Painter's Quick Reference: Birds & Butterflies

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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.

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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:v.j.lisi@mindspring.com

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,NV89533lianzhen@yahoo.com(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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animalportraitsofallvarietiesofanimalsincludingcats,dogs,birds,horsesandbarnanimals,smallfurryfriends,andexoticanimalsandreptiles.ISBN-13:978-1-58180-912-1,ISBN-10:1-58180-912-3,Paperback,128pages,#Z0575

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

FreshandFabulousFlowersinAcrylicsRecreate the simple beauty of a bouquet fresh-picked from the garden on a summer day. Popular artistLauréPaillexofferscompleteinstructionondesigningandcomposingfloralpaintingsusingtechniquesthatarefun,loose,freeandforgiving.Tensimpleandtencomplexstep-by-stepcompositionsletyoupracticeandperfectyourpaintingandcompositiontechniques.ISBN-13:978-1-58180-976-3,ISBN-10:1-58180-976-X,Paperback,128pages,#Z0786

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