This bird waited patiently in my sketchbook—just a simple pencil outline—until the mail finally delivered my new pigments. And the wait was well worth it! I wanted to give him that authentic, magical metallic sheen—the kind you see on starlings or blackbirds when they catch the sunlight.
I incorporated a deep purple, along with a touch of granular garnet to add texture to the feathers. Then came the real magic: a light wash of iridescent turquoise—MIRAVAL®—over the top. Finally, I applied a transparent ultramarine, mixed with a few drops of black, across his entire body.
Thanks for the inspiration; I truly enjoyed painting this blackbird.

  Preparing paints for the blackbird.