How to Paint Birds: EPISODE THREE - The Egret and Brahminy Kites

Hey guys, welcome back to The Great Art Adventure. This week we've got a huge episode for you. We've had to divide it into two parts. We're talking all about how to use photographic reference in relation to birds. Part one we're going to talk about painting an egret, a real favorite of mine, and part two we're going to paint some brahminy kites flying through cyclone surf. I really hope you enjoy this latest installment of our show dedicated to painting. I've been painting and drawing birds for many years. Every encounter with a bird is an opportunity to learn more. Not all encounters yield results and most subjects are not as cooperative as these geese. Thank goodness for these. Whilst I love to sketch birds from life, sometimes they're just not going to operate. So having a camera to capture the moment in an instant and a great series of photographs to work from can really make our lives easier in the studio. Having a decent image or series of images to work from can be vital when capturing the essence of birds. However, we don't want to rely on the photograph too heavily. So whilst this episode is focused on birds, it's really about how to use photographic reference. I'm in the Kimberley at a location called Perry's Lagoon, not too far from Kununurra. The birds here are particularly uncooperative. I was quite a nuisance as far as they were concerned. Luckily there was a bird hide where I could sit in the shade and make studies. This egret didn't seem to mind. As I sat there and sketched, I twigged on something that I had not considered. Egrets are commonplace up here. I was hoping for something more exotic and colorful, but as it sat on its branch and preened in the sunlight, I found myself deeply appreciating its brilliant white form and how the light bent and glowed through its plumage. I continued to sketch just to get a rough idea of how the subject may work as a painting. Back in the studio, and I'm not quite sure about this subject. I like it, but it needs something. I feel I have the seed of the idea, but it's not quite ready. Sometimes we need a little bit of a nudge in our process to really help us work out what the idea is all about. I always start in the sketchbook and refine my idea throughout a series of little sketches. Each time I redraw my composition, I change it slightly, making improvements. I use a design synthesis process to explore the idea further on paper. I found what was missing in my design was dark tone behind the bird. This was really needed to balance out the lightness of the bird sitting in the sunlight, and this tonal contrast would create a more dynamic and powerful painting. With this in mind, I knocked together a color sketch to get an idea about how this composition would look with the introduction of a dark tone behind the egret. The design synthesis process is absolutely vital for me to get everything I can out of an idea. I don't think I would have discovered that dark tone was absolutely necessary if I had not mapped out the idea clearly in a sketchbook and then completed a color study. This planning process might seem laborious, however it saves me hours of time in a board of work in the studio. Working on a 24 by 36 inch Belgian linen stretcher pre-primed with burnt sienna, I grid up my painting surface. I'm going to transfer my final design to this canvas. I must make sure that the grid is to scale with my drawing, that way the transfer will not be skewed or distorted. Using a wedge bristle brush, the first of the color is laid down. This is a combination of burnt umber and ultramarine blue. This forms an incredibly dark tone and the base for my background layer. I introduce intermittent foliage in the background. This will not only provide the structure on which the egret sits, but it will add another color note to interact with the other colors in the background. I'm making marks that allude to a kimberley rock wall behind my egret. Its deep shadowed surface will form ample contrast. My marks are intentionally broad and gestural. I'm not interested in detail in this initial stage. The branch is blocked in using my angled wedge brush. Yellow oxide, burnt sienna, and white provide the lighter tone for the shadows to be rounded against. As these zones are blended, the form of the branch takes shape. Everything in the background has been established. Now it's time to rough out my egret. I must be careful to balance my tones here to ensure I have enough range for highlights, so I mix these colors slightly darker than pure white. Here I'm using white, ultramarine blue, and a burnt umber combination. The darker tones are established with a heavier umber and ultramarine combination, and less white is added here. As these zones are pushed and pulled with the introduction of more white, the form of the egret emerges. Darker marks are added to separate the forms and provide more contrast. Egrets are skilled fishermen and they have this characteristic sharp beak, which gives them an unmistakable look. This color is dirtied mustard yellow, with yellow oxide as the base. So far I've only used a handful of colors. For more information on the colors used in this demo, and for additional tips, tricks, and techniques, please visit www.andrewtichler.com