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PAINTER’SQUICKREFERENCE
Birds&ButterfliesEDITORSOFNORTHLIGHTBOOKS
NORTHLIGHTBOOKSCINCINNATI,OHIOwww.mycraftivity.com
Painter’sQuickReference:Birds&Butterflies.Copyright©2008byNorthLightBooks.ManufacturedinChina.Allrightsreserved.Itispermissibleforthepurchaser to paint the designs contained herein and sell them at fairs, bazaarsandcraftshows.Nootherpartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanyelectronicormechanicalmeans,includinginformationstorageandretrievalsystems,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewer,whomayquote brief passages in a review.The content of this bookhas beenthoroughly reviewed for accuracy. However, the contributors and publisherdisclaimanyliabilityforanydamages,lossesorinjuriesthatmayresultfromtheuse or misuse of any product or information presented herein. It is thepurchaser’sresponsibilitytoreadandfollowallinstructionsandwarningsonallproduct labels. Published by North Light Books, an imprint of F+WPublications,Inc.,4700EastGalbraithRoad,Cincinnati,Ohio45236.(800)289-0963.Firstedition.
DistributedinCanadabyFraserDirect100ArmstrongAvenueGeorgetown,ON,CanadaL7G5S4
DistributedintheU.K.andEuropebyDavid&CharlesBrunelHouse,NewtonAbbot,DevonTQ124PU,EnglandTel:(+44)1626323200,Fax:(+44)1626323319Email:[email protected]
DistributedinAustraliabyCapricornLinkP.O.Box704,Windsor,NSW2756AustraliaOtherfineNorthLightBooksareavailablefromyourlocalbookstore,artsupplystoreordirectfromthepublisher.
121110090854321
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataPainter'squickreference:birds&butterflies/editorsofNorthLightBooks.
p.cm.
ISBN-13:978-1-60061031-8(pbk.:alk.paper)eISBN:978-1-44030-267-1
1. Birds in art. 2. Butterflies in art. 3. Painting--Technique. I. North LightBooks(Firm)II.Title:Birds&butterflies.ND1380.P332008751.45'4328--dc22
2008008598Editor:JacquelineMusser
ProductionCoordinator:GregNock
MetricConversionChart toconvert to multiply
Inches Centimeters 2.54
Centimeters Inches 0.4
Feet Centimeters 30.5
Centimeters Feet 0.03
Yards Meters 0.9
Meters Yards 1.1
Sq.Inches Sq.Centimeters 6.45
Sq.Centimeters Sq.Inches 0.16
Sq.Feet Sq.Meters 0.09
Sq.Meters Sq.Feet 10.8
Sq.Yards Sq.Meters 0.8
Sq.Meters Sq.Yards 1.2
Pounds Kilograms 0.45
Kilograms Pounds 2.2
Ounces Grams 28.3
Grams Ounces 0.035
IntroductionWHEN YOU’RE IN A HURRY FOR PAINTING HELP, HERE’ S THE BOOK TO COME TO FOR IDEAS,INSTRUCTIONSANDINSPIRATION.
Thecolorfulmarkingsofbutterfliesandthebrightwingsofbirdsaddsparksoflife and personality to gardens and paintings alike. Here, eleven artists sharetheir painting secrets and expertise in more than forty clear step-by-stepdemonstrations and valuable “artist’s comments” insights that are sure to giveyouexactlywhatyouneed.Refreshyour skillsby reacquaintingyourselfwithfundamentalpaintingtechniques,orindulgeyouradventuroussidebyexploringnew ones. And with painting instruction for four major mediums— acrylics,watercolor,oilandcoloredpencil—younotonlygainadviceand tips foryourprimarymedium,butforothermediumsyoumaywanttotry.Do you want to learn how to render the graceful wings of a silvery blue
butterfly? The colorful markings of a peacock and red macaw? The delicatedetailsonabluejayfeather?Thestepsareeasierthanyouthink,andtheyareallwithinthesepages.Simplyturnthepage,andstartpainting!
TableofContentsINTRODUCTION
BUTTERFLIESGiantSwallowtail1GiantSwallowtail2GiantSwallowtail3MourningCloakHeliconiusAnderidaCommonBlueSilveryBlueAlfalfaButterflyCabbageButterflySouthernDogfaceMorphoPeacockButterflyPaintedLady
MOTHSGeometridNoctuidSphinxMoth
SONGBIRDSGoldfinch1Goldfinch2Hummingbird1Hummingbird2Blue-ThroatedHummingbirdBluebirdCardinalBlueJayMockingbirdPaintedBuntingHouseSparrow1HouseSparrow2WrenBlack-CappedChickadee
WATERBIRDSMallardDuckEgretSeagullEmperorPenguin
EXOTICBIRDSCockatielRedMacawPeacock
DETAILSRobin'sNestWoodThrushFeather
BlueJayFeatherEveningGrosbeakFeatherGreenJayFeatherFourTypesofEggs
ABOUTTHEARTISTS
RESOURCES
ButterfliesButterfly species are identifiedby theirdistinctivemarkings.Theirwingsholdsomeofthemostcolorfulandintriguingpatternsinnature.
GiantSwallowtail1GARYGREENE
MEDIUM:Coloredpencil
COLORS: Sanford Prismacolor: Jasmine • Black • Dark Brown • Cream •PumpkinOrange •PaleVermilion •White •Sunburst Yellow •BlueViolet Lake • Blue Slate • Sienna Brown • Goldenrod • SanfordPrismacolor Verithin: Black • Dark Brown • Faber-CastellPolychromos:LightYellowOchre
BRUSHES:Small,roundwatercolorbrush
OTHER SUPPLIES: Three-ply Strathmore Vellum Bristol (regular surface) •electricpencilsharpener•Sakuraelectriceraserwithwhitevinyleraserstrip•PrismacolorColorlessBlender•Bestinerubber cement thinner •PrismacolorTuffilmFinalFixative(mattefinish)
1DrawtheLayoutDrawthelayoutlineswithJasmine,SunburstYellow,BlackandDarkBrown.
2PainttheLightWingMarkingsFortheyellowwingmarkings:Lightlyapply(Polychromos)LightYellowOchreand Jasmine. Using slightly more pressure, apply Cream. Reapply the threecolorsuntil theentire area is coveredwithpigment, leavingnopaper showingthrough.For the red eyespots: Lightly apply Pumpkin Orange and Pale Vermilion.
Usingslightlymorepressure,applyWhite.ReapplyPumpkinOrangeandPaleVermilion until the entire area is covered with pigment, leaving no papershowingthrough.Forthebluemarkings:LightlyapplyBlueVioletLakeandBlueSlate.Using
slightlymorepressure,applyWhite.ReapplyBlueVioletLakeandBlueSlateuntiltheentireareaiscoveredwithpigment,leavingnopapershowingthrough.
artist’scommentKeepyourpencilpointsextremelysharpatalltimes.Applythecolorsinthesequencedescribed.Thelinesshownintheexamplelayoutareheavyforclarityonly.Alwaysdrawyouractuallayoutlinesaslightlyaspossible.
GiantSwallowtail1
3PainttheBlackWingMarkingsLightly apply Black to the wings. Do not cover the paper surface entirely.CarefullydrawveinlineswithaBlackVerithinpencil.
4PainttheWingsBrownApply Dark Brown to the remaining wing areas and over the black wing
markings.Leavealineofblankwhitepaperparalleltothedarkveinlinesfreeofcolor.
5PainttheSecondBrownLayerApplySiennaBrownovertheDarkBrownwingareas.
6FinishtheWingsReapply Dark Brown over the black and brown wing areas until the papersurface is completely covered. Lightly apply Dark Brown over the uncoloredveinlinesandthenblendwithPrismacolorColorlessBlender.SharpentheedgeswithDarkBrownor(Verithin)Black.
7PainttheBody,EyesandAntennaeLightly apply (Polychromos) Light Yellow Ochre and Jasmine to the entirebody.Donotapplycolortotheeyesorantennae.Withasmall,roundwatercolorbrush, apply Bestine rubber cement thinner to the body, being careful not totouchtheadjacentwingareas.ApplyBlack,DarkBrownandGoldenrodtothebody.Lightly paint the eyes with Black, allowing some paper surface to show
through. Carefully draw antennae with (Verithins) Dark Brown and Black.FinishwithPrismacolorTuffilmFinalFixative(mattefinish).
GiantSwallowtail2DAVIDLEE
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:Winsor & Newton Artists’ Water Colour: Cerulean Blue • FrenchUltramarine•PrussianBlue•SapGreen•VandykeBrown•YellowOchre•Red
BRUSHES:Winsor&Newton:no.0sableshortliner•Grumbacher:nos.2,6,8and12sablerounds•no.5sablescriptliner
OTHER SUPPLIES: 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches watercolor paper •masking fluid • Faber-Castell nos. 2B and HB pencils •StaedtlerMarsPlasticeraser
1CreatetheBasicSketchUse no. 2B and HB pencils to draw a detailed sketch of the butterfly with asimplebackgroundbasedoncollectedreferencematerials.
2ApplyMaskingFluidandYellowOchreWashUsinga thin stickor smallbrush, applymasking fluid topreserve smallwhiteareasthatmightbedifficulttopaintaround.Afterthemaskingfluiddries,applyYellowOchrewithano.8sableroundbrushtotheentirebutterfly.Glazewithtwoorthreethinlayersofthesamecolortoenrichit.
artist’scommentButterfliesarefuntowatchandpaintbecauseoftheircolorfulandinterestinglyshapedwings.Hereareacoupleof technical tipsforreference:•Toprotectyourbrushfromdamagefromthemaskingfluid,wetthebrushwithliquidsoapfirst.Cleanthoroughlyimmediatelyafteruse.•Toenrichacolorbyglazing,besurethesurfaceiscompletelydrybetweeneachapplicationofthinlayers.Ahairdryerworkswell.
•Topreserveandprotectyourwatercolorpaper,sketchyourcompositiononregularpaperfirst.Onceyou’rehappywiththedesign,transferittowatercolorpaperusingtracingpaper.
GiantSwallowtail2
3AddBlacktoWingsCreate black by mixing approximately 60 percent French Ultramarine + 40percentVanDykeBrown.Usethiscolorwithano.0shortlinerbrushtopaintfinelinesandwithnos.2and6sableroundbrushestopainttheblackpatternsonthebutterflywingsandbody.
4DetailWingsandPlantRefine thewingswithVanDykeBrown and add a touch of red on the lowerwingasshown.Paint thebackgroundplantwithSapGreenmixedwitha littleYellowOchreandCeruleanBlue.
5PaintBackgroundandFinalDetailsPaint the background with complementary colors of Sap Green and PrussianBlue.Usenos.8and12sable roundbrushes looselyfor thebackgroundandano.5sablescriptlinerfortheflowerstem.Removethemaskingfluidafterthewatercolor dries. Finish the flowers with Yellow Ochre and Sap Green. Addfinaltouchesforbutterfly’sdetails,thesixlegsandantennaewithsmallbrushesasdesired.
GiantSwallowtail3CINDYAGAN
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:Winsor & Newton Artists’ Water Colour: Turner’s Yellow •YellowOchre • Sepia • Mars Black • Schmincke: Ultramarine Blue •TranslucentOrange
BRUSHES:JackRicheson9000Series:nos.2and4rounds
OTHERSUPPLIES:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedArcheswatercolorpaper,8"×10"(20cm×25cm)•no.3Hpencil
1PainttheBaseColorIthinkyouwillfindpaintingthisgiantswallowtailasfunandsimpleascoloringwith crayons in a coloring book!Using a no. 4 round, beginwith a very paleglaze of Turner’s Yellow on the markings indicated and let dry completely.Don’tworry about going “out of the lines” as this areawill be painted blacklater.
2DeepentheValueWithano.4round,applyanotherglazeofTurner’sYellowtothetopwingsandletdry.Switch toano.2 roundand thinnedYellowOchre to lightlydrybrushthinlinesbetweeneachvein.Imaginethereisasoftlightsourcefromabove,andpaint subtle cast shadows on the side of the wings that are shaded. DrybrushTranslucentOrangeonthemarkingonthe lowerwings.Whendry,adda lightglazeofTurner’sYellowovertheorangemarkings.
3AddBlackandBlueContinue glazing and drybrushingwithTurner’sYellow andYellowOchre tobuildthecolorintensity.DrybrushtherowofmarkingsonthelowerwingswithSepiaandano.2round.Next,thinUltramarineBlueuntilit’sapaleblue,glazeover the final tenmarkingsand letdry.On thebottomhalfof these light-bluemarkings,stippletinydotswithadarkerconcentrateofUltramarineBlueusingano.2round.Withallofthecolorsinplace,paintaroundthemwithMarsBlacktomakethemstandout.
4AddBlackforImpactandFinalTouchesNoticethatthetransitionaroundsomeofthemarkingsgoesfromblacktocolorsoftlyandgradually,whileotherareashaveahardedge.Wheretheblackpaintoverlapsintothecoloredmarkings,softlyblendusingshort,quickstrokes.Continue tobuildup theMarsBlackuntil the color isdark and rich.Edges
thatbecometooharshcanbesoftenedwithacleandampbrush.Whentheblackpaint is completely dry, brighten any colored markings that have “paled” byglazingadditionalcolorwhereneeded.
artist’scommentDrybrushingusesverylittlewaterandisperfectforpaintingfinedetails.Simplyloadyourbrushwithcolor, blot the excessmoisture on a towel and paintwith precision and control.When painting inwatercolorIuseawhiteterryclothtoweltoblotmybrush3insteadofpapertowelstosavetimeandmoney.Simplywashthetowelseparatelyinthewashingmachinewhenyou’refinished.
MourningCloakGARYGREENE
MEDIUM:ColoredPencil
COLORS:SanfordPrismacolor:Beige•Cream•WarmGrey20percent•WarmGrey70percent•WarmGrey90percent•Lilac•GreyedLavender•TuscanRed•BlackRaspberry•Black
BRUSHES:Small,roundwatercolorbrush
OTHER SUPPLIES: Three-ply Strathmore Vellum Bristol (regular surface) •electricpencilsharpener•Sakuraelectriceraserwithwhitevinyleraserstrip•PrismacolorTuffilmColorlessBlender•Bestine rubber cement thinner •Prismacolor Tuffilm FinalFixative(mattefinish)•cottonswabs
1DrawtheLayoutDraw the layout lines with Beige, Warm Grey 20 percent, Warm Grey 70
percentandLilac.
2UnderpainttheWingsApplyBeigeandCreamtothewingsusinglight,circularstrokes.
artist’scommentKeepyourpencilpointsextremelysharpatalltimes.Applythecolorsinthesequencedescribed.Thelinesshownintheexamplelayoutare2heavyforclarityonly.Alwaysdrawyouractuallayoutlinesaslightlyaspossible.
MourningCloak
3BlendtheUnder-paintingUsingcottonswabs,blendBeigeandCreamwithBestinerubbercementthinner.Whenacottonswabdries,switchtoanewone.
4AddDarkValuestotheWingsApplyLilacandGreyedLavendertothelavenderwingspots.ApplyWarmGrey90percent andWarmGrey70percent to thedark-graybands surrounding thelavender wing spots. Apply Warm Grey 70 percent to establish darker wingvalues.
5PainttheWingsRedrawveinslightlywithWarmGrey90percent,exceptthosealongtheedges.ApplyTuscanRedandBlackRaspberrytothewings.Leavealineparalleltothedarkveinlinesuncolored.LightlyapplyTuscanRedtolessentheveinhighlightlines.Usingshort,circularstrokespaintspecklesonthewingedgeswithTuscanRedandBlackRaspberry.
6PainttheBodyandAntennaeDraw thebody segment lineswithWarmGrey90percent, leavingahighlightlineunderneath.ApplyBlack,WarmGrey90percent,WarmGrey70percent,Tuscan Red and Black Raspberry to the body and compound eyes. Carefullydraw antennae with Warm Grey 90 percent and Tuscan Red. Finish withPrismacolorTuffilmFinalFixative(mattefinish).
HeliconiusAnderidaDAVIDLEE
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:Winsor&Newton Artists’Water Colour:Alizarin Crimson •BurntSienna •CeruleanBlue •FrenchUltramarine •PrussianBlue •SapGreen•VandykeBrown•YellowOchre
BRUSHES:Winsor&Newton:no.0sableshortliner•Grumbacher:nos.2,6,8and12sableround•no.5sablescriptliner
OTHER SUPPLIES: 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches watercolor paper •masking fluid • Faber-Castell nos. 2B and HB pencils •StaedtlerMarsPlasticeraser
1DrawtheBasicSketchUse nos. 2B and HB pencils to draw a detailed sketch of the butterfly withsimplebackgroundflowersandleavesbasedoncollectedreferencematerials.
