My good friend Brad Silberberg sent me this photo he took of a Mountain Bluebird in Colorado. Oh the iridescent blues! I knew I had to paint this lovely bird.
I began with a simple pencil sketch.
And then began adding in washes of color -- cobalt blue & Winsor Blue for the back, and cobalt blue mixed with Burnt Sienna for the gray tones.
When the first washes were dry, I began adding in more details -- the eye, the beak, the little shadows on the feathers, and the bright orange stake the little bird was perching on.
I also used colored pencils to lighten the top of his head and make feather markings on his breast and head.
Part of me wanted to stop here -- the bird looked done. But why not give him an environment to live in, even if it was just washes of color?
One big wet-in-wet background with Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna, and Payne's Gray, and he's done. I'm glad I painted the negative space. It makes him look more alive against the earth tones in the background.
I invite you to make your own drawing, painting, or poem from my friend Brad's photo of the Mountain Bluebird above.
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