and subscribe to the Great Art Adventure bonus The foundation is being laid to the egret's intense stare. Deep green is added to scoop out a channel that our subject will gaze through. More color is added behind the eyes to make the face a bold feature. Because I've preserved my tones, I can now make the feathers stand out as I add slightly more white. Light transferring through the bill will give this zone a red glow. The eye is a disc that light shines across. The upper lid casts a shadow resulting in a two-toned iris. The pupil breaks this region, striving to get the right shape. To angle the gaze correctly, I use a stiff synthetic round brush. Now the plumage around the head needs to be ruffled. I break this zone up by adding smaller marks with a bristle brush and introduce fine shadows where the feathers have lifted and separated. This technique can be added across the entirety of the egret to break up the surface and communicate a feathery texture. When painting feathers in light, we must think in terms of both negative and positive. Some of the marks are dark on a light surface and others are light on a dark surface. This adds interest. I change the direction of the strokes to avoid creating too much uniformity. Now let's take a quick look at a time lapse from where this painting started to where it is now. I start with my transfer and then block in the background followed by the branch and then finally the bird. I work the image up in zones, bringing the edges of color together to form a cohesive picture. Now that the image has progressed to this point, let's bring it back and take a look at the background and supporting elements. I really enjoy using these wedge brushes. They give me a variety of marks. I'm adding plenty of dark tone here, rich deep reds and umber. I balance the heat and the darkness with some cooler tones of ultramarine and quinacridone magenta. The feet are added with a strange and elongated tarsus. These tubular shiny black forms make our bird unmistakable. It's vital we get the form of the feet to interact with the branch. Black shadows, a mixture of phthalo, umber and magenta create a striking dark tone. Before the from the light reflects from the surface of the smooth scales, we must first define the form. With the depth of the tone defined, I mark in a lighter gray and blend this in slightly to round out the tubular shape of the shins. Now it's time for more refinement. Glints of light are added, making this form take on a three-dimensionality. I love that paint can form this illusion. Now the branch must reach a similar resolve. I paint gaps between the toes, keeping my highlights thick and my shadows thin. The thicker areas in the branch have the tendency to stand proud of the surface and reflect more light. Now it's time for the background to take shape. I'm going to do my best keeping this area subdued as not to take attention away from the focal point. I'm taking cues from the foliage in my reference photo. I could overdo this, so I want to be sure that I only include what will really help my composition. I vary my tones and saturation along with the forms of individual leaves to make an interesting surface and pattern. The accumulation of random marks provides interest and separates this area of foliage from the background. Up close, the highlights are varied with both direct light and reflected light from the sky above. These then change from warm to cool across the surface of the leaves. Now our egret requires more refinement. I start to work back into the head, focusing on the eyes and beak. Highlights are teased out by adding more white to my previous mix. Nothing reflects light like thick white paint, so I make sure these marks stand proud with Impasto Medium. Because I kept my tones subdued, it makes the tonal variation possible and these marks really stand out. I save my tonal best for last. The paint being used here is almost pure titanium white. I use photographs like a lot of artists, but now this painting is complete. You can see how far this image has come compared with the original source material. I'm using the photograph as a guide. I think it's really important that as visual communicators, we use these tools that are available to us and get the most out of our painting process. I was really lucky with this egret painting because I had a great source photograph to work from. In fact, I only had to make a few changes to create a more dynamic image. But what do we do when we're using reference material where the birds are so tiny, so minuscule within the frame, that we can barely make them out? What do we do when our imagination can see so much more? Well in part two, I want to take you through the process again, but show you how do we take terrible reference material and create a really dynamic painting. The Kimberley is a vast and pristine wilderness. It is virtually untouched. The landscape defies belief. There is a wealth of inspiration here, certainly enough to fuel a lifetime worth of painting. It is one of the last frontiers in the world. There's an abundance of spectacular creatures here. Sometimes they work with you, sometimes they play hard to get, which can be tough when you're trying to get that perfect photo. This idea has been in my head for years now. I've