Painting birds in watercolour
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1. Introduction - for the love of things with wings!

Introduction
Painting birds in watercolour - is this course right for you?
Painting birds in watercolour materials list
2. Drawing birds - looking for the inner egg to sketch birds quickly and accurately

Drawing birds - looking for shapes and a few key lines
Drawing birds - using a water resistant pen to give you both line and wash
Drawing birds - adding colour and developing plumage
Reference - cardinal
Reference - sparrow
3. Capturing life and vitality in birds' eyes

Painting eyes - the three types of eyes
Painting eyes - painting each type and capturing the character therein
Bird's eyes - reference of all three types of eye
Reference - sparrow
Reference - owl
Reference - rooster
Example - sparrow eye
Example - owl eye
Example - rooster eye
4. Warming up our watercolour muscles and exploring edges

Watercolour techniques and edges - just add water!
Creating magic with paint, paper and water - painting a Canada goose in flight
Goose reference
Goose - final marked up
Goose - final painting
5. A colourful portrait of a tawny owl - switching around colours

Reference - Tawny Owl cropped
Reference - Tawny Owl uncropped
Tawny owl - thumbnail planning
Tawny owl - planning colours
Tawny owl - first layer
Tawny owl - second layer
Tawny owl - final details
Thumbnail and colours
Final painting
6. Creating interesting texture and marks - using them in a pair of Guinea Fowl

Creating interesting marks without a brush
Guinea fowl - thumbnail planning
Guinea fowl - colour swatching
Guinea fowl - sketch your birds
Guinea fowl - applying masking fluid
Guinea fowl - starting with the head....
Guinea fowl - feet in detail
Guinea fowl - painting the second bird
Guinea fowl - second layer
Guinea fowl - finishing touches
Guinea fowl - final thoughts
Reference Guinea fowl 1
Reference Guinea Fowl 2
Reference Guinea Fowl 3
Reference Guinea Fowl 4
Reference Guinea Fowl 5
Reference Guinea Fowl 6
Reference Guinea Fowl 7
Final painting of guinea fowl
Alternative painting of a single bird
7. Flying kestrel - using line and wash to capture a bird of prey in flight

Reference - Kestrel
Line and wash bird of prey - warming up
Line and wash bird of prey - planning
Line and wash bird of prey - inking
Line and wash bird of prey - inking continued
Line and wash bird of prey - watercolour
Line and wash bird of prey - finishing
Kestrel - ink layer completed
Kestrel - colour added
Kestrel - finished painting with lettering
A kestrel for a knave - poem - 'the boke of St Albans 1486'
Alternative painting of kestrel using the same technique
8. Taking things forward - where to go from here

Further resources

Alternative painting of a single bird

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