Make two light washes of Alizarin crimson, and Viridian green or Hooker’s green. With a flat brush wet the paper around the Blue jay. Look at the reference and paint the green areas behind the bird & Alizarin crimson on the borders. While the paper is barely wet, paint the Burnt umber for the background branches. Air dry.

Lightly wet the front branches & paint Burnt sienna on top and Burnt umber at the bottom. Sprinkle salt on the wet paint to create unusual texture on the bark. Create a small wash of a darker brown by adding Ultramarine blue. Dip a broken toothpick into paint and create bark impressions. I decided that the sun is on the top left and the darker brown will be in some areas on the bottom right. Air dry.

a) Paint the first light wash of Ultramarine blue to the Blue Jay. While the paint is still wet, use a toothpick dipped with Ultramarine blue pigment and add it to several places on the Blue Jay adding interest. Air or Blow dry.

b) Paint lines with the Winsor blue on the tail feathers with a rigor brush. Use a small round wet brush and soften. Air or Blow dry.

Remove the salt and masking fluid on the branches.

Shadow Mixture: Mix Ultramarine blue with Alizarin crimson to create a violet colour. Look at the reference provided and paint the shadows on the snow. Decide which direction of the sun. In this instance, I decided the sun is on the top left. Begin painting the Blue jay shadows by using two brushes (one to apply paint and the other to soften edges). Apply the snow shadows on the bottom right.

a) To add some colour to the bird’s belly, scrape a light value of Burnt umber on top of the shadow areas. If your value is too dark, remember that after the paint has dried, lift some of the colour off, just by using a thirsty brush.

b) To create an interesting BLUISH black mix Ultramarine blue and Burnt umber with very little water (leaning to more Ultramarine blue) and paint the black areas (including the tail feathers & the feet) of the Blue Jay. If necessary, lift the areas the claws on the branch, that may have some light casting on it. Use a wet small flat brush, go over area, and lift with a paper towel. Start painting the beak with a grey colour, adding a darker value when dry. Paint the rest of the blue jay with a bluish black. After the beak has dried, lift some colour on top. Air or Blow dry your painting. Remove ALL masking fluid and apply any corrections needed.

c) Look at your branches do they need a dark brownish black (leaning to more Burnt umber)

d) Look at background, apply more colour in the background around the bottom half of the Blue Jay so it will stand out more.

Our painting is finished!

Thank you for joining me creating this ‘Blue Jay’! We have shared the entire process together exploring many watercolour techniques, such as masking fluid, wet on wet, salt, lifting, fine brushing, etc….

I encourage you to try this painting again, using the Greeting Card transfer and surprise someone with an unique gift from your paint brush!

No matter how many times I paint from the same reference each painting is unique. Here are some versions that I have created! Enjoy…. Bev

To create a soft abstract background, use the WET-on-WET technique: Make medium washes of Hooker’s green, Lemon yellow or Gamboges hue, and Ultramarine blue. With a flat brush wet the paper around the bird and hand. Randomly paint these colours in the background. Air dry. Expect the colours to fade about 20%.

Paint a medium wash of Gamboge hue or Lemon yellow mixed with Alizarin crimson for the hand. Use two small brushes, one to apply the paint and the other to soften the edges. Air dry.

FINISH Hand: Now add more pigment and a touch of Burnt umber. Paint the creases and darker shadow areas of the hand. Use a 2nd clean brush and soften the brush strokes.

SHADOW MIXTURE: Mix Ultramarine blue with Alizarin crimson to create a violet colour. Look at the reference and paint the shadows avoiding the white areas in the bird. Add this shadow mixture to the bottom of the fingers and corn/seeds (plus a few areas on the corn). Air dry.

Make two medium washes of Gamboges hue or Lemon yellow and a second wash of yellow adding Alizarin crimson to make an orange/red colour. Randomly add these colours to the corn and seeds. These transparent colours enable you to see the violet underneath.

