Do you love birds and vibrant color? In this class, you’ll create a bold POSCA marker bird drawing by sketching and coloring a Lilac-Breasted Roller using Uni POSCA acrylic markers.

I’m Andy Villon, and I know drawing can feel like the hardest part—especially if you’re more comfortable painting or coloring. That’s why this lesson focuses on a simple, repeatable process for drawing birds from reference: we’ll break the subject down into clear shapes first, then build the drawing step by step so you’re not guessing.

We’ll start by analyzing the reference photo to understand the bird’s structure before we draw. I’ll demonstrate a few easy ways to do this: drawing over the photo digitally (I use Photoshop on my iPad), using Markup, or tracing with tracing paper. This quick “study” helps you see the bird as a 3D form, not just an outline—so your sketch feels more accurate and solid.

You’re welcome to follow along with the Lilac-Breasted Roller, or use the same method with any subject you love—your pet, another bird, a person, or even a landscape. The goal is to learn a process you can reuse in future drawings.

After this study we will will start on the drawing of our bird using our acrylic markers. Here is a list of the materials:

I recommend using Uni POSCA Extra Fine Tip markers (0.7 mm / PC-1MC) for clean linework and small details.

You’ll also want a ruler. In class, I use a T-square because it makes straight lines easier, but any ruler works—and you can absolutely do this without one.

For the surface, I’m using a 7" x 14" Canson Black Illustration Board because the dark background makes the POSCA colors look extra vibrant and bold.

If you’re working on black paper/board, you’ll also need a white colored pencil to sketch the bird before you begin coloring.

Here is a photo of my drawing.

I also would love it if you visit my Etsy Shop where I offer prints of my artwork and other handicrafts: AndysARTtitude

Be sure to check my pages out on Instagram and Facebook where I post updates of my art and I announce when there are new SkillShare classes.

POSCA markers

Uni POSCA

acrylic paint markers

paint pen art

paint marker drawing

black paper art

drawing on black paper

marker art on black paper

neon marker art

glow effect drawing

bright color art

vibrant color layering

highlights and contrast

shading with markers

color blending with markers

layering techniques

step-by-step marker drawing

beginner POSCA class

bird drawing

colorful bird drawing

tropical bird drawing

exotic bird art

parrot drawing

macaw drawing

songbird illustration

wildlife art

nature illustration

feather texture

bird shading

marker illustration

Fabia Irvin

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