2ApplyMaskingFluidandOrangeWashUsea thinstickor smallbrush toapplymasking fluid topreservesmallwhitedots,patternsandsmallbackgroundflowersandstemsthatmightbedifficulttopaintaround.Whenthemaskingfluiddries,applyanorangemixture(60percentCadmium
Redand40percentyellow)withano.8sableroundbrushtothelowerbutterflywings. Glaze with an additional thin layer of the same mixture to enrich thecolorasnecessary.
artist’scommentToprotectyourbrushfromdamagefromthemaskingfluid,wetthebrushwithliquidsoapfirst.Cleanthoroughlyimmediatelyafteruse.Toenrichacolorbyglazing,besurethesurfaceiscompletelydrybetweeneachapplicationofthin
layers.Ahairdryerworkswell.To preserve and protect your watercolor paper, sketch your composition on regular paper first.
Onceyou’rehappywiththedesign,transferittowatercolorpaperusingtracingpaper.
HeliconiusAnderida
3PaintLeavesandBackgroundPaint the leaves with SapGreenwith touches of YellowOchre and CeruleanBlueusingnos.6and8 sable rounds.Thenpaint thebackground looselywithnos.8and12sableroundsusingcolorsthatarecomplementarytothebutterfly—PrussianBlue andSapGreen.Drop in darkPrussianBlue in some areas tocreateaninterestingcomposition.
4PaintBlackAreasMix black (60 percent FrenchUltramarine and 40 percentVanDykeBrown).Useano.0sableshortlinertocreatefinelinesandantenna.Usethenos.2and6sableroundsforlargerblackareasofthebutterfly.
5PaintFlowersandLeavesRemovethemaskingfluidfromthepreservedwhiteareas.Touchupandsmoothoutthebutterflypatterns.Withano.6sableround,useapurplecolor(amixtureofmauveandAlizarinCrimson)fortheflowersandtipsofthebuds,andgreen(SapGreen+YellowOchreandSapGreen+BurntSienna) for thebuds.Usedark greenwith a no. 5 sable script liner for the flower stem.Remove pencillinesifyouprefer.
CommonBlueJANEMADAY
MEDIUM:Acrylics
COLORS: Plaid FolkArt Artist's Pigments: Cobalt Blue • Payne’s Gray •TitaniumWhite•ButlerMagenta•RawSienna•RawUmber
BRUSHES:SilverBrushUltraMiniDesignerRounds:nos.2,4and6(Youwillneedtousesmallerroundsifyouuseanotherbrand.)
OTHERSUPPLIES:Cold-pressedCansonMontvalwatercolor paper •MastersonSta-WetPalette•watercontainer•maskingfluid(optional)
1BasecoattheWingsBasecoatthewingswiththinnedCobaltBlue,leavingawhiterimattheedgeofthewings.BasecoatthebodywiththinnedPayne’sGrayusingano.6round.
2GlazeWingsandDetailBodyGlaze thinned Butler Magenta across the wings. When dry, paint the brownedgeswithRawUmberandtheno.4round.DetailthebodywithPayne’sGray,usingthepaintwithacreamyconsistency.Switchtotheno.2roundtopainttheantennae.
3DetailWingsandBodyPaint a thinwashofRawSiennaacross thewingsusing theno.4 round.AddthinPayne’sGraylinesradiatingoutfromthebodywiththeno.2round.AddafewTitaniumWhitehairs to thebody.PaintsubtlespotsanddelicateveinsonthewingswithCobaltBlue +ButlerMagenta (1: touch), still using the no. 2round.
artist’scommentThis butterfly is commonly found in Europe. I’ve painted the male of the species. An Americanversion, theKarnerblue, issimilar inappearance to thecommonblue,but rarer (theKarnerblue isendangered).Thisbutterflyisoneofmyfavoritestoaddtopaintingsthatneedaspotofcolorandlife.Diluteallthepaintforthisprojectwithwaterandpaintinawashy,watercolormanner.“Glaze” in this projectmeans to paint a thinwash of one color over another dry color.Glazing
producesaglowingeffectthatartSA2-you4can’tgetbybrush-mixingthetwocolorsonyourpalette.
SilveryBlueSHERRYC.NELSON
MEDIUM:Oils
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’OilColour:IvoryBlack•TitaniumWhite•RawSienna•RawUmber•FrenchUltramarine•AlizarinCrimson•SapGreen
BRUSHES:SherryC.NelsonRedSable:nos.2and4brights•no.0round
1BaseWingsandLeavesBasethewingswithamixtureofFrenchUltramarine+AlizarinCrimson(2:1)+RawSienna(tocuttheintensity),usingtheno.4brightbrush.BasecoatthedarkareaoftheleavesandstemwithIvoryBlack+SapGreen.
2BaseBodyandDetailWingandLeavesBase thebodywith thewingmixture fromStep1.Shade thewingnext to thebodywithadirtybrush+FrenchUltramarine.FillintherestoftheleavesandstemwithSapGreen+RawSienna+TitaniumWhite.
3AddHighlightsBlendtheblueshadingwherevaluesmeet.Highlightwithinthesectionsontheouterportionsofbothwings,andaddalittlehighlighttothebody.Blendtheleavesinthelateralgrowthdirectionusingthechiseledgeoftheno.
4brightforthelargerleafandthechiseledgeno.2brightforthesmallerone.Addhighlightswiththedirtybrush+TitaniumWhiteonbothleavesandinthecenterofthestem.
4AddFinalDetails(See finished painting.) Soften thewhite highlights on thewings.Add a darkmarginandthetinydotswithamixtureofIvoryBlack+RawUmber.Detailthebody and add antennaewith the samemixture, slightly thinned and the no. 0round brush. Blend the leaf highlights following the lateral growth direction.AccenttheleaveswithalittleofthewingbasemixturefromStep1.
artist’scommentIn this demonstration, the “+” sign indicates brush-mixed colors. These mixes vary naturally andcreateamorerealisticlookthanpalette-knifemixesdo.Continueusingthesamebrushtypeandsizeineachareaunlesstoldtoswitchtoadifferentsize.
AlfalfaButterflyJANEMADAY
MEDIUM:Acrylics
COLORS:Plaid FolkArt Artist's Pigments:Cobalt Blue • Yellow Light •RawUmber•YellowOchre•LightRedOxide•VandykeBrown
BRUSHES:SilverBrushUltraMiniDesignerRounds:nos.4,6and12(Youwillneedtousesmallerroundsifyouuseanotherbrand.)
OTHERSUPPLIES:Cold-pressedCansonMontvalwatercolor paper •MastersonSta-WetPalette•watercontainer•maskingfluid(optional)
1BasecoatWingsandBodyWetthebackgroundwithcleanwaterandpaintathinwashofCobaltBluewhilethepaperisstillwetusingano.12round.BasecoatthewingswithYellowLight,stillusingtheno.12round.ThinRaw
Umberwithwaterandpaintthebodywiththeno.6round.PaintathinglazeofYellowOchreonthewings,blendingfromthebodyoutward.
2PaintBrownMarkingsIfdesired,protecttheyellowspotsattheedgeofthewingswithmaskingfluid,thenpaintthebrownareaswiththinnedRawUmberandtheno.4round.Whendry,removethemaskingfluidandglazeYellowOchreovertheyellowspots.
3AddFinalDetailsDetailthebodyandpainttheantennaewithVandykeBrownandtheno.4round(or smallerbrush ifyouprefer).Add the spotson thewingswithRawUmberandLightRedOxide. Paint thewing veinswith a thinnedmixture ofYellowOchre+RawUmber(1:1)andtheno.4(orsmaller)round.
artist’scommentThis butterfly is fairly common in the U.S., especially in the West and Midwest. When paintingbutterfliesinacrylics,Iliketothinthepaintuntilit’stransparent.Ifyouusepaintthat’stoothick,thebutterflycanappearheavyandsolid.Whenusingmaskingfluid,protectyourbrushbydippingitinasolutionofone-halfdishwashing
liquidandone-halfwaterbeforeloadingitwiththemaskingfluid.
CabbageButterflyJANEMADAY
MEDIUM:Acrylics
COLORS:PlaidFolkArtArtist'sPigments:CobaltBlue•WarmWhite•YellowOchre•VandykeBrown•RawUmber
BRUSHES:SilverBrushUltraMiniDesignerRounds:nos.4,6,12and14(Youwillneedtousesmallerroundsifyouuseanotherbrand.)
OTHERSUPPLIES:Cold-pressedCansonMontvalwatercolor paper •MastersonSta-WetPalette•watercontainer•maskingfluid(optional)
1BasecoatWingsandBodyWetthepaperaroundthebutterflieswithcleanwaterandtheno.14round.PaintawashofverythinCobaltBlue,lettingitblendouttotheedgesofthewetarea.
MixWarmWhite + Yellow Ochre (1: very slight touch) and basecoat thewingswiththeno.12round.Letdry.BasecoatthebodywiththinnedVandykeBrownandtheno.6round.
2AddMarkingstoWingsPaintathinglazeofYellowOchrewherethewingsmeetusingtheno.4roundbrush. Let dry. Paint the dark markings on the wings with thinned VandykeBrownandtheno.4roundbrush.
3AddFinalDetailsUsing the no. 4 round, paint the details on the body with slightly thickerVandykeBrown.AddafewWarmWhitehairs, ifdesired.MixRawUmber+YellowOchre(1:1)anddiluteuntilverythin,thenpainttheremainingdetailson
the wings with the no. 4 round (or a smaller brush if you prefer). Paint theantennaeusingVandykeBrown.
artist’scommentThisbutterflyisfamiliartogardenersaroundtheworld.Thecabbagebutterflymakesaniceadditiontoyourpaintingsasalittletouchoflifethatfitsanywhere.Butterfliesaredelicate,soIuseacrylicpaintthinnedwithwatertoawashyconsistency.Ifyouuse
thepainttoothickly,thewingswilllooksolid.
SouthernDogfaceButterflySHERRYC.NELSON
MEDIUM:Oil
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’OilColour:IvoryBlack•TitaniumWhite•RawSienna•RawUmber•CadmiumYellowPale
BRUSHES:SherryC.NelsonRedSable:nos.2and4brights,no.0round
OTHERSUPPLIES:Odorlessthinner
1PaintYellowMarksBasetheyellowareasofthebutterflywithabursh-mixofCadmiumYellowPale+RawSiennausingtheno.4brightbrush.
2HighlightandAddBrownMarksPlace a dirty brush + Titanium White highlight in the central areas of eachsectionofyellow.Basecoatthebrownareaswithabrush-mixofRawSienna+RawUmberusingtheno.2brightbrush.
3BlendandShadeBlendhighlightsintheyellowsectionsthatshowgrowthdirection.AddpatchesofshadingwithinthebrownwingtipswithIvoryBlack+abitofRawUmber.BasecoatthebodywithRawUmber+IvoryBlack.
4AddFinalDetails(See the finished painting.) Using the chisel edge, tap in the veining in the
yellowareasofthewingswithasparsebrush-mixofRawSienna+RawUmber.Addanirregularoutlinearoundthehindwingswiththesamemix,usingthetipof the no. 0 round brush. Add detail spots with the round brush using RawUmber+abitofIvoryBlack.Softentheblackshadinginthebrownwingtipsalittle. Thin a little of the RawUmber + Ivory Black brush-mixwith odorlessthinnerandusetheroundbrushtomaketheantennaelines.Detailthebodywithabitofdirtywhite,againusingtheroundbrush.
artist’scommentIn this demonstration, the “+” sign indicates brush-mixed colors. These mixes vary naturally andcreateamorerealisticlookthanpalette-knifemixesdo.Continueusingthesamebrushtypeandsizeineachareaunlessinstructedtoswitchtoadifferentsize.
MorphoButterflyCINDYAGAN
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:Winsor & Newton Artists’Water Colour:Cobalt Turquoise Light •IndanthreneBlue•MarsBlack•BurntUmber•VanGogh:PhthaloBlue•Holbein:ManganeseBlueNova
BRUSHES:JackRicheson9000Series:nos.2and4rounds
OTHER SUPPLIES: 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches watercolor paper size8½"×10½"(21cm×27cm)•no.3Hpencil
1OutlinetheDetails
Draw a detailed sketch of the butterfly with a 3H pencil. Beginwith a no. 2roundanddrybrushtheveins,foldsandcreasesinthewingswithPhthaloBlue.Followthedrawingclosely,andgentlysoftenthisoutlinewithadampbrush.
2AddValueEraseanyvisiblepencillines.DeepenthecolorvalueintheveinswithPhthaloBlue and make the veins more pronounced with a no. 2 round. Let drycompletely.Working around the highlights, indicate the shadows in thewingswithathinwashofPhthaloBlueusingano.4round.
artist’scommentPhthaloBlue,usedinthisdemo,isastainingcolorandwillpermanentlystainthewhiteofthepaper.Itcannotbeliftedcompletelyforcorrectionsorhighlights.Withthatinmind,plancarefullyandcreateadetaileddrawingbeforeapplyingthepainttosaveyourselfmuchtimeandtrouble.
MorphoButterfly
3AddColorTocreatetheillusionofiridescentshadesofblueandgreen,drybrushatouchofCobaltTurquoiseLightinthehighlightedareaswithano.4roundandletdry.AddawashofManganeseBlueNovagentlyover thewings.Whendry,applyPhthalo Blue on the outer edges of the wings and on the wings next to thebutterfly’shead.
4AddDepthTogivethewingsmoreshapeanddepth,thinMarsBlacktoadarkgrayanduseano.4roundtoapplyittotheouteredgesofthewingsandnearthehead.Whendry,alternatebetweenPhthaloBlueandCobaltTurquoiseLighttofurtherdefinethe folds and creases. Let dry. Lightly glaze PhthaloBlue over these areas tosoftenandblend.DrybrushadarkerconcentrateofMarsBlackonthebodyandouterportionsof thewings.Besure to“mirror”eachstepontherightandleftsidesofthedelicatewings.
5ApplyFinalGlazesWithano.4round,layinamixtureofPhthaloBlueandMarsBlack(1:1)ontheouteredgesofthewingsandpulltowardthecenterofthebutterfly’sbodywithaclean,dampbrush.Applythismixturenexttothehead,andpullawayfromthebodytowardtheoutsideedgeofthewingswithadampbrush.Paintingaroundthe subtle highlights, applymultiple glazes over the entire area of the wings,lettingtheareadrybetweeneachglaze.Next,applyBurntUmbertothebodyandtheblackportionsofthewingsin
the center. Repeat glazes of PhthaloBlue and themixture ofMarsBlack andPhthaloBlueuntilyouaresatisfiedwiththecolorintensity.Tofinish,drybrushMarsBlackwithano.2roundonthebodyandtheedgesofthewingsandapplythinshadowlinestotheveins.
PeacockButterflyBARBARALANZA
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonPigments:BurntUmber•NewGamboge•YellowOchre • Chinese Orange • Ivory Black • Purple Madder • Sepia •ChineseWhite
BRUSHES:Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable: nos. 000, 0, 1 and 3rounds
OTHERSUPPLIES:Hot-pressedFabrianoArtisticoBrightWhitewatercolorpaper•graphitetransferpaper•no.2Hpencil•kneadederaser
1TransfersketchTransferthepencildrawingontowatercolorpaperusinggraphitetransferpaperandano.2Hpencil.Removeanyexcessgraphitebypressingakneadederaseroverthearea.
2ApplyLightTintUsingano.3round,applyalighttintofNewGambogetotheentirebutterfly.Letdry.
3ApplyMediumTintMixequalamountsofYellowOchreandBurntUmbertomakeamediumtint.Usingano.1round,applythistinttotheouteredgeofthewingsandwingspotsbeginningatthepencilline.Rinsethebrushanddipitincleanwatertoblendtheedgesofthecoloroutward.Applythemediumtinttotheupperbodyandaroundthebodysegmentsusing
thesamebrush.Beginaddingdetailstotheupperedgeofthewingsandtothewingson each sideof thebodywith a dark tint ofSepia loadedon a no. 000round. Holding the brush perpendicular to the paper, apply dots of Sepiabetweenthewingveins.Letdry.
4DetailWingMarkingsAdd amedium tint ofNewGamboge to the topwingmarkings using a no. 1round.Apply amedium tint of BurntUmber on the outer edge of thewings.Blendinwardusingarinsedno.1round.
artist’scommentWhenlookingthroughbooksonbutterflies,Itrytoguesshowtheygottheirnames.Obviously,thisbutterflywas named not for the color of its namesake, but for its large ovalmarkings. If Iwere abutterflypredator,those“eyes”wouldbewarningenoughtostayaway.
PeacockButterfly
5ApplyOrangeTintUsing a no. 3 round, paint medium-tint bands of Chinese Orange on the topwings.With a no. 000 round, apply amedium tint ofChineseOrange in finestrokesforthehairsonthebottomwings.
6ApplyYellowTintUsingano.1round,carefullyapplyalighttintofNewGambogeoverthedotsonthewingsonbothsidesofthebutterfly’sbody.Loadamedium-tintmixtureofYellowOchre andBurntUmber on a no. 000 round and apply dots to the
outsidepaintedareaofthelowermarkingsandthearchofcolorabovethem.
7PaintDarkMarkingsUsingano.1roundloadedwithadarktintofIvoryBlack,paintthemarkingsonthetopandbottomwings.Letdry.Usingano.000roundloadedwiththesametint,paintdotsoutsidethemarkings,graduallylesseningtheamountasyoupaintoutward.