BLACK: To create an interesting black mix Ultramarine blue and Burnt umber (with very little water) and paint the black areas.

a) Chickadee: Refer to the photo reference with the feather direction. Start painting the bird and sometimes use a toothpick, writer or rigger brush and use a 2nd clean brush and soften the brush strokes. Very important to remember to leave the white spaces. Paint the bird’s back feet. Air or blow dry.

b) Corn and Seeds: Add a few black seeds. Since the bird is casting a shadow, paint a small area at the bottom of the corn (above the fingers) and soften the edges with a clean brush. Air or blow dry.

c) Hands: Add some black to the bottom of the fingers and soften with another brush. Air or blow dry.

d) *** Remove all masking fluid ***

Finish with fine detail painting of the beak, eye, and dark areas of the feathers. Now paint the front feet with a lighter value of black. Since the masking areas is off, look at the fingernails. Leaving the white space (protected by masking fluid), paint a thin line behind.

Our painting is finished!

Thank you for joining me creating this ‘Chickadee! We have shared the entire process together exploring many watercolour techniques, such as masking fluid, wet on wet, painting flesh tones, fine brushing, etc…. I encourage you to try this painting again, using the Greeting Card transfer and surprise someone with an unique gift from your paint brush!

No matter how many times I paint from the same reference each painting is unique. Here are some versions that I have created! Enjoy…. Bev

Make 4 medium value washes of the following colours: Cerulean blue, Alizarin crimson, Yellow ochre, and Hookers green.

Wet on Wet Technique: Wet the entire painting around the bird & flower with a flat brush. Make sure the paper is damp. Paint the Alizarin crimson and Hooker’s green at the bottom, then paint the Cerulean blue, Yellow ochre, and again Cerulean blue at the top. At this point you are adding soft images suggesting leaves or flowers in the background. Air dry

With the wash of Alizarin crimson paint, the smaller red flowers. Use a second brush and soften different areas in the flower petals. Always paint one petal at one time, so that they will individually show up. Allow the petals to dry, before painting the petal next to it.

a) Begin with a light wash of Sap green & paint the under feathers. While wet use a sharp tool or a simple toothpick and create feather marks. Touch the Burnt umber and Ultramarine blue and make the darker feathers over the Sap green. Repeat the same procedure over the head and large wing.

b) Develop the top and bottom wings by painting individual feathers adding a variety of colours (examples Alizarin crimson mixed with Ultramarine blue). Again, while still wet use a sharp tool or toothpick and streak.

c) Paint the belly with a light wash of Burnt umber.

d) Mix Alizarin crimson with Burnt umber as you are painting the area below the eye. When it is semi-dry add a darker version and put in more details

Finish with fine detail painting of the beak, eye, feet and dark areas of the feathers. Last step is to add more darks to the bird, flower and leaves.

Create a soft and abstract background by the Wet-on-Wet Technique. Make a medium wash of both Ultramarine blue, Winsor blue, Hooker’s green and Alizarin crimson. Wet-on-Wet: Wet the paper and paint the Alizarin crimson on the areas near the masked areas in the loon, chick, and their reflections. Paint the blues everywhere else alternating with horizontal strokes. Add some dark green horizontal strokes on top and behind the loon. Air dry

Make a medium wash of Burnt sienna and paint the chick and reflection. Now make a brownish black (Ultramarine blue and Burnt umber) and paint the baby loon and its refection. Soften the color at the top wing. Air dry.

Using the previous dark wash, make a bluish black by mixing more of the Ultramarine blue and paint the loon. On the bottom area, soften the colors to a grey. Do not forget the reflections!

Remove all the masking fluid and adjust all the pencil lines since it may have disappeared.

Shadow Mixture: Mix Ultramarine blue and Alizarin crimson till you get a violet color. Imagine the sun shining from the top left of the painting. Use a round brush and quickly paint on the right side and bottom of both birds. Caution…. the darks applied are liftable, do not rub off!

