https://www.skillshare.com/en/classes/BEE-EATER-Learn-to-Paint-Birds-in-Watercolour-using-a-DIRECT-and-LOOSE-technique/272648100

In this class we are going to be painting a European Bee-Eater. I see many species of Bee-Eaters, some right from my home. The European Bee-Eater is the one I am yet to see. They are winter visitors here in India so fingers crossed I see one this year.

The colours of this Bee-Eater make him very visually striking. The colours make him a attractive subject to paint but depicting those colours while maintaining a fresh looking painting is a difficult thing to achieve. This class is such that it can be completed in a single, one-hour sitting (alla prima). We will learn how to use a combination of quick brushstrokes and patient detailing. All along, we will maintain harmony between all the colourful sections of our Bee-Eater.

In this class we will learn how to plan and execute a combination of simple watercolour techniques. We shall use confident, bold and playful brushstrokes. We will focus on large shapes and how to connect them and not seek perfection in minor details. We shall embrace happy accidents and find joy in the unpredictability that the medium of watercolor affords us.


On completing this class, you will gain familiarity with the following topics:

• How to paint a colourful subject in a single sitting (alla prima)
• How to plan layers for a painting.
• How to use a combination of wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry painting techniques
• How to paint any subject in a simple and confident style
• How to mix colours when using a limited palette

This class is suitable for anyone wanting to combine their love for the natural world and the medium of watercolour. Not only will you learn how to boldly paint birds and animals you view daily, it will also add a fresh dimension to your power of observation. I would encourage anyone interested in wildlife art, pet portraits, nature journaling, birdwatching and folks who want to pick up a fresh, experimental approach to watercolour to give this class a go.