Painting a nuthatch, a thread
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Painting a nuthatch, a thread:
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First, prime the panel. I'm using a 20x20cm basswood panel from Ampersand. Two layers Michael Harding Non-Absorbent Acrylic Primer, one layer Primer+Raw Umber Acrylic paint.
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Then draw the outlines with pencil. Yes I traced parts of them to make sure they are accurate.
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This step is optional but it makes everything else easier: Paint the bird in greyscale. This way I'm forced to think about values without being distracted by hue. I'm using acrylic paint for this. Oil paint would work just as good but I don't want to wait for it to dry.
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Colors, finally! I'm painting the bird with oil paint mixed with Liquin original. In the first pass I'm ignoring details. The Liquin will make the paint dry faster, once I'm ready for details it will be tacky and easy to overpaint while still allowing for some blending. I used black, white, Ultramarine, Burnt Siena, Iron Oxide Brown, and some yellow and some purple here.
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For the background I'm blending various greens, browns and yellows.
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After painting the branch it is details time! I'm using my finest brushes for this and trying to show the direction of feathers without painting every individual one.
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And here is the finished painting:
Eurasian Nuthatch, oil on wood panel, 20x20cm, Conny Duck November 2024
