plate no. 8596

Plate 61. Great Horned Owl

oilNaturalismillustrationowlsbirdsbranchwildlifefeathers

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in layering colors to create realistic textures and accurately rendering fine details like feathers and branch textures.

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 owls and the branch.
step 02
Apply a thin, diluted wash of raw umber or burnt sienna to establish the base tones of the owls and branch.
step 03
Begin layering darker values to define the shadows and contours of the owls' bodies and the branch.
step 04
Use a fine brush to add details to the feathers, paying attention to the direction and pattern of the markings.
step 05
Mix and apply the colors for the eyes, using small, precise strokes to capture the highlights and shadows.
step 06
Add the lighter values to the feathers and branch, creating highlights and texture.
step 07
Refine the details of the branch, including the moss and lichen.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values as needed to create a cohesive and realistic image.

color palette

primary · raw umber · burnt sienna · yellow ochre · ivory black

secondary · titanium white · cadmium yellow · raw sienna

Achieve the feather colors by layering washes of raw umber, burnt sienna, and yellow ochre, then adding details with a fine brush using mixtures of ivory black and white for darks and white and yellow ochre for highlights.

techniques