SPLENDID FAIRYWREN - Paint Realistic Watercolour and BIRDS

Looking at our materials before we start painting, this lecture runs through our paint colour selection, laying them out in your palette and the basic approaches to our colour use. Here in this section, youll also find the Materials List for your reference and the printable A4 worksheet, ready to go for your reference throughout your painting.

Drawing Up our wren, we walk through the steps of creating a clear, concise wren onto our watercolour board, ready for painting. This approach helps you to overcome many shortfalls, anxieties and issues people experience around drawing, whilst familiarising you with drawing in the process at the same time. Its an effective approach for students and a helpful start to your painting

Rendering the eye of a subject is such an important thing to do well in a painting. It sets the personality and mood for your painting... but its not so difficult really, especially with a little guidance. In this case, our eye is tiny, so get your tiny brush and a steady hand as we break down the process to one step at a time.

Our beak is another tiny detail in this wren study... but what isnt hey! This lecture takes you through the process or rendering this small but important element to completion

In this stage we step into our blues and get started on our head. In subjects like this wrens head and body, we start by roughing each area separately, before weaving them back together as a whole again. So this lecture looks at the early stages of developing the blues of our head, which we will revisit again once we have the same in the chest and body

Just as we did with the head element, its time now to start roughing in our first layer and earliest stages of our wrens chest and body, creating a foundation for us to build on, to create form, tone, texture and intensity in our sweet little bird. This lecture walks you through the process of this stage. 

With our foundation, or first layer in for the wrens body, we start to address all areas of the body as once, stitching it back together as a whole. Moving through our tones, we develop our layers as texture, to capture the look and feeling of of feathers. This process is in two parts, this lecture being the first.

With our foundation, or first layer in for the wrens body, weve begin to refine our painting by working through our tones and layers to create form, texture and intensity in our blues. This process is in two parts, this lecture being the second, bringing our body to completion!

Our Wrens stunning blue tail is a delight to explore as an artist. Using layers of bold but simple colour combinations and approaches, we will develop this tail feature to completion making a bold and beautiful statement on our wren painting

The rump area is a transitional element that connects the beautiful tail to the body. Its small, but essential, so we will walk through this easy peasy process together in this lecture to achieve that connection of tail to body.

Our wing is a small element of our bird study, but it is of course, a critical one! In this feature, we have an opportunity to create a little interest and colour change in our painting which is especially important in small, solo studies like this wren illustration. Our colours are simple, our plan is clear, so lets walk through the process together and create this wonderful, intricate component of our painting

Legs of small birds are full of potential failure, but not our lovely legs! Were going to approach our legs with care together, aware of avoiding the pitfalls and create a pair of beautiful, delicate legs and feet for our dainty little wren.

And so we come to the end of this course, exploring an outrageously beautiful small bird subject in blue. I hope youve enjoyed the process and completed a beautiful Splendid Wren painting of your own.

Thank you again to Peter Caddy for blessing us with such a fantastic image to create from in this course!