Backyard Birds in Oil Pastel

American Goldfinch  by Jackie, oil pastel on black paper

In February we created these sweet bird paintings in oil pastel on black paper. 

Wait, did I say "paintings?" 

Yes! Pastel artwork is generally considered a painting, not a drawing. Did you know that? 

Dark-eyed Junco or Snowbird, oil pastel on black paper 

These portraits of backyard birds are first lightly sketched on 9" x 12" black sulfite paper using either black or white soft pastel (which can be brushed off easily with a soft cloth as the sketch is being adjusted).   

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, oil pastel on black paper 

Northern Cardinal, oil pastel on black paper

Black-capped Chickadee, oil pastel on black paper

Since our intent was to learn how to work with oil pastels, we did not want to spend all of our time attempting to draw anatomically correct birds. So a shortcut was available.

First, artists chose a photo of a bird from my large file of resource photos (from calendars). They could use the photo to observe and draw their bird freehand, or, with tracing paper, they could trace the basic outline, eye placement, and main markings of the bird. 

Then a piece of carbon paper was sandwiched between the tracing paper and the black paper and the bird was retraced onto it. 

A natural element, such as a branch, was also sketched in the scene for the bird to perch on. The background was left black. 

Now artists selected a pallet of oil pastel sticks to be used for the painting. They held up each possible color to compare to the resource photo. Once chosen, this pallet was kept until the painting was finished. 

Artists learned that oil pastels can be blended, mixed to make new colors, and used lightly or heavily to create shadows, highlights, and textures.

If you have a set of oil pastels that you would like to get to know better, give this little bird portrait a try. You will likely be pleasantly surprised! These samples were painted by adults, but I have also had great success with teens and children (ages 8 and up).

Winter Scene in Watercolor

 

A small group of adult artists came by to paint this lovely little winter scene, a perfect subject for this very cold January! 

This is an easy watercolor painting that works well in a small format. Our artists chose either 9"x12" or 7"x10" watercolor paper. (90# works for the smaller size, 140# is better for the larger format.)

Want to paint your own? You can do it! First, tape the paper down to a watercolor board to keep it from curling and to ensure a nice white border when you are all done. 

Next, sketch a basic scene, starting with an uneven horizon line. Try to keep it below the center if the paper. Sketch in the basic shapes of the birch (or aspen) trees in the foreground. Feel free to use resource photos of trees to help you. Just sketch the trunks and large branches - no need to include the smaller branches and twigs. 

Now, with an old brush, fill in the tree trunks and branches with masking fluid (or frisket) and allow to dry. 

To complete the painting, take a look at The Virtual Artist for detailed instructions. 

We found this painting to be easy and fun, and we loved the results! Everyone's painting was different, showcasing each artist's interpretation of this crisp, wintery scene!

To see more about this painting, see our previous post Winter Landscape.