8AddMoreDetailsMixequalamountsofYellowOchreandBurntUmbertocreateamediumtint.With a no. 000 round, paint dots between the black dots on both sides of thebody. Using a no. 1 round, apply Purple Madder to the detail on top of thewings.Letdry.Usingano.000round,applydotsofIvoryBlackontop.
9PaintWingVeinsandBodyUsingano.000roundloadedwithamediumtintofSepia,painttheveinsonthewingsandtheroundedformofthebody.Letdry.Withano.000round,applyadarker tint of Sepia in fine strokes for the hair on the body. Using the samebrush,applyIvoryBlackdotstothebody.Letdry.
10AddDetailsPaintdotsofNewGambogebetweentheblackdots.Withano.000round,paintfine strokes of Chinese Orange in a diagonal pattern for the hair on thebutterfly’sbody.AddIvoryBlackdots to thebodyusingano.000round.Fillthe spaces in between with dots of a mixture of Chinese Orange and NewGamboge.UsingadarkertintofNewGambogeloadedonano.1round,paintovertheyellowmarkingsontopofthewings.Outlinethewingsusingano.000round loadedwith a dark tint of Sepia. Paint the antennae using amixture ofNewGambogeandBurntUmber.
11FinishwithWhiteMarkingsWithano.0roundbrushloadedwithChineseWhite,applyshortstrokesonthemarkingsonthetopandbottomwings.
PaintedLadyCINDYAGAN
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS: Winsor & Newton Artists’ Water Colour: Transparent Yellow •Cerulean Blue (Red Shade) • Sepia • Mars Black • Da Vinci:CadmiumOrange
BRUSHES:JackRicheson9000Series:no.4round•SilverBrushUltraMini:no.10/0script
OTHERSUPPLIES:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedArcheswatercolorpaper,8½"×10½"(21cm×27cm)•no.3Hpencil•maskingfluid•brushsoap
1MaskOuttheMarkingsDrawadetailedsketchwithano.3Hpencil.Moistenthebristlesofano.10/0script brush and dip in liquid soap or brush soap.Applymasking fluid to thewhiteandbluemarkingsonthebutterflywings,aswellasthemarkingsonthe
inneredgeofthewings.Rinseyourbrushfrequentlyand“re-soap”topreventastickybuildup.
2PainttheBodyWithano.4round,paintalightglazeofTransparentYellowonthebodyofthebutterflyandletdrycompletely.MixawarmgreenwithCeruleanBlue(RedShade)andTransparentYellow
(2:1)andaddatouchofittothebody.ThinSepiaanduseittodefinetheheadofthebutterfly,andtounderpaintthe
wingareaaroundthebody.Whendry,applyaglazeofCadmiumOrangetothemarkingsonthewings.
artist’scommentThereareseveraldifferentbrandsofpainttochoosefrom,andyouwillfindthatmanywillsharethesamenameofaparticularpigment,suchasCadmiumOrange,buttheyarenotallalike!DaVinci’sCadmiumOrange isabrightred-orange—whichisneededin thisdemonstrationof thepainted ladybutterfly—whereas Winsor & Newton’s Cadmium Orange is a yellow-orange and would neverachievetheeffectyouarelookingfor.Thatiswhyanartistoftensuggestsacertainbrandandcolorforapainting—theywanttosaveyoualotoffrustration!
PaintedLady
3EnrichtheColorContinue to glaze Cadmium Orange over the body and wings, including theSepiaunderpaintingonthewingsaroundthebody.Letdryandrepeat.Liftafewhighlightsonthewingswithadampbrushtogivethewingsshape.
4AddVeinsandDetailsDrybrush the veins in the top wings with Mars Black and use a strongconcentrate of Cadmium Orange for the veins in the bottom wings. MixCadmiumOrange andMarsBlack (2:1) to create awarmbrown anduse it toapplyafewdetailstothehead,bodyandsurroundingarea.Fordepth,addafewshadowsanddetails to these sameareaswithMarsBlackand letdry.GlazeathinlayerofTransparentYellowoverthebrown,greenandorangemarkingsforwarmth.Whendry,drybrushCadmiumOrangeagaintobrightenthecolorinthewings.
5DefineandBlendPaintthepatterninthewingsusingMarsBlack.Carefullyblendandsoftentheedges into the orange areas with a damp brush. It’s safe to paint over themasking fluid. (The wing on the left side shows this step in the beginningstages.)Ontherightwing,drybrushtheblackmarkings,letdry,thenremovethemasking fluid. Intensify and touch up areas with Transparent Yellow andCadmiumOrangewhereneeded.Repeatthisprocessontheleftwing.
6AddtheFineDetailsAfter removing themasking fluid, smooth any rough edgeswithMars Black.DrybrushabrownmixtureofCadmiumOrangeandMarsBlackonthemarkingsneartheedgeofthewings.UsingCeruleanBlue(RedShade),drybrushthefourbluecirclesonthebottomofeachwing.Whendry,surroundthisbluewithMarsBlack.Lookoveryourpaintedladycloselyandadjustcolorasneeded.
MothsMoths are often viewed as unattractive pests. Some species, however, havemarkings that areas interestingas thoseofbutterflies, andarewortha secondlook.
GeometridSHERRYC.NELSON
MEDIUM:Oil
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’OilColour:IvoryBlack•TitaniumWhite•RawSienna•RawUmber•SapGreen
BRUSHES:SherryC.NelsonRedSable:no.2bright;no.0round
1BaseMothandLeavesBasethewingsectionswithabrush-mixofSapGreen+RawSienna+TitaniumWhiteusingtheno.2brightbrush.BasethebodywithRawSienna.BasedarksontheleavesandstemwithIvoryBlack+SapGreen.
2AddTextureandHighlightsUse the dry, dirty, chisel edge of the brush to set in the texture lines on thewings. Highlight the trailing edge of the forewings with Titanium White.HighlightthecentralareaofthebodywithTitaniumWhite.FillintheremainingleafandstemareaswithSapGreen+RawSienna+TitaniumWhite.
3BlendHighlightsShadeundertheedgesoftheforewingsandinafewplacesatthemarginsofthewingswithRawSienna+RawUmber.ThinalittleRawSiennaanddrawantennaewiththeno.0roundbrush.BlendhighlightsonthebodyandshadewithabitofRawUmberaroundthe
edges.Blendtheleavesfollowingthelateralgrowthdirection,andhighlightinafewplaceswiththedirtybrush+TitaniumWhite.
4AddDetails(Seefinishedpainting.)Detailthewings,tappinginthewhitedivisionsbetweenwing sectionswith the no. 0 round brush using pureTitaniumWhite,makingthemirregularandsoftenedintothegreensjustabit.AdddetailingonthebodywithslightlythinnedRawUmber+abitofIvory
Black. Blend highlights on leaves. Accent the leaves with Raw Sienna. Addcentral vein lineswith the light-greenbrush-mix fromStep2, using the chiseledge.
artist’scommentIn this demonstration, the “+” sign indicates brush-mixed colors. These mixes vary naturally andcreateamorerealisticlookthanpalette-knifemixesdo.Continueusingthesamebrushtypeandsizeineachareaunlessinstructedtoswitchtoadifferentsize.
NoctuidSHERRYC.NELSON
MEDIUM:Oil
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’OilColour:IvoryBlack•TitaniumWhite•RawSienna•RawUmber•SapGreen
BRUSHES:SherryC.NelsonRedSable:nos.2and4brights;no.0round
1BaseWingsandTwigBase the tanwingspots,bandsandheadwithRawSienna+abitofTitaniumWhiteusingtheno.2bright.BasethegrayareasofthewingwithRawUmber+TitaniumWhite.Useabitof slightly thinnedRawUmber to texture the shadowareasof the
branch.UseSapGreen+ IvoryBlack tobase thedarkareasof the leafletandstem.
2AddHighlightsandFinishBaseHighlightthetanwingspotsandheadwithTitaniumWhite.Highlightthegraywingareaswithadirtybrush+TitaniumWhite.Basetheupperhalfofthetanbandwithadirtybrush+TitaniumWhite.
Basetherestofthebranchwithadirtybrush+TitaniumWhite.BasethelightvalueontheleafletwithSapGreen+RawSienna+TitaniumWhite.
3BlendandShadeBlendhighlights in all areas to soften them.Blend the values on the tanbandwheretheymeet.AddfaintveiningonthetanbandwithslightlythinnedRawSiennausingthe
no. 0 round. Add faint veining on the gray band with slightly thinned RawUmber+RawSienna.UsethinnedRawUmbertodrawantennae.Shade the branch with Raw Umber. Blend the leaflet following the lateral
growthdirectionandcreatethecenterveinwiththelight-valuegreenbrush-mixfromStep2.
4AddDarkBandsandPatterns(See finished painting.) Add the final detailing using slightly thinned RawUmber+IvoryBlackandtheno.0round.Pull thedarkdivisionsectionswithsuccessivetinylines,creatinganirregularedgeonthedarkbands.Addawingmarginpattern,smalldotsanddetailontheheadandlegswiththesamebrush-mix.TiptheantennaewithRawUmber,thenhighlightwithdirtywhite.Softenthe
shadingonthebranch,butleaveitchoppyintexture.Addabitofhighlightontheleafwithaverylightgreenmix.
artist’scomment
In this demonstration, the “+” sign indicates brush-mixed colors. These mixes vary naturally andcreateamorerealisticlookthanpalette-knifemixesdo.Continueusingthesamebrushtypeandsizeineachareaunlessinstructedtoswitchtoadifferentsize.
SphinxMothBARBARALANZA
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’WaterColour:PermanentMauve•Payne’sGray•IvoryBlack•YellowOchre•CobaltBlue•BurntUmber•NewGamboge•ChineseWhite•Holbein:Opera
BRUSHES:Winsor&NewtonSeries7KolinskySable:nos.000,0,1,2and3rounds
OTHERSUPPLIES:Hot-pressedFabrianoArtisticoBrightWhitewatercolorpaper•graphitetransferpaper•no.2Hpencil•kneadederaser
1TransferDrawingTransferyourpencildrawingontowatercolorpaperusinggraphitetransferpaperandano.2Hpencil.Removeanyexcessgraphitebypressingakneadederaseroverthearea.
2TintUpperWingsUsingano.3 round,applyapale tintofPermanentMauve to theentireupperwingareaandbodyofthemoth.
3DarkenUpperWingsMixequalamountsofPayne’sGrayandIvoryBlack.Usingano.1round,apply
thismixturetotheupperwingsleavingtheV-shapedpatternunpainted.
4DetailUpperWingWettheentireupperwingareawithano.2round.Whentheshineisgone,useano.000roundtoapplylong,finestrokesofPayne’sGraytothewings.Whendry, apply adarker tint ofPayne’sGray to thewingpatterndetail in
short,finestrokes.
artist’scommentIfindmothsmorefascinatingthanbutterflies.Whentheirwingsareclosed,mothstakeonthelookofcurledleavesandtreebark,makingthemhardertospotandthusmoremysterious.Whenapproached,mothsunfurltheirwingsandsurpriseuswithunexpectedcolorsandmarkings.
SphinxMoth
5TintLowerWingsWetthelowerwingusingano.1round.Whentheshineisgone,applyYellowOchretothelowerpartofthelowerwing.Letdry.
6TintLowerWingsRe-wet the lowerwing as before.When the shine is gone, applyOpera to theupper part of the lower wing, blending it over the Yellow Ochre with cleanwater.
7AddTextureandPatternsMixasmallamountofIvoryBlackandPayne’sGray.Dipanold,scruffybrushinthismixtureandletthepaintbegintodryonthebrush.Dragthecolorlightlyoverthewingtocreatetexture.Letdry.With amedium tint of IvoryBlack loaded on a no. 000 round, apply short
strokestoformwingandbodypatterns.Fillthesolidareaattheinnercenterofthewingwiththesamecolor.
8DetailLowerandUpperWingsUsingano.0round,applyadarkertintofYellowOchreoverthefirstcoatonthelowerwings.Letdry.Usingano.000round,applydarkerstrokesofYellowOchrefordetail.Letdry.Usingano.0round,applyadarkertintofOperaoverthefirstcoat.Letdry.
Usingthesamebrush,applydarkerstrokesofOperafordetail.Using a no. 000 round, apply Ivory Black in tiny strokes over the wing
patterns.FillinsolidareaswithadarktintofIvoryBlack.
9PaintEyeSpotsWet thecentercircleof the lowerwingdetail.Usingano.000 round,applyamediumtintofCobaltBlue.Letdry.RinsethebrushandapplyshortstrokesofIvoryBlackovermostoftheCobalt
Blue.Painttheouterringinshortstrokes.Keepallofyourstrokesinthesamedirection—onthediagonal.ApplyamediumtintofBurntUmberoverthesolidblacks on the top wings. Apply Ivory Black using a no. 000 round and adddarkerstrokestothemoth’sbody.
10AddFinalTintsandDetails
Usingano.1round,applyNewGambogeovertheYellowOchre.AddadarkertintofOperausingano.0round.Dry-brushadarkertintofIvoryBlacktoaddmoretexturetotheupperwings.Outlinethelowerwingsusingano.000roundand amedium tint of BurntUmber.Outline the upperwings using a no. 000roundandamediumtintofPayne’sGray.Usingano.000round,applyChineseWhitetotheupperwingveinsinshort,finestrokes.
SongbirdsThehappychirpsandbrightcolorsofsongbirdsbringjoytoanyscene.Theyareawelcomesightbothingardensandpaintings.
Goldfinch1DAVIDLEE
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’WaterColour:CadmiumLemon •FrenchUltramarine•PrussianBlue•SapGreen•VandykeBrown•YellowOchre•Potter’sPink•AlizarinCrimson•BurntSienna
BRUSHES:Winsor&Newton:no.0sableshortliner•Grumbacher:nos.2,6,8and12sableround•no.5scriptliner
OTHER SUPPLIES: 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed Arches watercolor paper •masking fluid • Faber-Castell nos. 2B and HB pencils •StaedtlerMarsPlasticeraser
1CreateSketchandApplyMaskingFluidUseno. 2B andHBpencils tomake a detailed sketchof the goldfinchwith asimplebackgroundofthistlesbasedoncollectedreferencematerials.
Usingathinstick,applymaskingfluidtopreservesmallareasthatmightbedifficulttopaintaround.
2PaintLightSectionsWhenthemaskingfluiddries,useano.6or8roundtoapplyCadmiumLemonYellowandatouchofYellowOchretothegoldfinchbody.Glazeasecond,thinlayerofthismixturetoenrichthecolor.Applyadarkermixture(YellowOchre+VandykeBrown+PrussianBlue)at
thelowerportionofthebodytocreateshading.Uselightgrayforthelowerbodynearthetailarea.ApplyPotter’sPinktothe
beakandVandykeBrownattheedgeofthebeak.
artist’scommentThegoldfinchisthestatebirdofNewJersey.Itsbrightyellowplumagemakesitstrikinglybeautiful.A couple of technical tips for reference: • To enrich a color by glazing, be sure the surface iscompletelydrybetweeneachapplicationofthinlayers.Ahairdryerworkswell.•Topreserveandprotectyourwatercolorpaper,sketchyourcompositiononregularpaperfirst.Onceyou’rehappywiththedesign,transferittowatercolorpaperusingtracingpaper.
•Useadrybrushstroketogivethefeatherareasofteredges.
Goldfinch1
3PaintBlackMarkingsCreate a black bymixing approximately 60 percent French Ultramarine + 40percentVandykeBrown.Painttheblackareasusingano.0sableshortlinerforfinelinesandnos.2and6sableroundsfortheblackpatternsonthewings,head,eyeandtail.
4PaintBackgroundUsing the no. 6 round and no. 5 script liner, paint the thistle blooms withAlizarin Crimson and the leaves and stemswith amixture of SapGreen andBurntSienna.Using nos. 8 and 12 rounds, loosely paint the background with more
complimentary colors of Sap Green and Prussian Blue and a touch of BurntSienna.
5AddFinalDetailsRemovethemaskingfluidfromthepreservedareas.Touchupandsmoothouttheroughedges.Usegreen(SapGreen+BurntSienna)anddarkgreen(greenmixture+VandykeBrown)withano.6sableroundandano.5scriptlinertopainttheleavesandstems.PainttheclawwithVandykeBrown.Removepencillinesifyoupreferandmakeanyfinaladjustments.
Goldfinch2CINDYAGAN
MEDIUM:Acrylics
COLORS: Liquitex Soft Body: Titanium White • Cadmium Yellow Light •CadmiumYellowMedium•RawUmber•CadmiumRedDeepHue•MarsBlack
BRUSHES:RobertSimmonsExpressionSeriesE85:nos.3and3/0rounds
OTHERSUPPLIES: 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressedwatercolor paper, 8½"× 10"(21cm×25cm)•no.3Hpencil
1BeginWithDarkestValueDraw a detailed sketch of the goldfinch with a 3H pencil. Determine whichdirection the light is coming from and indicate where the shadows will fall.Usingano.3round,applyMarsBlack to theblackmarkingson theforehead,wing,tailandeye,paintingaroundthewhitestripeonthewing.
