How to Paint a Male Cardinal
Male cardinals are one of the most striking species of birds found in North America. Unlike females, male cardinals are noteworthy for their bright red plumage and sharp crests. They can be found across most of the United States. Learning to paint male cardinals can create images with sharp contrasts in color.
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Instructions
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Draw the figure of the male cardinal on your painting surface. If you have a prepared image, trace it onto the paper using a pencil. Otherwise use loose geometric shapes to outline the cardinals key features. Draw a small circle for its head, a long oval for its body, and triangles for its beak, crest, and wings. Draw a small circle or two, depending on the angle of the bird, for its eyes.
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Paint the birds body, crest and wings with a shade of bright red. This is your base coat. Apply a second coat for deeper color. Avoid painting the beak and eyes.
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Paint the beak orange. Male cardinals typically have a reddish-orange beak, so mix your color appropriately. This is the base coat for the beak.
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Shade areas of the bird with a dark umber to create definition. Apply heavily to the cardinal's face mask, eyes, and separation in its beak. Use lighter shades to give detail to the feathers on its wings, tail, and the separation between its wings and body. Also lightly add shading to its underbelly and crest.
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Paint the entire bird red once more with a top coat. The top coat should not be applied so thick as to hide the umber shading. It should soften the umber brush strokes to make a more natural blend between the red and umber.
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Dab two white dots at the edges of each eye. Use just the tip of your brush to avoid applying too much paint. Apply light shades of white to areas of the cardinal where light is reflecting using a line brush.
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Tips & Warnings
Use flat brushes to apply the base coats. Use line brushes to apply the shading.
Dip your brushes in water, then wipe them with a paper towel to clean them.
Apply the top coat lightly. If it's still too light, apply another coat.
References
- Photo Credit cardinal image by Chris Amos from Fotolia.com