always wanted to tackle an image like this because I was intrigued by the story. But at the same time, I felt frustrated I was not able to get better source material. Here along Cape Leveque, north of Broome, the tides can be extreme, swallowing up huge sections of coastline. As the tide recedes, large sections of reef are exposed. This of course can attract birds of all kinds. I was lucky enough on one particular occasion to catch a glimpse of two Brahminy kites, a breeding pair. Only being equipped with a basic camera without much of a zoom, I took some quick shots, hoping I may be able to come up with something usable. Despite the low quality of these images, there is still the seed of the idea. There's something here that I thought I could work with. How could I use these photographs as inspiration and create something more dramatic? I start to rough out my idea on paper, going over some ideas that could create an engaging composition. I start to think what if the Brahminy kites were bigger in the picture, to where the viewer felt like they were there with them. Where's my point of view as the viewer in this scene? How could I change the scenery to create more impact? There's enough here in my reference pictures that I can get some idea about different positions for my birds. I'm nearing the design I'm happy with. The only thing missing is something for the birds to move through and interact with. Waves. What if there was a storm on the horizon generating swell breaking over this reef? At particular times of year, this ocean can get incredibly rough. It may add another layer to this story. After finishing the design process in the sketchbook, it's time for a color study. Here I map out all of the colors that are going to be in my composition before transferring it to a larger canvas. Working on my favorite ground, Belgian linen, pre-primed with burnt sienna, I sketch out very basic lines of the composition, being sure to get my birds in the right place. My Brahminy kites are going to be dark shapes, contrasted against a light background. My first marks of color to go down are this light wave behind them. These marks are very gestural at this stage, providing a framework to be able to accept the next broad colors and tones. Keeping my colors muted, I'm mixing the shadows of the wave trough. This will be a combination of ultramarine blue, titanium white, and a touch of quinacridone magenta. To desaturate, I use a little umber. Saturation is introduced towards the end of the process. Just a little green is added to the wave, where the characteristic algae-tinged water will be visible as it glows through the curling wave. Now for my approaching storm, I use a broad bristle brush to knock in the background. With the same pale combinations of the white water and the wave, I want this zone to maintain its simplicity as not to detract from the focal point of the pair of Brahminy kites. Generally, I start with the background and work my way forward in the painting. The colors so far in my block-in are fairly simple. I start to increase the complexity of the image, introducing more greens and refining my wave. As the paint is wet and workable, I use this to my advantage and blend areas together to soften the forms. The curl in the wave is defined further, giving it shape, and I bring this in slightly to where it just meets where the bird is supposed to go. Now let's have a quick look at a time lapse of this picture. You can see where it has started with the sketching out and mapping of the zones. Then with gestural marks, the main shapes are defined. Starting with my furthest away zones, I work my way forward until I have an image that is the setting for my Brahminy kites. Of course, I've left my Brahminy kites blank, and they're going to be continued in the next sequence. Now it's time to block in the Brahminy kites finally. They have such a distinctive rusty dark color. I like that the positions of the kites vary, as it says something else about these creatures and gives the painting more energy, direction, and movement. I'm not interested in details whatsoever at this stage. I just want the character of the bird with the splayed feathers to come through. Following in the direction of the feathers, I use a bristle brush to apply strokes of color. As I block in the wings, I'm not using my full range of tones or colors. I've gone for a mid-tone of the range that I'm going to be using. Using a smaller synthetic brush, I map out where my feathers will be and some very basic head features. I'll pick up these lines when the image is refined in a later stage. The sky now needs more refinement. Here I can vary my tonal range in color by introducing some new aspects to my mix. Still keeping my colors subdued, I brush in with a hatching motion across the sky. I want the impression of light filtering under a massive storm cloud. As the color meets my intended horizon, more titanium white is added, taking away from the saturation. I need more form and shape in my sky. I start to delineate where cloud forms will recede into space. I'm using yellow oxide on a finer brush to mark this in. Saving some space for a much lighter tone to burn through, I add titanium white and warm this up with cadmium yellow and cadmium red. Because I've been preserving my tones, this