2PainttheBeakandFeetMixCadmiumRedDeepHueandCadmiumYellowMedium(2:1)andusethiscolor as a base for the beak and feet.Add a touch of TitaniumWhite to thismixturefora fewhighlights.Adda touchofCadmiumYellowMediumto thebeakmixtureandwarmupthelowerhalfofthebeakwheretheyellowfeathersarereflected.UseRawUmberonthebeakandfeetforthedeepestshadows.
3BuildtheFoundationThinMarsBlackandglazethetail.Whendry,addwatertoTitaniumWhiteandpaintafewfeathersovertheblack.ApplyCadmiumYellowLighttothehead,back,chestandbelly.AddsubtleshadowswithCadmiumYellowMedium.
4GivetheBirdShapeandDimension(Seethefinishedpainting.)MixamediumgrayfromTitaniumWhiteandMarsBlack (2:1) and use it to tone down the tail, to create a fewhighlights on theforeheadandtodefineafewmarkingsonthetail.Fortheeye,mixjustatouchofTitaniumWhitewithRawUmberandpainttheiris.UseMarsBlackforthepupilandaroundtheeye,andTitaniumWhiteforthehighlightintheeye.Togivethebodyshapeandthefeathersanaturallook,beginwiththedarkest
colors and gradually build up the color, making each layer lighter than theprevious.Switchtoano.3/0roundforoptimumdetail.Paintthetinyfeathersintheorderlisted,varyingtheplacementforinterest:RawUmberandMarsBlack(3:1); Raw Umber; Cadmium Yellow Medium; Cadmium Yellow Light,Cadmium Yellow Medium and TitaniumWhite (1:1:2); Cadmium Red DeepHueandCadmiumYellowLight(1:1).ThenaddatouchmoreCadmiumYellowLight to the Cadmium Red Deep Hue and Cadmium Yellow Light mixture.FinishthetoplayeroffeathersbyaddingTitaniumWhitetothismixture.
artist’scommentCreatefinelinestopaintthefeathersbyusingthetipofaroundbrushofanysize.Loadthebrushwithcolorandgentlydragitacrossapapertoweltoflattenthebrushhairsforarazor-sharpedge.Nowturnthebrushtoacomfortableangleandpaintshort,irregularstrokes,blendingonecolorintothenextforconvincingplumage.
Hummingbird1LIANZHEN
MEDIUM:Chinesewatercolor
COLORS: Chinese painting colors or sumi colors: yellow • Phthalo Blue •Carmine•white
BRUSHES:Chinesebrushes:smallandmedium
OTHER SUPPLIES: Raw Shuan paper (unsized rice paper), 8" × 10" (20cm ×25cm)•Chinesepaintinginkorsumiink
1PaintHeadUseasmallbrush topaint thehead,eyeandbeakwith intense ink.Makesurethebrushcontainsverylittlewater.
2PaintWingsandBodyLoadwhiteontheheelofamediumbrushandloadyellowandPhthaloBlueonthemiddle and tip.Hold the brush sideways to paint thewings, body and tailwithfewstrokes.
artist’scommentHerearesomehelpfultipsforChinesewatercolorpainting:1.Afterloadingthreeorfourpigmentsononebrush,dabthebrushonthepaletteafewtimestoletthepigmentsblendintoeachotherlightly.2.Usestrokeseconomically.3.Controltheamountofwateronthebrush.4.Trynottochangeorcorrectstrokes.Itisbettertothrowawaythepaperandstartover.
Hummingbird1
3PaintFeathersonWingsandHeadWithoutwashingthemediumbrush,loadinkonitstiptopaintthewingfeatherswith overlapping strokes. Use a different medium brush to mix Carmine andthickwhitetodefinethebrightpinkfeathersonthehead.
4PaintTailFeathersContinueusingthemediumbrushtopaintandinkthetailfeathers.Outlinethewingswithintenseinkwhenthecolorsonthewingsareabouthalfdry.
5PaintChestFeathersandFeetUseasmallbrushtodefinethefeathersonthechestfirstwithinkandthenwithwhite.Finally,paintthelittlefeetwithinkwhenthecolorsonthechestarehalfdry.
Hummingbird2VICTORIALISI
MEDIUM:Acrylics
COLORS:Daler-RowneySystem3Acrylics:LemonYellow•Emerald•Crimson•Ultramarine•MarsBlack
BRUSHES:RobertSimmonsSiennaorExpressionsPointedRounds:nos.0,2,4and6
OTHERSUPPLIES:Hot-or cold-pressedwatercolorpaper •masking fluid •crowquillpen •stylus •no.Hgraphitepencil •dish soap •hairdryer •softeraserormasking fluidremover •RowneyStayWetPalette
1CreateDrawingWithano.Hgraphitepencil,carefullydrawthehummingbirdonthewatercolorpaper.Mixdishsoapwithwater(1:1).Mixmaskingfluidwithwater(1:1).
2ApplyMaskingFluidandYellowGlazeDipthestylusorcrowquillpeninthesoapymixturebeforeyoudipitintothemasking fluid.Preserve thewhiteswith themasking fluid,using thestylus forthe larger highlights and the glint in the eye. Use the crow quill pen for thedelicatefeatherdetails.MixLemonYellowtoawateryglaze.Usingno.4round,washtheglazeover
thehummingbird’sbackandthedarkareasonitshead.
artist’scommentMixing dark, neutral tones from two opposite colors such as red and green produces a moreharmonious,unifiedandbrilliantpaintingthanusingbrownsorgraysdirectlyfromthetube.
Hummingbird2
3ApplyUnderpaintingMix Emerald and Crimson in varying proportions to make two dark values:Emerald+Crimson(2:1)foragreenishdarkandEmerald+Crimson(1:2)forareddishdark.Usevaryingamountsofwaterinyourpaintmixturesfromwaterytoflowingtocreamy.Thiswillhelpvaryyourvaluesfromlight tomediumtodark.Usingtheno.3roundforbroadareasandtheno.0roundforsmalldetails,paintthebackofthebirdwiththegreenishdark.Paintthehead,chestandwingswiththereddishdark.Strive tomake a complete underpaintingwith a variety of values. (A good
underpaintingwillmakethenextstepseasier.)
4ApplyGlazesMixawateryLemonYellow+Emerald(2:1)andglazeoverthehummingbird’sbackwiththeno.4round.Mix awateryLemonYellow+Emerald (1:2) and glaze over the sides and
under thewing using the same brush.Clean your brushes, especially betweendifferent-coloredglazes.AddalittlewatertoCrimsonsoitisstillthickbutflowingandglazeoverthe
redfeatherswiththeno.3round.Thismayrequireseveralcoats.Mix awateryCrimson+LemonYellow+Emerald (1:1:1) tomakebrown.
Glazeoverthewingswithano.4round.Mix awatery Crimson +Ultramarine (1:1) tomake purple.Glaze over the
beakwithano.3round.Wet thehummingbird’schestwithano.6roundandwashsomeofthispurpleintotheshadowsusingtheno.4round(workwetintowet).
5AddFinishingTouchesGlazeawaterypurple(Ultramarine+Crimson[1:1])overthewings,headandchestwiththeno.6round.Whileitisstillwet,washsomedarker(lesswatery)purpleshadowsunderthebellywiththeno.4round.Useanevendarkermixture(littleornowater)torestateyourdarks.Remove all masking fluid. Mix a variety of darks: Reddish—Crimson +
Emerald (2:1); Greenish—Crimson + Emerald (1:2); and Purple—Crimson +Ultramarine(1:1).Usingsmall roundbrushes(nos.0and3)andvery littleornowater,neaten
the rough areas around the white highlights with the appropriate color. Add
details and darken values as needed. If necessary, add a tiny amount ofMarsBlack(withlittleornowater)tothepupil.
Blue-ThroatedHummingbirdSHERRYC.NELSON
MEDIUM:Oil
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtist’sOilColour:IvoryBlack•TitaniumWhite•Raw Sienna •Raw Umber •Burnt Sienna • Sap Green •CadmiumYellowPale•WinsorRed•AlizarinCrimson•FrenchUltramarine
BRUSHES: Sherry C. Nelson Red Sable: Series 303 nos. 2, 4 and 6 brights •Series312no.0round
OTHERSUPPLIES:stylus•odorlessthinner
1ApplyBaseBase thebirdandcolumbineusing thecolors indicated.Blend thecolors abitwherethegreenortheblackmeetsthebronzyrump.PaintthefineeyeringwithWhite+RawUmber.FillintheTitaniumWhite
markingsinfrontofandbehindtheeyewithpureTitaniumWhite.
artist’scommentIn this demonstration, the "+" sign indicates brush-mixed colors. These mixes vary naturally andcreateamorerealisticlookthanpalette-knifemixesdo.Continueusingthesamebrushtypeandsizeineachareaunlessinstructedtoswitchtoadifferentsize.
Blue-ThroatedHummingbird
2AddDetailsUseadirtybrush+TitaniumWhitetostreakinfeatherlinesalongtheedgesofthelongtailfeathers.Chopinalittledirtywhitefeatheringusingno.2brighttoindicatewhereedgeofcovertsoverlapstail.Use unthinned Raw Umber to shade within far wing feathers and basal
feathersonnearwing.Layinthefinelinesonthecovertsofthefarwingwithastylus.Shade with Ivory Black to separate the wing from the back. The highlight
iridescenceonthebackiscreatedwithtwobrush-mixes.UseTitaniumWhite+French Ultramarine on the bottom half of the back and the wider part of thescapulas.ApplySapGreen+CadmiumYellowPaleonthetopofthebackandoutside point of scapulars. Apply the colors with the round brush by turns,
allowingmarkings to bemore detailed at first. Shade the bellywithTitaniumWhite+IvoryBlackandhighlightwithTitaniumWhite.Highlight the throat with TitaniumWhite + FrenchUltramarine, using tiny
scalloplikemarkingswith theroundbrush.Highlight thecrownwith iridescentmarkingsofSapGreen+CadmiumYellowPale.Add Titanium White and a touch more Raw Sienna to the original petal
mixtureanduseittopaintthelightersectionsofthecolumbinepetals.HighlightthecenterwithTitaniumWhite.Forstamens,addfinelinesofCadmiumYellowPale+RawSiennaandafewwithTitaniumWhite,bothslightlythinned.PaintthelightpartsofthestemwithSapGreen+RawSienna+TitaniumWhite.
3AddFinalDetails(See the finished painting.) Blend the tips of the tails following the lateralgrowthdirection.Addabitoflateralgrowthdirectionlineswithadirtybrushonthe largest of the tail feathers. Streak in shaft lines where needed using dirtywhite. Chop in a little dirty white feathering for texture on the bronzy rump,followingthegrowthdirection.Separate the primary and secondary feathers with chisel-edge lines of dirty
white,laidontopofgraphitelinesattheedgeofeachfeather.Separatethefarwingcovertwithdirtywhitehighlights.Softenmarkingsonthebackandscapularsbytappingorpushingsomeofthe
paint into the wet surface. The blue-throated hummingbird is not highlyiridescentandassuchthesemarkingsaremoreforcolorthanflashybrilliance.Chop the colorson thebelly to create texture, then flip a few light feathers
overthesideofthegreenback.HighlighttheeyeringwithTitaniumWhite.Subduethecoloronthethroatby
pressingitintothebackgroundpaintifneeded.Blendtheedgeofthethroatintoauricularareaandconnecttoadjacentwhite.Addafewhighlightstothecrownwiththehighlightmix+moreTitaniumWhite.Highlightthebeakwithadirtybrush+TitaniumWhite.Forthecolumbine,slightlyblendthepetalsandbudswiththechiseledgeofa
brushwherethevaluesmeet.Highlightwiththelightmix+TitaniumWhiteifneeded or desired on a few petals.Add dots of TitaniumWhite at the tips ofmostofthestamens.Onthestem,blendwithgrowthdirectionwherethevaluesmeet. Highlight with the greenmix from Step 2 +more TitaniumWhite andreblend.
BluebirdLIANZHEN
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’WaterColour:AntwerpBlue •DaVinci:NaphtholRedMid-Tone•ArylideYellow
BRUSHES:nos.2,6and10rounds•¾-inch(19mm)flat
OTHERSUPPLIES:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedArcheswatercolorpaper,10"×14"(25cm×35cm)•no.2pencil
Bluebird
1SketchandPaintFace,StomachLightly sketch the bluebird with a no. 2 pencil. Use a no. 6 round to mixNaphtholRedMid-ToneandArylideYellowtocreateanorangecolor.Painttheface,chestandthebeginningofthewing.Thenusethebrushtoblendthecolorsintothestomach,tailandthighareaswithalittlewater.
artist’scommentHerearesomehelpfultipsforChinesewatercolorpainting:1.Afterloadingthreeorfourpigmentsononebrush,dabthebrushonthepaletteafewtimestoletthepigmentsblendintoeachotherlightly.
2.Usestrokeseconomically.
3.Controltheamountofwateronthebrush.4.Trynottochangeorcorrectstrokes.Itisbettertothrowawaythepaperandstartover.
2ApplyBlueUsethesamebrushtopaintthehead,backandtailfeatherswithAntwerpBlue.LightlyapplyalittleAntwerpBluetothechest.
3PaintFeathersUseano.10roundtopaintthewingfeatherswithAntwerpBluemixedwitha
littleNaphtholRedMid-Tone.Eachbrushstrokepaintsoneprimaryfeather.
4DefineWings,Beak,FeetUseano.2roundtomixAntwerpBlueandNaphtholRedMid-Toneintoadarkblue to define the wing and tail feathers and outline the beak and eye. MixNaphtholRedMid-ToneandAntwerpBlueintoalightpinkishbluetopaintthefeet.
5PaintFinalDetailsandBackgroundUsetheno.2roundtomixAntwerpBlueandNaphtholRedMid-Toneintodarkbluetopaintthepupilandrefinethetextureofthefeet.Usethesamebrushtopaint the eyeball with Naphthol RedMid-Tone on the upper portion and theArylideYellowonthelowerportion.Blendthecolorswheretheymeet.Finally,paintthebackgroundtodefinetheshapeofthebird:Usea¾-inch(19mm)flattopaintthebackgroundwiththeAntwerpBlueandalittleNaphtholRedMid-Tonefirst,thenaddafewdropsofArylideYellow.
CardinalVICTORIALISI
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS: Winsor & Newton Artists’ Water Colour: Winsor Yellow •Quinacridone Red • Scarlet Lake •PeryleneMaroon •UltramarineBlue•LampBlack
BRUSHES:Winsor&NewtonCotmanSeriesIII:nos.4and6round•Winsor&NewtonKolinskyMiniatureSeries7:nos.00and2
OTHER SUPPLIES:Winsor&Newton 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressedwatercolorpaper•DerwentGraphicno.Hpencil•maskingfluid•crowquillpen•stylusoroldbrush•dishsoap•grayscale•softeraserormaskingfluidremover•papertowels•hairdryer(optional)
1CreateDrawingCarefullydrawthecardinalonwatercolorpaper.It’sokayifyoudentthepaperslightly.Thiswillcreateafunnelthatwillkeepthepaintcontained.Mix masking fluid with water (1:1). Mix dish soap with water (1:1) To
preventgumminess,alwaysdipyourstylusorpeninadish-soapmixturebeforeyoudipitintothemaskingfluid.
2ApplyaLightUnderpaintingApplythemaskingfluidtoanypartofthecardinalyouwanttokeepwhite.Usethestylusfortheeyeandbeakglintsandusethecrowquillpenforthefeathers.Letdrythoroughly.MixWinsorYellowtoathin,wateryconsistency.Usingtheno.6round,wash
WinsorYellowoverthebodyofthebird,includingtheeyesandbeak.Omitthefeathers andbranch.Always letyourpaintdry completelybetween stages andsteps; otherwise, youwill either get watermarks or one colorwill bleed intoanother.Youcanuseahairdryer,butifyouusemaskingfluid,keepthedryerbackabout12inches(30cm)fromthepaper.MixarangeofconsistenciesofPeryleneMaroonwithwaterfromverywatery
tobuttery.Restatethedrawingandshadowswiththemaroonpaintusingtheno.2andno.4 rounds.Forprecisestrokes,usewetpaintondrypaper.Forsofterareassuchas theshadowson thebranch,wet thepaper first thenbrushon thewetpaint(i.e.,wet-into-wet).
artist’scomment
Ayellowglazeunderneathapaintingaddsbrillianceandluminosity.It’susefulwhenyouwantwarm,vibrantcolorsandrichdarks.
Cardinal
3GlazeBodyandDetailsMixaflowingQuinacridoneRed+ScarletLake(1:1).Withano.6round,washthismixtureoverthecardinal’sbody,avoidingtheeyes,beak,feetandbranch.BrushsomePeryleneMaroonwitha flowingconsistency into thewetpaintasyougotocreateshadows.Workinonesmallareaatatime:head,feet,etc.Letdry,thenrepeatthisprocesstogetrichcolor.MixWinsorYellow+ScarletLake(1:1)tomakeorange.Usetheno.4round
towashawaterymixtureoverthecardinal’sbeak.Usetheno.2roundtoglaze
theirisoftheeye.AddabitofPeryleneMaroonandglazeoverthefeetwiththeno.4round.MixUltramarineBlue andQuinacridoneRed (1:1) tomakepurple.Glaze a
waterymixoverthedarkfeathersaroundthebeakandtherimoftheeyewithano.2brush.Use the same mixture over the branch, painting wet-into-wet with a no. 6
round.
