Steps of Watercolor Painting: Parakeets in Watercolor

Are you getting tired of bird paintings yet?  I used to have parakeets growing up.  I had a yellowish-greenish one and my brother had a blue one like this picture.  Don't worry, I started a few other things this week so I'll have different types of artwork to show you soon.  Would you like to see the steps I take to add layers to my watercolor paintings?  I took photographs of this parakeet painting as I added different washes of paint and fine details.

Here is the finished painting:

Here are the progression photos.  I start with a sketch from some reference photos.  Then lay down light washes of color.

Add more light washes of colors in different shades.  I use a wet paper towel to dab up areas that may have gotten too dark.

Here I have added more texture and details. The fan brush is great to use for texture and so are these wisp brushes(these aren't the exact brand that I have but they look like this) .   I use a teeny tiny brush for details.

I ended up going back into the birds with white acrylic paint because I wanted stronger highlights.

 

Then, I added some drips and splashes of paint to frame the birds.  Which do you like better.. with the drips or without?

The paints I used for this painting are: Angora Watercolor Pan Set Crayola Artista II Watercolor Set
Art is Basic
Facebook
Etsy
Pinterest

Oops Painting

I thought I'd show you a nice painting I was making and then the oops part of it.  I'd love to see your mistakes too!
 

I have been having so much fun painting watercolor birds, I just keep going. I wanted to paint some parakeets and I was making a really nice painting of the birds, but then I couldn't get the eyes on two of them right, so it kept smearing and now there's smudges.  Ah.. it's too bad because I love that little yellow bird.  I might just have to cut him out and do something else with him.

I'm also thinking about cropping the bird on the right off and using that as a separate picture.  I need to add feet though.

Art is Basic
Facebook
Etsy
Pinterest

New Watercolor Bird

 I'm having so much fun continuing my bird series.  I just finished this colorful little guy.

So I need your honest opinion.  Do you like it better with the background paint splotches or without?  Here's it before I did the background.

These are some of my favorite watercolor paints to use.

Art is Basic
Facebook
Etsy
Pinterest

Watercolor Bird Painting

Hello there!  What a long and cold month this has been.  I was feeling sick for about 3 1/2 weeks there.  I'm starting a new bird series with watercolors.  I painted the bird below this week.  It's fun to show my elementary students my sketchbook because it's a big ego boost.  Ha ha.  "WOW!! You should be an artist!"  they say.  Well, I guess I am an artist.. art teacher.. 

If that colorful little guy above looks familiar, that's because I painted the same type of bird a few months ago.  Here he is below.

Stay tuned for more colorful birds.  Growing up I had a couple parakeets... maybe parakeets are next?!

If you like my art, you can purchase a Happy Mail Pack at my Etsy shop or maybe you would like a 5" x 7" postcard of one of my watercolor paintings?  If money is a problem, feel free to message me for a trade of some sort (I collect zines and love stickers).  Anyways.. I'm just excited when someone else likes my art enough to want something from my shop! :)

Have a great weekend, friends!