Make a medium wash of a mixture of Ultramarine blue and Hooker’s green. With a slightly damp, small flat brush, create ripples across the water disturbing some of the reflections. Use the tip of brush to create a defined line. Behind the loon, add more of the green to create abstract reflections.

Eyes: If required, lift some of the darks around the loon and chick’s eyes. Add a reddish brown leaving a speck of white showing!

Use the previous BLUISH black mixture of Ultramarine blue and Burnt umber with very little water, paint the black areas of the Loons, especially in the shadows.

Our painting is finished!

Thank you for joining me creating this ‘Loons’. We have shared the entire process together exploring many watercolour techniques, such as masking fluid, wet on wet, painting fine brushing, etc.….

I encourage you to try this painting again, using the Greeting Card transfer and surprise someone with a unique gift from your paint brush!

No matter how many times I paint from the same reference each painting is unique. Here are some versions that I have created! Enjoy…. Bev

To create a soft and abstract background start with the WET-on-WET technique. Make medium washes of Sap green, Lemon yellow, Ultramarine blue, and Viridian green. With a flat brush wet the paper around the bird. Look at the reference and randomly paint these colours. Air dry. Expect the colours to fade about 20%.

Lightly wet the front branches & paint Burnt sienna on top and Burnt umber at the bottom. Add a dark mixture of Ultramarine blue and Burnt umber under the birds. Sprinkle salt and allow to dry.

MALE CARDINAL: Paint a medium wash of Gamboge hue on the bird’s breastbone. While the paint is still wet, apply Alizarin crimson allowing the paint to mix on the paper. Before the paint dries, use a toothpick and create a few feathers. Air dry.

a) Use the same Red colour as the Male Cardinal and instructions as above and paint the top feather, side wing and tail feathers.

b) Make a medium wash of Yellow ochre and paint the rest of the bird. Again, use a toothpick to mark more feathers. To create an interesting grey mix Ultramarine blue and Burnt umber (medium value) and introduce this to her head and breast. Air dry and remove all masking fluid.

Create a soft and abstract background by the WET-on-WET technique. Make medium washes of Sap green, Lemon yellow, Ultramarine blue, and Viridian green and a small wash of Burnt Umber. With a flat brush wet the paper around the bird. Look at the reference and randomly paint these colours. Air dry. Expect the colours to fade about 20%.

Lightly wet the front branches & paint Burnt sienna on top and Burnt umber at the bottom. Before the paint dries, sprinkle salt.

Paint a medium wash of Gamboges hue on the bird’s breastbone. While the paint is still wet, apply Alizarin crimson allowing the paint to mix on the paper. Use a toothpick for added texture. Air dry.

Mix Ultramarine blue with Alizarin crimson to create a violet colour. Paint the beak and talons.

To create an interesting black mix Ultramarine blue and Burnt umber (with very little water) and paint the black areas of the head, the tail feathers & the feet). (Hint: paint each layer of wings separately allowing the paint to dry) Air or Blow dry and remove all masking fluid. Re-apply the black using fine brush detail strokes.

Our painting is finished!

Thank you for joining me creating this ‘Baltimore Oriole’. We have shared the entire process together exploring many watercolour techniques, such as masking fluid, wet on wet, painting fine brushing, etc….

Let’s review some tips shared during this section of painting the Baltimore Oriole.

· When making a shadow mixture, occasionally stir, because Ultramarine blue (a granular pigment) will separate from the Alizarin crimson.

· When painting any bird, paint the wings in layers, instead of painting them all at once.

· Use two brushes, one to apply the pigment and the other to soften edges.

· When removing masking fluid, use an old and dried piece to lift the masking off the paper.

I encourage you to try this painting again, using the Greeting Card transfer and surprise someone with a unique gift from your paint brush!

Create a soft and abstract background with the WET-on-WET technique. Make medium washes of Sap green, Lemon yellow, Ultramarine blue, and Hooker’s green. With a flat brush wet the paper around the bird. Look at the reference and randomly paint these colours. Add table salt to create an unusual background. Air dry. Expect the colours to fade about 20%.

