plate no. 4793

Plate 101 Raven

oilNaturalismillustrationravenbirdleavesbranchnutsfoliage

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create depth and texture, and in accurately depicting botanical and ornithological details. It also provides practice in rendering realistic light and shadow.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the raven, branch, leaves, and nuts.
step 02
Block in the main areas of color: the black of the raven, the greens and browns of the foliage, and the gray of the branch.
step 03
Begin layering darker values on the raven to define its form and create the illusion of feathers.
step 04
Add highlights to the raven using slightly lighter shades of gray and blue.
step 05
Develop the details of the leaves, varying the greens and browns to create a naturalistic effect.
step 06
Paint the nuts, paying attention to their texture and the shadows they cast.
step 07
Refine the details of the branch, adding texture and subtle color variations.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to the entire painting.

color palette

primary · black · green · brown · gray

secondary · yellow · blue

Achieve the raven's black by mixing black with small amounts of blue and brown. Mix various shades of green by combining yellow and blue, and adjust with brown for muted tones. Use white to create highlights and lighter shades of gray.

techniques