I like to paint realistic, detailed pictures and one of my favourite birds to paint is the colourful kingfisher. Watch my process as I use acrylic paints to build up the detail on this kingfisher, stage by stage.
Kingfisher painting process
I start by blocking in the colour on the background colours. I do this process as quickly as possible while the paint is still wet and map out where the branches are going to go. Then I’m ready to start on the easel. I draw the outline of the kingfisher and it’s perch in coloured pencil before blocking in the main colours on the bird, working with the darker tones first.
Building up layers
I build up layers of paint creating texture along the branch before I then move to a smaller brush to work on some of the finer details of the flowering pussy willow. And I start work on the detail of the feathers, painting the darker feathers first and moving to light. It’s important to really understand the anatomy of these birds, and I love the challenge of accurately capturing how the feathers interlace with one another. Before I finally finish, I inspect each section of the painting and add any final highlights to bring it to life. Then finally after weeks of work it’s it done… and I’m happy.
