Painting Birds

A guide to capturing the beauty of birds using modern, expressive watercolour painting techniques.
Painting watercolours in a loose style is a technique admired by many artists, yet there are a range of skills to master in order to achieve a sense of freedom and lightness of touch. Birds present us with a vibrant array of colours and textures - from the iridescent plumage of the hummingbird to the zingy turquoise blue of the kingfisher - and with such varied and lively characters they are a wonderful subject to paint.
Supported by instructional photos throughout, experienced artist Sarah encourages you to let go of the detail whilst providing you with all the techniques required to paint beautiful and characterful portraits of birds with colour and verve.
- 10 step-by-step projects accessible to complete beginners and more experienced artists alike. Learn the importance of shape and tone in depicting form.
- Discover how watercolour works through experimentation and play with different tools and techniques.
- Explore various colour palettes, composition techniques and background basics.
- Develop your approach to key features such as feathers, feet, wingspans and faces and other tricky areas such as creating texture, adding shadows and achieving translucency.

Sarah Stokes is an award-winning animal artist working from studios on the grounds of Arley Estate in Worcestershire, where she is Artist In Residence. She teaches both in-person and online classes with around 50,000 students currently taking her watercolour and charcoal courses. She is represented by Demontfort Fine Art for her original pieces, and her work can be found in major retailers such as Next and Wayfair as well as through Whitewall and Clarendon Fine Art Galleries.

Introduction
Part 1: Fundamentals
1. Importance of Shape and Tone
- Project 1: Exploring tone - drawing a coal tit in charcoal
2. Exploring Watercolour Paint
- Project 2: Discovering how watercolour works through experimentation and play
3. Introduction to Composition, Layering and Expressive Mark Making
- Project 3: Mixing expressive and controlled techniques - painting a stork in flight
4. Introduction to Colour
- Project 4: Exploring a Limited Colour Palette
5. Painting a Bird Using Three Colours and Black
- Project 5: Controlling colours - painting a peacock
6. The Importance of Edges
- Project 6: Depicting feathers, capturing light and movement - painting a hummingbird
Part 2: Advanced Techniques
7. Developing a Loose, Intuitive Style
- Project 7: Using watercolour pencils - 'painting' carmines
8. Rendering Details in an Expressive Fashion
- Project 8: Creating wing markings intuitively - painting a barn owl
9. Painting Black Birds and Incorporating Environmental Aspects
- Project 9: Utilising the blue/orange colour palette for a dynamic composition - painting a raven in flight
10. Depicting White Birds, and Creating Environmental Elements
- Project 10: Exploiting shadow colours and supporting features - painting a swan
11. Making Your Mark and Finding Your Voice