4AddMoreGlazingGlazethecardinal’sbodywithaflowingQuinacridoneRed+ScarletLake(1:1)andano.6round.RestateshadowswithapurplemixofUltramarineBlue+QuinacridoneRed
(1:1)andnos.2and4rounds.Makeyourbrushsplaybywipingthepaint-ladenbrushonapapertowel.Usethesplayededgetoindicatefeathers.When the cardinal is dry, remove all masking fluid with a soft eraser or
maskingfluidremover.
Thequalityandcharacteristicsofyoursplayedmarkswillvarydependingontheamountofwateryouuse.
DETAILOFHEAD
1DrawingHere is the drawing with masking fluid applied using a crow quill pen andstylus. I added color to the masking fluid so it would show for thedemonstration.Don’tdothisonyourworkasitwillstain.Besuretowaterdownthemaskingfluiduntilitflowseasily.
2SplayedBrushMarksAdd splayedbrushmarks inPeryleneMaroon to createdetail for the feathers.Createsplayedbrushmarksbyloadingthebrushwithpaintandthenwipingitoverpapertowelsoradampspongebeforeapplyingittothewatercolorpaper.
3UnderpaintingAddanunderpaintingandinitialglazesofWinsorYellowandQuinacridoneRedforaluminouseffect.
4FinishedHeadRepeattheglazesofQuinacridoneRedandScarletLakeandrestatethesplayedbrushmarkswithPeryleneMaroon,darkeningthemaroundthebeak.Useano.00brushtopaintthesmallestdetails.
5AddFinishingTouchesTomake thewhite feathermarksblend in,mixQuinacridoneRed to awateryconsistencyandglazeoveralltheredfeathersonthecardinalwithano.6round.Withano.2round,carefullygoaroundthewhiteareaswheremaskingfluidwasremoved—ontheeyesandbeak—withtheappropriatecolor.Deepenglazesandadddetailasappropriate.Useagrayscaletoseeifyouneeddeepervalues.MixsomeLampBlack to a creamy consistency and use a no. 2 brush to paint thedarkestfeathers,pupilanddetailsaroundtheeyes.
Glazingcolorsontopofeachothercreatescolorsthatcannotbeachievedbymixingpaintonapalette.YoucanseethedifferenteffectsWinsorYellowandPeryleneMaroonhaveonQuinacridoneRedandScarletLake.
BlueJayJANEMADAY
MEDIUM:Acrylics
COLORS:PlaidFolkArtArtist'sPigments:RawUmber•CobaltBlue•Payne’sGray •PureBlack •TitaniumWhite •PlaidFolkArtAcrylic Paint:CaymanBlue
BRUSHES:SilverBrushUltraMiniDesignerRounds:nos.4,6and12(Youwillneedtousesmallerroundsifyouuseanotherbrand.)
OTHER SUPPLIES:Cold-pressedCansonMontvalwatercolor paper •MastersonSta-WetPalette•watercontainer•maskingfluid(optional)
1ApplyBlueWashesIfdesired,protectthewhitespotsonthewingswithmaskingfluid.Basecoatthehead andbackwith a thinwashofCobaltBlue and the no. 12 round.Let thecolorfadeasyouapproachareasthatwillremainwhite.Applytothewingsandtail awashofCaymanBlue.Add another thinwashofCobaltBlue along thebottomedgeofthetail.
2ShadeandAddBlackMarkingsPainttheeye,beakandlegswithRawUmber+Payne’sGray(1:1)andano.4round.Add the blackmarkingswithPureBlack and a no. 4 round.Shade thebreastandneckwithverythinRawUmberandtheno.6round.
3DevelopFeaturesDevelopthebluefeatherswithCobaltBluethinnedtoacreamyconsistencyandtheno.4round.GlazealittleRawUmberalongthewing.AddapupiltotheeyeanddevelopthebeakandlegswithPureBlack.HighlighttheeyeandlegswithadotofTitaniumWhite.Removethemaskingfluid.
4PaintBranch,DetailBlueJay(Seefinishedpainting.)PaintthebranchwithathinwashofRawUmberandtheno.12 round.Letdry.GlazeaPayne’sGray shadowon thebranchanddetailwithRawUmber.GlazethinCaymanBlueoverthebluejay’sbackwiththeno.6round.With
theno.4round,detailthewingsandtailwithPayne’sGray.PaintRawUmberdetailson thewhite areas.Finally,paint a fewTitaniumWhite feather strokesoverlappingthewing,tailandleg.
artist’scommentAregularvisitor tomyaunt’sanduncle’sbird feeder isablue jay theycall“PickyPete.”Heverycarefullyliftseachpeanutshellbeforeflyingawaywiththeheaviestone!Bluejayscanbepushyatthefeeder,chasingawaysmallerbirds.It’sagoodthingtheyaresolovely,otherwisetheymightnotbewelcomeinmyyard!Diluteallthepaintforthisprojectwithwaterandpaintinawashy,watercolormanner.3“Glaze”
meanstopaintathinwashofonecoloroveranotherdrycolor.
MockingbirdELIZABETHGOLZRUSH
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’WaterColour:YellowOchre•BurntSienna•BurntUmber•PermanentSapGreen•UltramarineBlue•CadmiumScarlet•NeutralTint
BRUSHES:nos.2,5and7round(IrecommendWinsor&NewtonorIsabey.)
OTHERSUPPLIES:90-lb.(190gsm)Archeswatercolorpaper•tracingpaper•nos.2BandHBpencils•softwhiteeraser•maskingtape•papertape•watercontainer•sectioneddishformixingwatercolorwashes • tissues (plain, not lotion-treated) • white scrappaperforcolortestingandunloadingextrapaintfrombrush•smallnaturalsponge(optional)•lightbox(optional)
artist’scommentPaint light todark.Developyourwatercolorbystartingwith lightcolors first, in flatcolorwashes.Startwithyourlargestbrushandpaintinsections,allowingeachtodrybeforeaddingmorecolororpainting neighboring sections. Make your paint strokes flow in the same direction as the bird’sfeathers.Also,usethe“drybrush”techniquetosuggesttinyfeathersanddelicatelyaddmorecoloranddefinition.To“drybrush,”dipyoubrush intoyourcolorwashand thenpaintontoyourscrappaperuntilthebrushholdsverylittlepaintandbeginstofanoutabit.Nowusethefannedbrushtoindicatelittlefeatherpatternsanddelicateshading.
1CreateSketchandApplyFirstWashesDevelopyourdrawingthoroughly,becausechangesandcorrectionswillbemoredifficulttomakelater.Relaxandexplore—useyoureraser!Usetracingpaperto“build”yourdrawing.Whenyou’resatisfiedwiththedrawing,transferittothewatercolorpaperusingawindowindaylightoralightbox.Drawlightlyandtryto keep the paper clean and free from smudges. When finished, tape yourwatercolorpaperontosmooth,heavycardboardorboard.StartwithalightwashofYellowOchreandtheno.7brush.Usethiswashto
shadeunder thebird’swingandbetweenits legs.Brushthiswashontheheadwithvariedstrokes.Useano.5 round tobegin todefine feathers in thechest,headandunderthechin.Usetheno.2roundtopaintareasaroundtheeyeandbeak.PaintthebranchusingtheYellowOchrewash.MakeaverypalewashofNeutralTintormakeyourowngray/blackusingamixtureofBurntUmberandUltramarineBlue.Paintthesolidpaleareasofthebird’sheadandupperwing.Useano.2 round topaint the legsand feet, and to start todefine the tail andwingfeathers.
2AddDetailThickentheNeutralTintwashandusetheno.2roundtopaintwingfeathersandtail outlines.Delicately outline and add details to the bird’s legs and feet, butkeepthecoveragelight.Continuetodarkenyourwashasyoupaintthedetails,withtheshadowsunderwingsbecomingastrongdarkcharcoal.Carefullypaintthebird’spupilusingthesamedarktint, leavingalittleunpaintedcircle.(Thishighlight gives life to the eye.) When the branch is dry, begin defining theshadingandtextureswiththeYellowOchrewash,graduallyaddingalittleBurntUmber todarken thewash.Adda light touchofPermanentSapGreenaroundthebranchbuds.
3PaintBackground
MakealightwashofUltramarineBlueforthebackgroundareaandapplyitwithvariedstrokesoranaturalspongefortexture.Don’tworryifyourunout—thisdappledbackgroundisforgivingandallowsforsuccessivelayersofpainting.
4AddFinalDetails(Seefinishedpainting.)Paintalittlemorefeatherdetailonthebird’schestusingYellowOchremixedwithatouchofBurntSienna.AddatinybitofverypaleCadmiumScarlettothebeakandinsidethemouth.Completethepaintingusingtheno.2roundandthedarkestcolorwashestodelicatelyoutlinethebird’sbeak,strengthen lines that define volume (such as the bird’s chest) and add tinydetails.
PaintedBuntingJANEMADAY
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS: Daler-Rowney Artists’ Water Colours: French Ultramarine •Cadmium Yellow Hue •Hooker’s Green Light 1 • Payne’s Gray •Cadmium Red Hue • Raw Umber • Burnt Umber • Burnt Sienna •TitaniumWhite•YellowOchre
BRUSHES:Silver BrushUltraMiniDesigner Rounds: nos. 4 and 6 (Youwillneedtousesmallerroundsifyouuseanotherbrand.)
OTHER SUPPLIES: Cold-pressed Canson Montval watercolor paper • palette •watercontainer
1PainttheBasecoatUsetheno.6roundtobasecoattheheadwithFrenchUltramarine.PaintawashofCadmiumYellowHueontheback.Whilethewashisstillwet,addHooker’sGreenLight1asshown, letting itblend.Paint thebeakand legswithPayne’sGray.Paintthebreast,backandeyerimwithCadmiumRedHue.MixHooker’sGreenLight1+RawUmber(2:1)andpaintthewingfeathers.AddmoreRawUmbertothemixforthebottomofthewing.
2PaintBeak,LegsandEyePaint the tailwithBurntUmber +Hooker’sGreenLight (1: touch). Paint thetwigwithawashofRawUmber.PainttheeyewithadarkerconcentrateofRawUmber.PaintaglazeofYellowOchreacrosstheredback,theundersideofthetailandthebellyusingtheno.6round.Usetheno.4round(orsmaller)todetailthebeak,legs,eyesandheadwithPayne’sGray.AddalittleRawUmbernearthebeak.
3AddDarkDetailsAddalittlemoreFrenchUltramarinetotheshadedpartsofthehead.Detailthebreast,bellyandbackwithBurntSienna.GlazeCadmiumRedHueonthetail,andaddredfeatherstothetopofthewing,stillusingtheno.4round.Whentheredisdry,addalittleFrenchUltramarineaboveit.
4AddFinalDetails(Seethefinishedpainting.)PainthighlightsontheeyeandbeakwithTitaniumWhiteusingtheno.4round.MixHooker’sGreenLight1+RawUmberandadddetailstothewing.DetailthetailwithBurntUmber+Payne’sGray(1:touch).MixRawUmber+Payne’sGray(1:1)andshadethetwig.
artist’scommentThepainted bunting (also called the “nonpareil”) lives in the southernUnitedStates.This paintingshowsthemaleofthespecies.Thefemaleisgreen.
HouseSparrow1KAYSMITH
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:DanielSmith:DeepScarlet•QuinacridoneGold•QuinacridoneBurntOrange •EnglishRedOchre •AmericanJourney:Sepia •MidnightBlue
BRUSHES:ProArteProlene:no.2rigger•CJASGoldenFleece:no.8round
OTHERSUPPLIES:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedSaundersWaterfordwatercolorpaper
1PainttheHeadFeathersSketchthehousesparrow.Wetthebird’scrownwithano.8round.LoadSepia+ Deep Scarlet (1:1) on the same brush. Make tiny stipple lines resemblingfeathersonthecrown,leavingsomewhiteshowing.RepeatwithstraightSepia.Smooththisbrindledareawithaclean,dampbrushtosoftentheedges.Withthesamebrush,paintunderthecrownaroundtheeyewithSepia+DeepScarlet+EnglishRedOchre(1:1:1).Painttheareabetweenthecrownandbeak,underthebeakandeye,andatthetopofthebreastwithstraightSepia.Maketinyfeather
lines in thewhiteareaunder theeyewith the tipofano.8 roundand thinnedEnglishRedOchre+Sepia(1:1).Leavewhitepaperatthebreastbonearea.Letdry.CreateacastshadowundertheeyeareausingthinnedSepia.
2PainttheWingsandTailFeathersOndrypaper,applywarmreddishtonestothetoprightwingandmiddlewingfeathers with Quinacridone Burnt Orange + Deep Scarlet (1:1) and the no. 8round.Leavethetipswhite.PaintthetopwingfeatherswithQuinacridoneGoldandusethiscoloronthewingtipsandoutlines.UseSepiaandtheno.2riggertopaint tiny dark feathers. You can add a small amount of Quinacridone BurntOrangetoSepiatowarmthecolor.Underthewingarea,applySepiawherethetail feathers begin, using either brush. Under that area, dilute Sepia +QuinacridoneBurntOrange(1:1)forwarmbrowntones,leavingtheedgeslight.GlazetheselightedgeswithQuinacridoneGold.
3PainttheBreast,EyeandBeakLightlywetthewhitebreastandunderthetailfeatherswithano.8round.Layinthinned Sepia to show shadows and feather separations. Paint the eye using
Sepia+MidnightBlue(1:1)onano.2rigger.Leaveatinywhitehighlight.Letdry.Topaintthebeak,useSepia+MidnightBlue+QuinacridoneBurntOrange(1:1:1).Leavethetopofthebeaklighter.Toscruboutalightarea,useasmallbristle brush (for oil painting), a clean toothbrush, or simply lift out the paintwithadampwatercolorbrush.PaintaroundtheeyesocketwiththinnedSepiaontheno.2rigger.
4PaintFeet,Legs,Background(See the finished painting.) With the no. 2 rigger, mix Quinacridone Gold +QuinacridoneBurntOrange(1:1)andpaintthelegsandfeet.UseSepiatopaintthe delicate talons.Adjust any areas that need stronger valueswith additionalglazing.Fortheskybackground,wetthepaperaroundthebird’sbodywithano.8round.DipthebrushintoathinnedpuddleofMidnightBlueandapplyitverywet,allowingpaint toflowandmixfreelywith thewetpaper.Addtinyriggerlines to the Quinacridone Gold back and wing feathers. Adjust values on thebeaktomakethemdarkerifneeded.
artist’scommentWork from the top downwardwhen drawing or painting. Thismethod keeps your paper and yourhandsclean,andallowsyourthoughtsandplanstoflowinalogicalsequence.
HouseSparrow2LIANZHEN
MEDIUM:Chinesewatercolor
COLORS:Chinesepaintingcolorsorsumicolors:yellow•BurntSienna•white
BRUSHES:Chinesebrushes:extrasmall•small•medium
OTHER SUPPLIES: Raw Shuan paper (unsized rice paper), 8" × 10" (20cm ×25cm)•Chinesepaintinginkorsumiink
1PaintHeadandWingUseasmallbrushand loada littleyellowon itsheelandBurntSiennaon the
middle and tip.Adda little ink to the tip aswell.Hold thebrush sideways topaintonestrokeonthehead,thenpaintalargerstrokeforthewing.Thebrushshouldbealmostoutofcolorandwater.Splitthebrushtipwithyourfingerstopaintthefeatheryeffectsontheface,headandwing.
2PaintBeak,Eye,FeathersUse an extra small brush and a little intense ink to paint the beak, eye andfeathery effects. Make sure the brush contains only a little ink and water,otherwisetheinkwillblendtoomuch.
3PaintChestandTailUseamediumbrushand loadwhiteonto itsheel, a littleBurntSiennaon themiddleandtip,andintenseinkonthetip.Holdthebrushsidewayswiththetip
pointing to the beak to paint a couple of strokes for the chest. Use the smallbrushtopaintthetailwithlightinkandBurntSienna.
4PaintBranchandFeet(Seethefinishedpainting.)Paintthebamboobranchwiththemediumbrushandlight ink.Before itdries,use theextrasmallbrushandintense ink topaint theblackfeatheronthewingandthefeet.
artist’scommentHerearesomehelpfultipsforChinesewatercolorpainting:1.Afterloadingthreeorfourpigmentsononebrush,dabthebrushonthe%paletteafewtimestoletthepigmentsblendintoeachotherlightly.2.Usestrokeseconomically.3.Controltheamountofwateronthebrush.4.Trynottochangeorcorrectstrokes.It’sbettertothrowawaythepaperandstartover.
