chris Shopland acrylic on 30 x 20 cm canvas

This began life as a self portrait oil painting, they say never to paint acrylic over oil but seeing as it is a good 4 years or so drying, I think it is fine! Oil expands from the inside out as it dries, acrylic dries for the outside in, and this can cause cracking with the acrylic drying faster than the oil, then the oil expanding underneath, oil usually is deemed fully dry after a year with most varnishing recommending to wait a year for oil before varnish and 48 hours after touch dry for acrylic. So with this being dry for four times longer it is safe. my very first painting was acrylic on top of oil paintings (painted over several times) which had been dry for 6 years before adding the wolf to it. You can still see the ink and tipped elements poking through, of half my face, a foot and a chandelier . Patchwork wolf.

So this painting over on this occasion also, gives these wonder textures of the painting that came before it . many layers for the feathers and colours