area is really starting to burn out as intended. Now more range is added to the mix. I cool some areas with a combination of cobalt and ultramarine blue, keeping balance with quinacridone magenta. I'm earthing out all of these combinations with combinations of yellow oxide and burnt sienna. This allows for more heat to come out of the sky and to communicate a late afternoon feel. It also lightens the mood and keeps this image from getting too somber. Now the swell area needs more work. I'm using a darker blue with more ultramarine and quinacridone. To avoid the shadow colors here getting too one-dimensional, the quinacridone can help in rounding out these areas so they start to approach a mauve tinge. I use titanium white to lift areas of white water. This provides more shape and definition in the white water zone. Now windows of green are added to introduce more color to the scene. I try to keep these windows random so as not to form a distracting pattern. As the crest is defined, the wave starts to take on a lead role in the painting, but I must not allow this to outshine the birds. It's a supporting element in the painting, not the primary focus. Following the finer marks laid down previously, I start to map in the color of my bird wings. Light is being transferred through the feathers and I want these wings to glow, as it shows in my reference photographs. This part really attracted me to the concept in the first place. The light angle is low and cutting through horizontally, backlighting these brahminy kites. I'm using cadmium red, a touch of sienna, along with transparent red oxide to allow for a rich, warm tone. This gets lighter towards the edges of the feathers. I imagine that my brush lays down feathers as it moves across the surface. I do this in order that the feathers are actually layered on the bird. Longer strokes are used for bigger feathers. I'm also watching out for ridgelines formed either side of my strokes. I don't want any distracting textures to come through. The white water and churning area directly under the birds is next for another layer of paint. My previous layer has dried, allowing for subsequent layers to key into the surface. The accumulation of marks is perfect for communicating a rocky texture. I want the water in this area to swirl and move around these rocky forms. Despite the fact I did not see water like this at this location when I photographed my brahminy kites, I found some water reference from a completely different area in Australia that may help me with this idea. Here's a series of images that came from Barwon Heads, Victoria, far, far away from Broome. I thought the rocks and shapes were similar, so it could work. Both my original source material and this new reference material are of shattered reefs. It's just that this one has more energy with more water flowing around the rocks in the foreground. I believe this will provide more dynamic interest in my painting and communicate the storm surge better. This is what I love about painting, the fact that you can take a multitude of images from various locations and put them together in one picture. It's all about the little details. This allows our viewer to really get a sense of place and catch the mood we're trying to convey. I want instant recognition in the viewer so that this image communicates clearly. Using a smaller angled bristle brush, I vary the surface. These colors are consisting of titanium white, ultramarine, cobalt, and quinacridone magenta. I use a little bit of phthalo green to get the bottle green aspect of the water to come through. Now let's take a look at another time lapse carrying on from where we left off earlier to where the painting is now. Once the birds are in place, I'm building up the entire image as a whole. I set out for an ambitious scene veering off the path from where my reference material left me. I was adamant that I could use my source material but not rely on it too heavily and allow the idea, not the photo, to take precedent. Has it worked? Honestly, I'm not sure. I like the final result and I'm happy with the painting. I feel the image has really captured my vision of what I set out to achieve. Although, now that it's done, there are many more ideas in my head and I believe I can still improve on this theme. I'll save that for the next project. Photographs can be a vital component of our painting practice and a necessary tool in allowing us to see our vision through to the end. But as you would have seen from this episode, we don't have to rely on photographs too heavily. We can use what we like and disregard what doesn't work. A photograph is a fixed image from a fixed location. Our imagination is anything but fixed. Our imagination is limitless. We should use it. Well guys, that does it for another installment of The Great Art Adventure. I really hope you've enjoyed this episode. On the website currently, we have limited edition prints of the Egret and the Brahminy Kite, both on paper and on canvas. These are of the highest quality, hand-signed by me, and strictly limited edition. Your purchase would go towards supporting The Great Art Adventure and helping us bring out more of this content for you. Thank you so much for your support, thank you for subscribing, and we'll see you again next time.