plate no. 5859

Birds on Riser

Adolf Dietrich, 1944

oilNaïve Art (Primitivism)animal paintingbirdswintersnowwindowbuildingsbird feeder

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in accurately depicting animal forms and rendering a sense of depth through careful observation of perspective and detail. It will also encourage careful color mixing to capture the subtle variations in the birds' plumage.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the window frame, the bird feeder, and the basic outlines of the buildings and landscape in the background.
step 02
Roughly sketch the positions and shapes of the birds, paying attention to their proportions and poses.
step 03
Begin blocking in the background colors: the sky, snow, and buildings. Use thin washes of color.
step 04
Paint the bird feeder, using a light blue/gray color. Add shadows and highlights to give it form.
step 05
Start painting the birds one by one, beginning with the largest shapes and gradually adding details like feathers and eyes.
step 06
Carefully mix colors to match the birds' plumage as closely as possible. Use small brushes for detail work.
step 07
Paint the window frame, using a dark color. Add highlights to suggest the light source.
step 08
Add final details and adjust colors as needed to create a cohesive and realistic image.

color palette

primary · gray · brown · white · blue

secondary · red · yellow · green · black

Mix various shades of gray by combining white with small amounts of black, blue, and brown. Achieve the bird's plumage colors by mixing browns, yellows, reds, and grays. Use glazes to build up color depth.

techniques