WrenandSunflowerELIZABETHGOLZRUSH
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS: Lemon Yellow • a warm yellow (like Winsor & Newton’s NewGamboge)•YellowOchre•BurntSienna•RawUmber•SapGreen•Hooker’s Green Dark • Ultramarine Blue • Cadmium Scarlet •Magenta
BRUSHES:nos.2,5and7rounds
OTHERSUPPLIES:90-lb.(190gsm)Archeswatercolorpaper•tracingpaper•nos.2BandHBpencils•softwhiteeraser•maskingtape•papertape •watercontainer •sectioneddish formixingwashes •plaintissuesforblottingorlightspills•whitescrappaper•lightbox
artist’scommentDevelopyourwatercolorbystartingwithlightcolorsfirst,inflatcolorwashes.Startwithyourlargestbrushandpaint in sections, allowingeach todrybeforeaddingmorecolororpaintingneighboringsections.Maketeststrokesonscrappaperafterloadingpaintonyourbrushtocontroltheamountofpaintinthebrushandevaluatethecolor.
1CreatetheSketchDevelopyourdrawingthoroughlybecausechangesandcorrectionswillbemoredifficult to make later. Relax and explore! Use tracing paper to “build” yourdrawing. Start with a rough, loose sketch using a no. 2B pencil. Then, placeanother sheet of tracing paper on top and trace what works, correcting andrefiningthedrawinginsuccessivelayers.Isuggestdrawingtheflowerandthebirdonseparatelayers,whichallowsforeasyrepositioning.Transfer your drawing onto lightweight 90-lb. (190gsm) watercolor paper
usingawindowindaylightoralightbox.Tapeyourtracingpaperdrawingontothe glass and cover with the watercolor paper. If it's taped down tightly, youshouldbeable toseeyourdrawingclearly.Useaverysharpno.HBpencil totrace the outlines and important elements of the drawing on the watercolorpaper. Draw lightly and try to keep the paper clean and free from smudges.When finished, tape your watercolor paper onto smooth, heavy cardboard orworkboard.
2PainttheBirdandSunflower(See the finished painting for the sunflower details.) Create a light wash ofLemonYellow and paint all the sunflower petals.When the yellow section isdry,paintalltheleaveswithalightwashofSapGreen.MixaverypalewashofYellowOchreandBurntSiennaandpainttheentire
birdexceptforthefeetandextendedleg.Whilethepaintisstillwet,usecleantissuetoblotandlightenthebird’schestandbeak.NowaddmoreBurntSiennatodarkenthewash.Usingano.5round,continuetolightlypaintthebird’shead,wing and tail, and begin to darken and define the wing shading and feather
patterns.Yourbrushstrokeshouldfollowthedirectionofthebird’sfeathers.Usethedrybrushtechniquetosuggesttinyfeathersandtodelicatelyaddmorecoloranddefinition.Todrybrush,dipyourbrushintoacolorwashandthenpaintontoscrappaperuntilthebrushholdsverylittlepaintandbeginstofanout.Thenusethebrushonyourpainting.Mix a medium wash of Burnt Sienna and paint in the dark center of the
sunflowerwith a no. 5 round. Take your time and concentrate on the outlineedgesdefiningthebird’sheadandbeak.Thisareahasalotoftexture,soyourwashdoesnotneedtobeeven—justkeeptheedgesclean.Adding successive layers of pale color washes is called glazing. Use this
techniquetodetailthesunflower.BrushalightwashofBurntSiennaorYellowOchreontheundersideoftheleaves.UseaverylightCadmiumScarletwashtoaddcolorvarietytosomeoftheflowerpetalsandaMagentawashtotheflowercenter,dabbingwithatissueinhighlightedareas.Useawarmyellowandtheno.5roundtodefinetheflowerpetalsandcreate
shading.Asyouwork, increase thecolor intensitybyaddingmorepaint to thewash.UseYellowOchretooutlinepetalsandforstrongershadows.Use increasinglydarkerand richerwashesofSapGreen topaint the leaves,
defining darker leaf tops and other shading.Glaze darker leaf areaswith lightwashes of Hooker’s Green Dark. For areas of very dark green, use Hooker’sGreenDark + a littleUltramarineBlue.Darken and add texture to the flowercenterwith small dabbing strokes ofBurnt Sienna darkenedwith a littleRawUmber.Usetheno.2roundintheareasthatdefinethebird’sbeakandpetals.Color thebird’s leg, feet andbeakwith a lightwashofCadmiumScarlet+
YellowOchreandoutlineandshadeslightlywithRawUmber+BurntSienna.AddatouchofUltramarineBluetotheoutlinecolortopaintdetailssuchasthebird’s eye and shaded wing feathers, and the lines defining the leaf shadowedges.Usetheno.2roundtoaddfinaldetails.
Black-CappedChickadeeJANEMADAY
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:Daler-RowneyArtists’WaterColours:Payne’sGray•RawUmber•WarmSepia•YellowOchre•IvoryBlack•TitaniumWhite
BRUSHES:Silver BrushUltraMiniDesigner Rounds: nos. 4 and 6 (Youwillneedtousesmallerroundsifyouuseanotherbrand.)
OTHER SUPPLIES: Cold-pressed Canson Montval watercolor paper • palette •watercontainer
1PainttheBaseColorsUsingtheno.6round,paintthehead,chinpatch,beak,wings,tailandlegswithPayne’sGray.Thepaintshouldbe thinner for thebeak,wingsand tail (let thewings dry before painting the tail). Paint the eye using Warm Sepia. GlazethinnedYellowOchreonthebreast.
2AddDetailsandShadingWiththeno.4round(orsmallerbrushifyouprefer),paintthepupilandoutlineof theeyewith IvoryBlack.Beginaddingdetails to thebeak,wings, legsandtailwithPayne’sGray,usingthepaintslightlythickerthaninyourfirstwashes.AddalittleshadingtothebellyandcheekwiththinnedRawUmber.
3DetailHead,AddRawUmberGlazesPaint theheadandchinpatchwith IvoryBlackand theno.4 round, leavingalighter rimaround the eye.AddglazesofRawUmber to thebeak,wings andtail.Paintafewfeatherstrokesonthebreastandbelly,stillusingRawUmber.
4AddFinalDetails,PaintBranch(See the finished painting.)Add a few Payne’sGray details to thewings andcheek.Finally,addTitaniumWhitehighlights to theeyeandhead,andpaintafewwhitefeatherstrokesonthebreastandwings.BasecoatthetwigwithRawUmberandtheno.6round.DetailwithWarmSepia.
artist’scommentChickadees are among my favorite birds, so I’m always happy to see them at my feeder. TheAmericanchickadee looks similar to itsEuropeancousin,buthas adifferent call.Asyoupaint, besuretousethinglazesasthiswillcreaterichercolorsthanifyoupaintonethicklayer.Iliketousecleanwatertoblendtheedgesofmywashes.Thisgivesthemasoftappearance.
WaterbirdsThedowny feathers,webbed feet andunusual beaks ofwaterbirdsmake theminterestingpaintingsubjects.
MallardDuckVICTORIALISI
MEDIUM:Acrylics
COLORS:GoldenFluidAcrylics:BoneBlack•ManganeseBlueHue•PrimaryYellow•PhthaloBlue(GreenShade)•QuinacridoneRed•RedOxide•SapGreenHue•TitaniumWhite•UltramarineBlue
BRUSHES:Winsor & Newton Cotman Series III: nos. 1, 4 and 6 rounds •WinsorNewtonGalleria:no.0
OTHERSUPPLIES:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaper•acrylicpaintretarder •masking fluid • red or graphite transfer paper •stylusoroldbrush•dishsoap•grayscaleorvaluefinder•soft eraser or masking fluid remover • sketch or tracingpaper
1ApplyMaskingFluid,andYellowGlazeDraw the mallard duck carefully on sketch or tracing paper. Transfer towatercolorpaperusing transferpaper.Preparemaskingfluid+water (1:1)andwater+dishsoap(1:1).Dipthestylusoroldbrushfirst inthesoapmixtureandtheninthemasking
fluidmixture(itshouldfloweasily).Applymaskingfluidtothelightestareason
the duck—eye highlights, select feathers, etc. (see the finished painting as areference).Letdrycompletely.MixPrimaryYellowwithenoughwatersoitflowseasilyanduseittopaint
thedarkestareasoftheduckwithano.4round.
2ApplyInitialUnderpaintingMix Quinacridone Red and Phthalo Blue (2:1) to make purple. Add enoughwatersothemixtureflowseasily.Usethiscolorandano.4roundtopaintthedarkestareasontheduck’shead.Usewetpaintondrypaper.Softentheedgeswithalittlewaterasyougo.Paintthedarkestpartsoftheduck’supperbodyinthesamemanner.Theno. 4 roundwill splay as youuse it.Use the splayed edge to drybrush
feathers.Startwiththewetterbrushinthedarkerareas.Asthebrushdriesandsplaysmoveittothelighterareas.Alwaysmoveyourbrushinthedirectionthatthe feathers flow.Make tiny, short feathermarkson theduck’shead,mediumstrokesonthebellyandlongeronesontheback.Mixamediumshadeofpurpletoathin,wateryconsistency.Wettheduck’s
bellywithwater.While the paper is stillwet use the no. 6 round to flow thispurplemixtureovertheduck’sbelly,usingthewet-into-wettechnique.
artist’scommentAlwaysmixadropofacrylicpaintretarderwithyourpaints.Thiswillprolongthedryingtime.Mix
varyingamountsofwaterwithyourpainttovarythevalues:•Watery:Lotsofwaterforlightvalues•Flowing:Somewaterformediumvalues•Creamy:Littleornowater
Besuretochangeyourwaterfrequently!
MallardDuck
3FinishUnderpaintingContinue toworkon theunderpainting.Strive tocreatea full rangeofvalues,fromwhitetoverydarkpurple.(Agrayscalewillbeusefulhere.)Youmayneedtorepaintthedarkestareasseveraltimestogetthemdarkenough.Use theno. 2 brush for small details.A finished-lookingunderpaintingwill
createdepthandsetofftheglazedcolor.
4AddColorGlazesMix awatery PrimaryYellow and glaze it over the duck’s bill. Add a bit ofQuinacridoneRedtotheyellow(1:2)andglazetheduck’sfeet.Mix separate puddles of PhthaloBlue andManganeseBluewithwater to a
flowingconsistency.Using theno. 6 round,wet theduck’shead.Keeping thehighlightinmind,useano.4roundtoglazethetwodifferentbluesontothewetpaper, letting the colors blend on the paper. Go right over the purpleunderpainting.Wettheno.4round,squeezethewaterfromitwithyourfingers,andliftexcesscolorfromthehighlightasneeded.MixtwopuddlesofRedOxidewithwater—onethatisflowingandonethatis
watery.Keepthehighlightsinmindandleavethemwhite.Usetheno.4roundtoglazetheduck’sbreastwithRedOxide,usingthethickerpaintinthedarkerareasand the thinnerpaint in the lighterareas.AddsomeUltramarineBlue totheRedOxide(1:2)tomakeadarkbrown.Theconsistencyshouldbeflowing.Usingtheno.4round,glazeoverthedarkerpartsofthebreastandback.Alwaysapplyyourstrokesinthedirectionofthefeathers.Mix a watery Sap Green Hue. Wet an area that extends beyond the outer
edgesthatwillbepaintedaswater.Useyourno.6roundtoglazethegreenpaintintothewetpaper.Letitfeatherintothewetedges.Wetthepaperagainforthedriftwood, extending the water beyond the outer borders. Use the same darkbrown you mixed earlier: Ultramarine Blue + Red Oxide (1:2) to a wateryconsistency.Withyourno.6brush,dropthedarkbrownunevenlyintothewetpaper,lettingitfeatherattheedges.
5AddFinalDetailsRemove all masking fluid with an eraser. With a no. 2 brush paint theappropriatematching color along the edges of thewhites left by themaskingfluid. If thewhites are too prominent, glaze over themwith very thin,wateryglazesoftheappropriatecolor.If necessary, deepen the glazes using the same colors and techniques as
before.UseTitaniumWhitestraightoutofthebottle(creamy)wherenecessaryforhighlightsonfeathers,water,eyes,etc..usingnos.0and2brushes.UsetinyamountsofcreamyBoneBlackinafewareastostrengthenthedarkestdarks.
EgretCINDYAGAN
MEDIUM:Acrylics
COLORS:Liquitex Soft Body:TitaniumWhite •CadmiumOrange •CadmiumYellow Medium • Raw Umber • Burnt Sienna • Mars Black •IndanthreneBlue
BRUSHES:RobertSimmonsExpressionSeriesE85:no.3round
OTHER SUPPLIES: 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed watercolor paper size 8½" ×10"(21cm×25cm)•no.3Hpencil
1LaytheFoundationSketchthebirdindetailwithano.3Hpencil.Toestablishthebasecoloronthebill,createamixofTitaniumWhite+CadmiumYellowMedium(2:1)andpaintthe lightervalues.Next, indicate thenostril, the shadowsandwhere theupperandlowerbillseparatewithamixofCadmiumOrangeandBurntSienna(1:1)
2AddaRangeofValuesApplyamixofTitaniumWhite+IndanthreneBlue(2:1)undertheeyeandontheendoftheupperbill.AddhighlightstothebillwithTitaniumWhitetocreatethe lightestvalue.Foramedium-valuecoloraddafewdetailsusingCadmiumOrange.Definethenostril,creasesandgroovesinthebillwithBurntSiennaasadarkervalue.
artist’scommentAwhite subject, such as this egret, might be hard to “find” on a white piece of paper or canvasbecauseittendstoblendintothebackground.Toremedythis,paintthebackgroundadarkervaluetoallowthesubjecttostandoutandbenoticed.
Egret
3CreateDepthDrybrush Raw Umber in the areas close to the eye, under the chin and theperimeter around the bill. Apply a thin glaze of Raw Umber to deepen theshadowsandtotonedownsomeofthebrighterareastocreateasenseofdepth.Useallofthecolorsandmixesfromthepreviousstepstoblendandsoftenthesurroundingareas.Thebillisthickandrough,sogiveittexturebyoccasionallydraggingyourbrushoveranarea.Continuetoaddcreasesandgrooves.
4AddFinalDetailsWithRawUmberand/orBurntSiennacontinuetotonedownanyareasthatstillappear too bright. Apply a thin glaze ofMars Black over the deepest values.Changethefocusnowandconcentrateonpaintingthe“transition”frombill tofeathers. Alternate blending between the following twomixes: a gray mix ofTitaniumWhite+MarsBlack (2:1)anda light-bluemixofTitaniumWhite+Indanthrene Blue (2:1). Finish with a few highlights in the feathers withTitaniumWhite.
EgretinFullViewInthisfull-bodypaintingofanegret,thebirdisshownfromadistanceandthedetailsarenotseenasclearlyasinthecloseupdemo.Somakeiteasyforyourselfandremember,ifyoucannotseeit,youdon’tneedtopaintit!
SeagullCLAUDIANICE
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS: M. Graham & Co. Watercolor: Payne’s Gray • Cobalt Blue •CadmiumOrange•Gamboge•QuinacridoneRose•BurntSienna
BRUSHES:nos.4andno.6roundsablewatercolor(Usethelargebrushtopaintlargeareasandthesmallbrushforsmallerareas.)
OTHERSUPPLIES:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaper(artistgrade)
1DrawBasicSketchSketch the seagull with a pencil. Note that seagulls and most other birds aremadeupoftwobasicshapes.Aneggshapeformsthebody(withthewiderpartoftheeggatthebreast),andtheheadisanoval.
2ApplyBasicWashesBeginbrushingonthebasicwatercolorwashes.Awashisamixtureofpaintandlotsofwatertokeepitlightandfluid.Dampentheareayouwillbeworkingonbeforestarting.Makesurethepaperisjustdamp,notwet.Blotextramoistureifnecessary.Thebeakisyellow(D).Theupperback,neck,headandlowerwingstriparegraymixture(B).Thebelly,tailandirisoftheeyearegraymixture(C).Thelegsarerosemixture(F).Beforethegrayshadowareasdry,softentheedgesbystrokingalongthemwithaclean,dampbrush.Rinseandblotthebrushoftentopreventthecolorsfromspreading.
ColorReferencesInthisdemonstration,colorsandcolormixturesareidentifiedbyaletter.Refertothischarttofindthecorrectcolor.A.Payne’sGrayB.Payne’sGray/CobaltBlueC.Payne’sGray/CadmiumOrangeD.GambogeE.CadmiumOrangeF.QuinacridoneRose/BurntSiennaG.QuinacridoneRose/BurntSienna+atouchofPayne’sGray
Seagull
3AddPayne’sGrayWashThebackandwingsarepaintedwithawashofPayne’sGray.Addasmudgeofthesamecolorattheendofthebeak.Letthepaintdrycompletely.
4AddGlazesAddadotofrosemixture(F)behindthesmudgeonthebeak(refertotheclose-upatright).Softentheedges.AddaglazeofPayne’sGray(A)overtheshadowareasofthebackandwings
asshown.Aglazeisathinwashofpaintthatispaintedoveradry,previouslypaintedareatoaddmorepigment.Addasmanyglazesasneededtoformaniceshadow.Besuretoletthepaintdrybetweenapplications.Paint the tailand thepupilof theeyewithamedium-heavycoatofPayne’s
Gray.Besuretoleavethehighlightintheeyewhite.Ifitisfilledinaccidentally,letitdryandscrapeinanewhighlightwiththeedgeofarazorblade.
