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STEP 4
feathers touching the beak. Thin down the Titanium White just a little and flick in a few diagonal lines where the wings meet the tail to indicate the wing feathers. Use the thinned down Titanium White to carefully add a layer of semi-transparent color over the beak. Use Ultramarine Blue+Carbon Black No. 1 (1:1) to paint in the eye with your smallest brush and thin it down to carefully trace a shadow line beneath the wing.
Sitting Bird — Use Ultramarine Blue+Carbon Black No. 1 (1:1) to carefully fill the eye in, using the liner brush. Thin down Titanium White so that it is nearly transparent and brush a gradient from
the tip of the beak to about halfway to the base of the beak. Use Ultramarine Blue+Carbon Black No. 1 (1:1) and only thin it down a very little amount so that it is easier to work with and flick in the edge details of the feathers at the ends of the wings, using the sharp edge of your #6 flat brush tip. Thin it down a little more to add in more small wing details. Use Titanium White to add highlights on the feathers of the wings and use Ultramarine Blue+Carbon Black No. 1+Titanium White (1:1:4) to add dimension to the fluff of feathers around the shoulder of the bird above the wings, and add a small line of shadow between the throat and breast. Feel free to perfect the gradient that moves from the base of the tail, along the belly, up to the breast, by beginning at the gradient of the tail with Ultramarine Blue+Carbon Black No. 1 (1:1) and by slowly thinning it down until you reach the armpit area below the wing, then dab in some Titanium White for texture at the breast. On this last layer of the bird, allow yourself a little freedom with the brush and don’t focus on over-blending; any visible brushstrokes will add to the texture of the bird, especially in the body of the bird.
Bells — Use Titanium White and the edge of your smallest liner brush tip to quickly place in the strings of the bells; I recommend saving this step for last. Thin down the Titanium White ever so slightly to carefully place the bell highlights and to trace around the opening in the bells.
After completing this fourth layer of paint, place the board carefully in the oven to heat-seat the paint at about 170 degrees F for 11 minutes. Use caution in removing the board when the oven timer goes off.
FINISHING:
Frame your piece once it is cool to the touch, and hang for all to enjoy during the colder and jollier months of the year. Don’t forget to wash your brushes and clean up!
Color Key
FLOWERS: Ultramarine Blue+Titanium White (1:3); Ultramarine Blue+Carbon Black No. 1 (2:1); Ultramarine Blue+Carbon Black No. 1 (1:1)
BERRIES: Genesis Red, Titanium White LEAVES: Ultramarine Blue+Genesis Yellow
(1:3); Genesis Red+Yellow Ochre (1:1)
BIRDS: Ultramarine Blue+Carbon Black No. 1 (1:1); Ultramarine Blue+Carbon Black No. 1+Titanium White (1:1:4); Ultramarine Blue+Titanium White (1:3); Ultramarine Blue+Titanium White (1:2)
SEED PODS: Yellow Ochre+Genesis Yellow (1:1); Ultramarine Blue+Titanium White (1:4); Ultramarine Blue+Titanium White (1:1); Raw Umber+Yellow Ochre (1:1)
BELLS: Titanium White; Carbon Black No. 1+Ultramarine Blue (1:1); Titanium White+Ultramarine Blue (5:1)
BRANCHES: Ultramarine Blue+Carbon Black No. 1+Raw Sienna (1:1:1); Raw Sienna
BACKGROUND: Carbon Black No. 1+Ultramarine Blue+Genesis Red (4:2:1)
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