Mix Ultramarine blue with Alizarin crimson to create a violet colour. Look at the reference and paint the shadows of top beak. Paint the beak, head, and the body. Air dry.

Remove the masking fluid of the beak and eye. Paint a medium wash of Gamboges hue or Lemon yellow for the beak. Before the paint dries add a light value Alizarin crimson on bottom of beak. Air dry.

BLACK: To create an interesting black mix Ultramarine blue and Burnt umber (with very little water) and paint the black feathers areas below. Use a writer or rigger brush and sometimes use a 2nd clean brush and soften the brush strokes to mimic individual feathers. Air or blow dry. At this point, use a larger round brush and add larger strokes blending in these dark colours. Do not fear using these colours, since you can easily lift with a clean brush and dab with a paper towel. Once dried, use a knife and scrape the top layer of paper to retrieve any feathers from the background.

Our painting is finished!

Thank you for joining me creating this ‘Bald Eagle’. We have shared the entire process together exploring many watercolour techniques, such as masking fluid, wet on wet, painting fine brushing, etc….

Let’s review some tips shared during this section of painting the Bald Eagle.

· When making a dark black mixture, use Ultramarine blue and Burnt umber. These pigments can easily be lifted at the end if necessary.

· When painting any bird, paint the wings in layers, instead of painting them all at once. If these feathers begin to look like clones, use a larger brush and blend to change the shape.

· Use two brushes, one to apply the pigment and the other to soften edges.

· When removing masking fluid, use an old and dried piece to lift the masking off the paper.

· Use a knife or blade to scrape off the top layer of paper, if you need to retrieve any feathers from the background.

I encourage you to try this painting again, using the Greeting Card transfer and surprise someone with a unique gift from your paint brush!

No matter how many times I paint from the same reference each painting is unique.  Enjoy…. Bev

I would love to see your paintings! You are invited to post your paintings on my Facebook page dedicated only for my Udemy students. Answer the question which Udemy class you have taken, and you will be admitted. This is a safe place to ask questions or answer questions from fellow students as well. It is my pleasure to help you in any way! On-Line Painting Classes with Bev

LINK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PaintingWithBev/?ref=group_header

Make a medium wash of Ultramarine blue. Begin painting even horizontal strokes from the bottom of painting upward, using a flat brush. Air dry

Mix Ultramarine blue with Alizarin crimson to create a violet colour. Add a second wash of medium value of Burnt Sienna. Look at the reference and paint the shadows of neck and wings. Sometimes add a touch of the brown allowing it to merge together. Use two brushes, one to apply the paint and the other to soften the edges. Air dry. Remove all masking fluid.

Paint a medium wash of Gamboges hue or Lemon yellow for the beak. Before the paint dries add a light value Alizarin crimson on bottom of beak. Air dry. If necessary, lift the top of the beak with a clean round brush and dab with a paper towel.

BLACK: To create an interesting black mix Ultramarine blue and Burnt umber (with very little water) and paint the black shadow areas. Sometimes use a writer or rigger brush and sometimes use a 2nd clean brush and soften the brush strokes.

Paint this in 3 easy steps.

a) Paint the eye and top of beak.

b) Paint the darker areas of the wing feathers.

c) Paint the dark bluish black wave a few places on top or middle of the swan.

Our painting is finished!

Thank you for joining me creating this ‘Swan’. We have shared the entire process together exploring many watercolour techniques, such as masking fluid, wet on wet, painting fine brushing, etc….

Let’s review some tips shared during this section of painting the Swan.

· When making a shadow mixture, occasionally stir, because Ultramarine blue (a granular pigment) will separate from the Alizarin crimson. Create the white feathers shape by

negative painting (painting the background) When painting any bird, paint the wings in layers, instead of painting them all at once.

· Use two brushes, one to apply the pigment and the other to soften edges.

· When removing masking fluid, use an old and dried piece to lift the masking off the paper.