5ShadeBeakShadethebeakareaaroundthereddotwithCadmiumOrange.Letdry.Shadethe rest of the beak and around the eye with a wash of the rose mix (G) asshown.
HowtoDrybrushFillaroundbrushwiththeappropriatecolorfortheareayouareworkingon.Blotthebrushthoroughlyonapapertowel.Splaythehairsapartatthetipandstokeovertheareainthedirectionthefeatherswouldlay.Themoretheareaisdrybrushed,thedarkerandmoretextureditwillbecome.Becarefulnottooverworkit.
6AddFinalDetailsThe shadow areas of the head, back,wings and belly are drybrushed (see the"How to Drybrush" illustration above) to give them texture. Use Step 5 as aclose-upreferenceforfinishingthehead.Usethefinishedpaintingforavisualreferenceofthewingandlegarea.The
legs are not drybrushed. The shadows are stroked into place using two steps.First,userosemixture(F)fortherosyshadows.Letitdry.Applyrosemixture(G)forthedarkshadows.PainttheclawswithPayne’sGray.Use layeredwashesof thegraysandrosemixture(G) toformtherocks.To
paintthewasharoundthebreastandhead,applyapaleversionofrosemixture(G)toadampsurface.
EmperorPenguinKAYSMITH
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS: Da Vinci: Alizarin Crimson • Phthalo Green • Gamboge Hue •TitaniumWhite•UltramarineBlue•Holbein:ManganeseBlue
BRUSHES:ProArteProlene:no.2rigger•CJASGoldenFleece:no.8round
OTHERSUPPLIES:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedSaundersWaterfordwatercolorpaper•no.2pencil•papertowel
1CreateSketchDraw the outline of the bird’s large shapeswith a no. 2 pencil onwatercolorpaper.
2BasecoatDarksFor a black basecoat,mix two transparent colors:AlizarinCrimson+ PhthaloGreen (1:1).Wet paper front and back until flat, then blot with paper towel.Painttheheadarea(excludingthebeak)withtheblackmixtureonano.8round,thenlayintheverticalfeatherstripbythebird’sshoulder.Notethattheeyeisdarkandnoteasilyseen.Applyingwetpaintdirectlytowetpaper(wet-into-wet)allowsyoutocreatefree-flowingwashesofcolor.
3BasecoatDarksAddasmallamountManganeseBluetotheblackonthepalette.Loadthebrushandpaintthebird’sbackandflipper,leavingawhitestripontheoutsideedge.Letdry.
4PaintBeak,Neck,BreastOndrypaper,usingthinnedblack,startatthetipofthebeakwithano.8round
orno.2rigger.Leavetheorange-yellowareatopaintlaterwhentheblackisdry.For the neck and breast, mix an orange color with Gamboge + Alizarin
Crimson(1:1).Withano.8roundandcleanwater,wetthewhitepaperontheneckandbreastarea.Layinorangewithastrongvalueattheneck.AddthinnedGambogeunder theorangeandcontinuedown thepenguin’sbreast.AddverythinManganeseBlue at the bottom of the penguin’s breast to show bouncinglight from the snow. Use orange and paint the side of the beak with a no. 2rigger.Letdry.
5PaintSnow(See the finished painting.)Wet the dry,white paper all around the birdwithcleanwaterandano.12round.Blotslightlywithapapertowel.Mixathinwashofblues—ManganeseandUltramarine—andlayinthecool,snowyareabehindandinfrontofthebird.To make snowflakes, heavily load a no. 8 round with Titanium White.
(Practiceon scrappaper first.)Tap thebrushagainstyour left forefinger at anangleondrypaper.Specksofpaintwillappearassplatteredflakes.Checkanyareasforcolororvalueadjustments.Lightlyglazethewhiteflipper
stripwithverythinManganese.
artist’scommentMixing twogranulatingpigments—suchasUltramarineBlueandManganeseBlue—together inathinwashmakesanexcitingtexture.
ExoticBirdsThe bright plumage of an exotic bird is always pleasing to the eye. In thissection,you’lllearnhowtopaintwithcoloredpencilandembellishawatercolorpaintingwithink.
CockatielGARYGREENE
MEDIUM:Coloredpencil
COLORS: Sanford Prismacolor: Deco Yellow • Pink Rose • Cool Grey 10percent,20percent,30percent,50percent,70percent,90percent •Black•Cream•PumpkinOrange•PaleVermilion•Jasmine•Nectar•Faber-CastellPolychromos:LightYellowOchre
BRUSHES:Small,roundwatercolorbrush
OTHER SUPPLIES: Three-ply Strathmore Vellum Bristol (regular surface) •electricpencilsharpener•Sakuraelectriceraserwithwhitevinyleraserstrip•PrismacolorTuffilmFinalFixative(mattefinish)
1DrawtheLayoutDrawlayout lineswithDecoYellow,CoolGrey30percentandPinkRose,as
shown. The lines shown in this example layout are heavy for clarity only.Alwaysdrawyouractuallayoutlinesaslightlyaspossible.
2PainttheHeadLightlyapplyCoolGrey70percent,50percentand30percenttothegrayheadfeathers using short, linear strokes. Lightly apply Light Yellow Ochre, DecoYellow and Cream to the yellow head feathers using short, linear strokes.Lightly apply Pumpkin Orange and Pale Vermilion to the red-orange earmarking.
artist’scommentKeepyourpencilpointsextremelysharpatalltimes.Applythecolorsinthesequencedescribed.
Cockatiel
3PainttheBodyandWingsUsingshort, linearstrokesapplyCoolGrey90percent,70percent,50percent,30percent,20percentandCreamtothebodyandwingfeathers.
4PainttheTailFeathersUsing linear strokes, apply Cool Grey 90 percent, 70 percent, 50 percent, 30percent, 20 percent, 10 percent, Jasmine and Cream to the tail feathers, asshown.
5PainttheBeakandFootApplyNectar,PinkRoseandCoolGrey10percenttothebeakandfoot.FinishwithPrismacolorFinalFixative,Matte.
RedMacawCLAUDIANICE
MEDIUM:Watercolor
COLORS:M.Graham&Co.Watercolor:CadmiumRedLight•Payne’sGray•CobaltBlue•CadmiumYellow•SapGreen•BurntSienna
BRUSHES:Watercolor sable:nos. 3and6 round (Use the largebrush topaintlargeareasandthesmallbrushtopaintsmallerareas.)
OTHERSUPPLIES:140-lb.(300gsm)cold-pressedwatercolorpaper(artistgrade)•pencil•papertowel
1ApplytheBasecoatDraw the macaw with a pencil. Paint the colors in the appropriate areas asshown, using washes (pigment and water mixtures that are thin and flowreadily).Weteachareabeforeapplying the firstwashandblot theextrawaterwithapaper towelso that thesurface is justdamp.Workquickly toallowthepainttocovertheareainasmooth,flatwash.Leteachareadrybeforepaintingtheonenexttoit.You’llprobablyneedtoapplymorethanonecoatofpainttothelargerareas
to achievebright, intense color.Alloweach layer todrybetweenapplications.Once an area has been basecoated, you don’t need to pre-moisten it beforeaddinganewlayerofpaint.
2PaintEye,BeakandFacePaint the iriswitha lightwashofPayne’sGray, leavingawhitehighlightdotabove the pupil and a smaller one to the left of it. Paint the pupil using darkPayne’sGray.PaintthedetailsonthebeakandfaceusingamixofPayne’sGraywith Burnt Sienna added to warm it. (The paint should be thinned to a washconsistency.)Usethetipofthesmallerbrushtocreatethedots.
3ShadeandDetailFeathersUseamixtureofCadmiumRedLightandSapGreentocreateashadowhueforthe red feathers. Outline the bottom of each feather using either brush, thenshadethebreast.Useaclean,dampbrushtosoftentheedgesofthedarkerpaint,especiallyonthebreastarea.GlazeablushofthinnedCadmiumRedLightovertheupperyellowfeathers.
PaintthefeathershaftsonthewingCadmiumRedLight.DetailthebluefeatherswithamixtureofCobaltBlueandPayne’sGray.PainttheshadowsinthegreenareasusingSapGreendarkenedwithatouchofCadmiumRedLight.
4DetailFeetandBranch(Seethefinishedpainting.)DetailthefeetwithPayne’sGrayusingthesmallerbrush.Usethetipofthebrushtostipplethedots.Whenthepaintisalmostdry,stroke it lightly with a damp brush to soften the dots just a little. Do notoverstroke.Texture thebranchbypainting linesusingseveralmixturesofBurntSienna
andSapGreen.While the paint is stillmoist, soften the edges of the lines bystrokingitwithaclean,dampbrush.
Peacock
2ApplyBasecolorsPaint the body and the crest of the bird with bright washes of watercolor.(Washesarefluidmixturesofpaintandwater.)Premixallthecolorsthatwillbeneeded on your palette. Wet the areas to be painted and blot off the excessmoisture.Paintthegreenpatchonbothsidesoftheeyeandthechincolor(A).
Blotthetipofthebrusheachtimeyoudipit inpaintandworkwithminimumstrokes.Beforethefirstpaintisdry,applypaintcolor(C)tothecrown,thebackoftheheadandupperneck.AllowthepaintcolorstomingleandblendtogethernaturallywheretheymeetinalltheareasofStep2.Youmustworkquicklyinorderforthistohappen.Next,paintthestripthroughtheneckwithcolormixture(D).Paintthechest
andlowerbackwith(E).Dampenthislargerareabeforestartingifithasdried.Spreadthepaintquicklyanddon’toverstrokeit.Paintthecrestfeatherswith(E).Stroketheloweredgeofthebackwithmixture(B).
3ApplyGreenGlazesUse green mixtures (I) to paint the upper back, working toward the lightestyellow-greenatthehighestpoint.Blendfromoneshadeintothenext.Shadethelower beak and the shadow in the white area below the eyewith the lightestmixture (I). Glaze a thin layer of mixture (F) over the lower chest, the neckridge, and the lower part of the crest feathers to shade them.Blend the edgeswithaclean,dampbrush.Cleanitaftereveryfewstrokes.
4DetailBeakandEyeUsemixture(H)toshadethebeak,leavingwhitehighlights.Youdonotneedtopre-dampen these small areas. The smaller round brush will be useful forpaintingtheareasinthisstep.Paintaroundtheeyeandoutlinethequillsofthecrestwithmixture(G).
TailFeatherDetailBeginwithapenciloutlineandpainttheareasasshowninthediagramatleft.Painttheelementsusingtheindicatedcolors.Itisnotnecessarytopre-
dampentheseareas.Leteachareadrybeforepaintingthecolornexttoit.Usethesmallbrushtostrokeinthebarbsandtopaintthenarrowpatches.
AddatouchofCadmiumRedLighttothedarkestgreenmix(I)tomakethedeepergreencolorforthebarbs.
5AddTextureWithInkFill the Rapidograph pen with Indigo ink and texture the blue areas of thepeacock with ink lines. (Also refer to the diagram in Step 4 for a visualreference.) Use tiny lines formed into a crescent for the head and neck andcrisscrosslinesforthebody.Uselargercrescentshapesontheupperback.Paintthegrasswithvariedshadesof(H)and(I).
DetailsInthissection,you’lllearnhowtopaintelementsthatwillhelpyoucreateafullcomposition—individualfeathers,eggsandanest.
Robin’sNestSHERRYC.NELSON
MEDIUM:Oil
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists'OilColour:IvoryBlack•TitaniumWhite•Raw Sienna • Raw Umber • Sap Green • Burnt Sienna • FrenchUltramarine
BRUSHES:SherryC.NelsonRedSable:nos.2and4brights;no.0round
OTHERSUPPLIES:odorlessthinner
1ApplyBaseColorsBase the light-value area of the nest with chisel-edge strokes of sparse RawSienna,usingeithertheno.2orno.4bright.BasetheshadowareaaroundtheeggswithsparseRawUmber.Basetheeggs
withabrush-mixofFrenchUltramarine+SapGreen+TitaniumWhiteusingtheno.2bright.Basethedark-valueareaoftheleaveswithIvoryBlack+SapGreen,againusingtheno.2bright.
2BlendandShadeBlend between theRawSienna and theRawUmberwithin the nest using thechisel edgeof thebrush.Shade theRawUmberareaswithmoreRawUmber,andblendtheaddeddarkjustabitintotheRawSienna.CarrysomeRawUmbershadingintootherareasofthenestforinterest.ShadetheeggswithRawUmber.Basethelight-valueleafareaswithSapGreen+RawSienna+TitaniumWhite.
3AddTwigs,BlendLoadalittleRawUmberontheno.4bright,andtipthebrushinalittleodorlessthinnertoextendthepaintslightly.UsethistoaddRawUmbertwigshereandtherewithinthenest.BlendtheshadingontheeggsandaddTitaniumWhitehighlights.Blendthe
leaves following the lateralgrowthdirectionusing thechiseledgeof theno.2bright.AccentwithBurntSienna.
4Highlight(Seefinishedpainting.)Liftoutnesthighlightswiththeno.4brightdampenedwith odorless thinner.When the leaves and eggs are complete, use the dampbrushtopullnesttwigsovertheleavesandeggstocreatetheillusionofdepth
andtosoftentheoveralllook.Blendhighlightsontheeggs,thendetailwithverythinRawUmberusingthe
no.0round.Blendaccentsintheleavesfollowingthegrowthdirection,thenaddveinswiththechiseledgeofano.2bright.
artist’scommentIn this demonstration, the “+” sign indicates brush-mixed colors. These mixes vary naturally andcreateamorerealisticlookthanpalette-knifemixesdo.Continueusingthesamebrushtypeandsizeineachareaunlessinstructedtoswitchtoadifferentsize.
WoodThrushFeatherSHERRYC.NELSON
MEDIUM:Oil
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’OilColour:TitaniumWhite•RawSienna•RawUmber•SapGreen
BRUSHES:SherryC.NelsonRedSable:nos.2and4brights•no.0round
OTHERSUPPLIES:odorlessthinner
1ApplyBaseBasethefeatherwithRawSiennausingtheno.2orno.4bright.
2CreateShape,ShadeBlendfollowing the lateralgrowthdirectionof thefeather togive itshapeandformusingtheno.4bright.ShadewithRawUmber.
3BlendShadingandHighlightUsing the chisel edge of the brush, blend the Raw Umber by following thegrowthdirection.HighlighttheupperhalfofthefeatherwithTitaniumWhite.
4AddFinalDetailsBlendthehighlightfollowingthegrowthdirectiononthetopsideofthefeather.Add a little accent color with Raw Umber + Sap Green, again blendingaccordingtothelateralgrowthdirection.Lift out splits in the feather with a brush dampened with odorless thinner.
ThinabitofRawSienna+RawUmber+TitaniumWhite.Usethisbrushmixon a no. 0 round to add a few frizzy down fibers at the base of the feather.HighlightthecentralareaoftheshaftwithTitaniumWhite.
artist’scommentIn these two feather demonstrations, the “+” sign indicates brush-mixed colors. These mixes varynaturallyandcreateamorerealisticlookthanpalette-knifemixesdo.Continueusingthesamebrushtypeandsizeineachareaunlessinstructedtoswitchtoadifferentsize.A trick for painting perfect feathers:Use a small brush that holds a perfect chisel edge or knife
edge.Laystrokesonthefeatherside-by-side,verycloselytogether,andslightlycurvingtocreatethenaturalmeshlikefiberofthefeatherbarbs.
BlueJayFeatherSHERRYC.NELSON
MEDIUM:Oil
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’OilColour:IvoryBlack•TitaniumWhite•FrenchUltramarine•RawUmber
BRUSHES:SherryC.NelsonRedSable:nos.2and4brights•no.0round
OTHERSUPPLIES:Cheesecloth•stylus•tracingpaper•ballpointpen
StartwiththeShadowsPaint the shadow completely before you start painting the feather. Base theshadow with sparse Raw Umber, as shown in Step 1. Use a small piece ofcheeseclothtosoftlyrubtheedgesoftheshadowtosoftenasshowninStep2.Finally, shade next to the featherswith a bit ofRawUmber+ IvoryBlack todeepentheshadow.Softenwithcheeseclothagainifneeded.
1OutlineandBaseUsing theno.2bright,outline the tipof the large featherwithabrush-mixof
TitaniumWhite+IvoryBlack+RawUmber.BasethedarkblueareasofbothfeatherswithFrenchUltramarine+ IvoryBlack.Use thesamebrush-mixverysparselytobasethedownybaseofthefeather.
2DevelopShapeBasethetipofthefeatherinsidetheblueoutlinewithTitaniumWhiteusingthechiseledgeoftheno.4bright.Thenusethedirtybrushtoblendthefeathersbypullingpaint in the lateralgrowthdirectionfromtheshaft togiveeachfeatherthecorrectshape.Usetheno.2brightonthesmallfeather.Highlightthesmallfeatherwiththedirtybrush+TitaniumWhite.Outlinethetipoftheshaftwithabitofthedark-bluebrush-mix.Youcanmarkthepatternsofthemarkingsinthewetfeatherwithastylus,or
bylayingthetracingpaperpatternonthepainting.Drawoverthepatternwithaballpointpen,leavingthemarkingstransferredintothewetpaintasaguide.
3PaintMarkingsAdd detail markings with a thinned brush-mix of Ivory Black + RawUmberusingtheno.0round.UseTitaniumWhitefortheshaftofthefeather,applyingitwiththechiseledgeoftheno.4bright.ThinabitofIvoryBlack+TitaniumWhite +RawUmber and place a few downy hairs at the base of the feathersusingtheno.0round.
EveningGrosbeakFeatherSHERRYC.NELSON
MEDIUM:Oil
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’OilColour:IvoryBlack•TitaniumWhite•RawSienna•RawUmber•SapGreen•CadmiumYellowPale
BRUSHES:SherryC.NelsonRedSable:nos.2and4brights
1ApplyBaseUsingano.4bright,basethedarkareaonthetophalfofthefeatherwithSapGreen+RawUmber.Basethelightareawithadirtybrush+TitaniumWhite.Base the dark area on the bottom half with Ivory Black + Raw Umber.
RoughlyoutlinetheremainderofthefeatherwithRawSienna+SapGreen.
2AddShadingandFinishBase
Shadethelightareaonthetophalfwiththedarkbrush-mixofSapGreen+RawUmber.HighlightthedarkareawithTitaniumWhite+CadmiumYellowPale+RawSienna.On the bottom half, base the remainder of the dark areawith RawUmber.
BasetheremainderofthemidsectionwithTitaniumWhite+CadmiumYellowPale+RawSienna.BasetheremainderofthefeatherwithTitaniumWhite.
3BlendOnthetophalf,blendfollowingthelateralgrowthdirectionofthefeatherusingtheno.4bright.HighlightthelightareawithTitaniumWhite.Onthebottomhalf,blendeachsectionseparatelywiththechiseledgeofthe
no.4bright.HighlightboththelightareaandtheyellowishareawithTitaniumWhite.OutlinetheshafttipwithabitofRawUmber.
4BlendandHighlightReblend the top half with the chisel edge of the brush, following the lateralgrowthdirectionandusingverycloselyspacedbrushstrokes.Reblendthebottomhalf,increasingthepressureonthebrushinthedarkarea
to lift some of the paint, and allowing the white undercoat to give a slighthighlight.UsethechiseledgeofthebrushtoaddalittleTitaniumWhitetotheshaftofthefeatherandcleanupthebrushstrokeswithintheshaft.
GreenJayFeatherSHERRYC.NELSON
MEDIUM:Oil
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’OilColour:FrenchUltramarine•TitaniumWhite•RawSienna•RawUmber•CadmiumYellowPale
BRUSHES:SherryC.NelsonRedSable:nos.2and4brights•no.0round
OTHERSUPPLIES:odorlessthinner
1ApplyYellowBaseBasetheyellowareasofthefeatherwithabrush-mixofCadmiumYellowPale+RawSiennausingtheno.2bright.
2HighlightandApplyBlueBase
PickupsomeTitaniumWhiteonthedirtyno.2brightandhighlightthecentralareaoftheyellowbase.Usingtheno.4bright,basetheremainderofthefeatherwithabrush-mixofFrenchUltramarine+RawUmber+RawSienna,pullingpaintinthelateralgrowthdirectionofthefeathertobegingivingitshape.
3AddDetailsBlend the yellow band following the lateral growth direction using the chiseledgeoftheno.2bright.Addabitofthebluebrush-mixforaccentontheedgeofthefeatherasshown.LayonaTitaniumWhitehighlightwithin theblue sideof the featherusing
theno.4bright.Liftoutthefeathershaftwithabrushdampenedwithodorlessthinner if painting onwhite. Add TitaniumWhite for the shaft of the featherotherwise.
4BlendandAddFinalDetailsBlendaccentsontheyellowsideofthefeatherfollowingthegrowthdirection.Blendhighlightswithgrowthon theblue sideof the feather.Thinabitof thebluebasebrush-mixanduseano0roundtoaddafewfrizzydownfeathersatthe base of the feather. Highlight the central area of the shaft with TitaniumWhite.
artist’scommentAtrickforpaintingperfectfeathers:Useasmallbrushthatholdsaperfectchiseledgeorknifeedge.Lay strokes on the feather side-by-side, very closely together, and slightly curving 3 to create thenaturalmeshlikefiberofthefeatherbarbs.
EggsSHERRYC.NELSON
MEDIUM:Oil
COLORS:Winsor&NewtonArtists’OilColour:IvoryBlack•TitaniumWhite•RawSienna •RawUmber •SapGreen •AlizarinCrimson •FrenchUltramarine•BurntSienna
BRUSHES:SherryC.NelsonRedSable:nos.2and4brights•no.0round
OTHERSUPPLIES:Cheesecloth
AmericanRobin1BaseBase with a turquoise-like brush-mix of French Ultramarine + Sap Green +TitaniumWhiteusingtheno.4bright.AddashadowcrescentwithRawUmber.
2BlendandHighlightBlend Raw Umber into the basecoat where the shadow and basecoat meet.Highlightwithadirtybrush+TitaniumWhite.
3BlendandHighlightBlend the highlight where values meet. Highlight with additional TitaniumWhiteifneeded.
Red-BreastedNuthatch1BaseBasewithTitaniumWhite+RawUmber+RawSiennausingtheno.2bright.
2ShadeandHighlight
ShadewithRawUmber.HighlightwithTitaniumWhite.
3AddMarkingsUsing the no. 0 round brush, add detailmarkingswith slightly thinned BurntSienna+RawUmber.
GreenJay1BasePaint thedarkareawithTitaniumWhite+SapGreen+RawSienna.Paint thelightareawithadirtybrush+TitaniumWhiteusingtheno.4bright.
2AccentandHighlightBlendwherethevaluesmeet.AccentwithRawSienna.HighlightwithTitaniumWhite.
3AddMarkingsAdd detail with slightly thinned Burnt Sienna + Raw Sienna using the no. 0roundbrush.
ScarletTanager1BasePaint the dark area with Sap Green + French Ultramarine + TitaniumWhite.PaintthelightareaisTitaniumWhiteusingtheno.4bright.
2ShadeandHighlightBlendwherethevaluesmeet.ShadewithBurntSienna+RawSienna.HighlightwithTitaniumWhite.
3AddDetailsDetailwithirregularspotsofslightlythinnedBurntSienna+AlizarinCrimsonusingtheno.0roundbrush.AddafewspotsofRawSienna.
artist’scommentAllthepaintedeggshavebeenenlargedto150percentoftheiractualsizeforeaseofdemonstration.Whenyouusetheminadesign,painttheminproportiontothebirdinthepainting.Inthesedemonstrations,the“+”signindicatesbrush-mixedcolors.Thesemixesvarynaturallyand
createamorerealisticlookthanpalette-knifemixesdo.Continue2usingthesamebrushtypeandsizeineachareaunlessinstructed3toswitchtoadifferentsize.
AbouttheArtists
CINDYAGAN
CindyAganisaself-taught,internationallypublishedwatercolorCOLORS,andportrait artist, author and instructor. She prefers realism in all mediums,includingwatercolorpastelandacrylics.Sheis theauthorofabookandvideotitled Painting Watercolors That Sparkle With Life (North Light Books). Anexcerptofhervideohasbeen included in thevideo10TopPaintingTipswithnineotherartistsfromaroundtheworld.Heraward-winningpaintingshavebeenfeatured in several publications, including North Light’s best-of-watercolorSplashseriesVolumes6,7,9and10;Painter’sQuickReference:Cats&Dogs;A Celebration of Light: Painting the Textures of Light in Watercolor; andDrawing and Painting People: The Essential Guide. Cindy’s work has beendisplayed innumerousnational and international juried shows,groupand soloexhibits, and can be found in private and corporate collections.Cindy teachesworkshops throughout the U.S. and Canada, is the recipient of over seventyawards, and is a signaturemember of theLouisianaWatercolor Society.Visitwww.cindyaganart.com
GARYGREENE
In addition to being an accomplished fine artist, Gary Greene has been aprofessionalartistsince1967.He’stheauthorofnineNorthLightbooksandhasproduced six video workshops. He has contributed articles to The Artist’sMagazine,andhiscoloredpencilpaintingshaveappearedinAmericanArtistandInternationalArtistmagazines.Garyisafourteen-yearSignatureMemberoftheColoredPencilSocietyofAmerica(CPSA)andhastaughtworkshopsnationallyandinternationallysince1985.
BARBARALANZA
BarbaraLanzaistheauthorofEnchantingFairies(publishedbyImpactBooks)andTime toFly:AFairyLaneBook. Shehas also illustratedmanychildren’sbooks. She recently licensed her art for use on various products. She lives inOrangeCounty,NewYork.
DAVIDLEE
DavidLeehasbeeninterestedindrawingandpaintingsincehewasachild.HestudiedChinesebrushpaintinginhisearlyyearsandlatelyhasconcentratedonwesternwatercolorpainting.Hehaswonnumerousawardsandhasbeenelectedas a member of Allied Artists of America, New Jersey Watercolor Society,Knickerbocker Artists, American Artists Professional League and HudsonValley Art Association. He has been featured in The Artist’s Magazine andNorthLight’sbest-of-watercolorSplashseriesVolumes6and8.
VICTORIALISI
Victoria Lisi began illustrating book covers professionally in the early 1980s.Since thenshehas illustratedover twohundredbookcovers invariousgenres.Shehasalso illustrated twelvechildren’spicturebooks,andnumerouspuzzlesandcalendars.Inrecentyears,shehasturnedtofineart,winningnumerouslocaland regional awards in juried fine art exhibitions. Contact:[email protected]
JANEMADAY
JaneMadayhasbeenaprofessionalillustratorsinceshewasfourteenyearsold.Atage sixteenshebecamea scientific illustrator for theUniversityofFlorida.Sheworked for eight years as a greeting card artist forHallmarkCards. Janelicensesherworkforproductssuchasgreetingcards,puzzles,stitcherykitsandT-shirts. She is the author ofAdorableAnimalsYouCanPaint,CuteCountryAnimals You Can Paint and Landscapes in Bloom. Visitwww.janemadayart.com.
SHERRYC.NELSON
Sherry C. Nelson, Master Decorative Artist (MDA), teaches seminars and
conventionsworldwide.Herloveandrespectforthenaturalworldisevidentinherextensivefieldstudy,resultinginbeautifullyaccurateanddetaileddepictionsof its flora and fauna. Sherry has produced over twenty publications to date,includingPaintingSongbirdsWithSherryC.Nelson(NorthLight).
CLAUDIANICE
ClaudiaNiceattendedtheUniversityofKansasbutgainedherrealisticpen,inkand watercolor techniques from sketching nature. A native of the PacificNorthwest,shespentmorethanfifteenyearstravelingacrossNorthAmericaasanartconsultant,conductingseminars,workshopsanddemonstrations.ClaudiaistheauthorofseveralNorthLightbooks,includingCreatingTexturesinPen&InkWithWatercolor,WatercolorMadeSimplewithClaudiaNiceandCreatingTexturedLandscapeswithPen,InkandWatercolor.
ELIZABETHGOLZRUSH
ElizabethGolzRushhasalwayslovedtodraw,paintandmakethings.Someofher happiestmoments have been spent surrounded by the clutter ofmaterials,engaged in creative projects. She loves color, pattern and the challenge ofbalancing accuracywith design.While nature is her first inspiration, she alsolovesrummagingthroughthriftshops,fleamarketsandlibraries.ElizabethgrewupinCalifornia.Incollegeshemajoredin1printmakingandhasaB.F.A.fromCaliforniaCollegeofArtandCraftsandanM.F.A.fromCranbrookAcademyofArt.Herworkexperienceisdiverseandincludesteachingandservingasanartdirectorandin-housedesigner.Currentlyself-employed,shelicensesherdesignstoselectcompanies,focusingongiftware,textileandpaperproducts.ElizabethlivesinConcord,Massachusetts.
KAYSMITH
A frequently published watercolorist since 1993, Kay Smith has attainednationalattentionforhervibrant,colorfuldesigns.
A signature member of Southwestern (Texas) and Wyoming WatercolorSocieties, she maintains her studio gallery in Big Spring, Texas. Visitwww.kaysmithbrushworks.us.
LIANQUANZHEN
Lian Quan Zhen teaches Chinese and watercolor painting workshopsinternationally. His paintings hang in numerous institutional and privatecollections, including the MIT Museum, which has collected fourteen of hispaintings.HehaspublishedtwotitleswithNorthLightBooks:ChinesePaintingTechniques for Exquisite Watercolors and Chinese Watercolor Techniques:Painting2Animals.
Resources
AmericanJourney(SeeCheapJoe’sArtStuff)
Arches
(SeeCanson)
CheapJoe’sArtStuffBoone,NC(800)227-2788www.cheapjoes.com
Chinesepaintingsupplies
(SeeZhenStudio)
ColArtAmericasInc.Piscataway,NJ(888)422-7954www.liquitex.com
Canson
www.canson-us.com
Daler-RowneyUSALtd.Cranbury,NJ(609)655-5252www.daler-rowney.com
DanielSmith,Inc.Seattle,WA(800)426-6740www.danielsmith.com
DaVinciPaintCo.
Irvine,CA(800)553-8755www.davincipaints.com
DerwentKeswick,EnglandTel:+44(0)1768780898www.pencils.co.uk
DickBlickArtMaterials
Galesburg,IL(800)828-4548www.dickblick.com
Faber-CastellUSA,Inc.Cleveland,OH(800)642-2288www.faber-castell.us
GamblinArtistsColorsCo.Portland,OR(502)235-1945www.gamblincolors.com
GoldenArtistColors,Inc.NewBerlin,NY(800)959-6543www.goldenpaints.com
GoldenFleece(SeeCheapJoe’sArtStuff)
Grumbacher
www.grumbacherart.com
HolbeinWorks,Ltd.www.holbein-works.co.jp
Isabey
(SeeCheapJoe’sArtStufforDickBlickArtMaterials)
IwataMedeaInc.
Portland,OR(503)253-7308www.iwata-medea.com
JackRicheson&Co.,Inc.Kimberly,WI(800)233-2404www.richesonart.com
Koh-I-NoorCzechRepublicwww.koh-i-noor.cz
Liquitex(SeeColArtAmericas,Inc.)
Loew-Cornell,Inc.EnglewoodCliffs,NJ(201)836-7070www.loew-cornell.com
M.Graham&Co.WestLinn,OR(503)656-6761www.mgraham.com
Martin/F.WeberCompanyPhiladelphia,PA(215)677-5600www.weberart.com
Masquepen
(800)947-1389www.masquepen.com
MastersonArtProductsPhoenix,AZ(800)965-2675www.mastersonart.com
Plaid
(800)842-4197www.plaidonline.com
Prismacolor
(SeeSanfordBrands)
ProArtebrushesSkipton,Englandwww.proarte.co.uk
RobertSimmonsbrushes
(SeeDaler-RowneyUSALtd.)
RoyalTalensB.V.TheNetherlandsTel:+31(55)5274700
www.talens.com
SakuraHayward,CAwww.sakuraofamerica.com/
SanfordBrands
(800)323-0749www.sanford.comwww.grumbacherart.comwww.prismacolor.com
SaralPaperCorp.
NewYork,NY(212)223-3322www.saralpaper.com
Schmincke(SeeCheapJoe’sArtStufforDickBlickArtMaterials)
SherryC.Nelsonbrushes
www.sherrycnelson.com
SilverBrushLimited
Windsor,NJwww.silverbrush.com
Staedtler(800)776-5544www.staedtler-usa.com
StrathmoreArtistPapers
Westfield,MAwww.strathmoreartist.com
SumiInk
(SeeCheapJoe’sArtStufforDickBlickArtMaterials)
VanGogh(SeeRoyalTalensB.V.)
Winsor&Newtonwww.winsornewton.com
ZhenStudio
P.O.Box33142Reno,[email protected](Sendaletterorane-mailwithyourinquiry.)
THEBESTINARTINSTRUCTIONISFROMNorthLightBooks!
PaintingSongbirdswithSherryC.NelsonNoonepaintsthebeautyandgraceofbirdsquitelikeSherryC.Nelson.Inthisinspiringtocaptureeveryfeatherydetailof15delightful songbirds.Everybird ishighlighted ina step-by-step format that featuresfieldsketchesandreferencephotosandmini-demosoffacialfeaturesandfeathers.ISBN-13:978-1-58180-876-6,ISBN-10:1-58180-876-3,Paperback,144pages,#Z0230
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PaintingYourFavoriteBirdsStepbyStepPaint twenty-six of the best-loved birds found around the world. From a Barn Swallow to a EuropeanGreenfinch, you’re sure to find your favorites. You’ll also learn simple techniques to create delightfulbackgroundeffectsandhowtoaddflowersandtreebranchestomakeyourpaintingsmorerealistic.ISBN-13:978-1-58180-512-3,ISBN-10:1-58180-512-8,Paperback,128pages,#32872
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