Hair & Fur in Portraits-Learn Depicting Natural Looking Hair In Watercolor. Portrait Painting Part 1

1. Welcome: Imagine depicting soft flowing hair, whether blond or dark, the fluffy fur of your beloved pets, or the stunning plumage of birds. In this class, you'll learn essential watercolor techniques that will bring a magical, lifelike quality to all your portrait creations. Hello. My name is Evgenia and today, we'll unlock the endless possibilities with just two watercolor techniques that can transform simple strokes and stains into realistic, soft hair, fur, and down. In the first part of our portrait painting series, we'll start with an easy, yet adorable subject, a yellow duckling. The techniques you learn will help you to master the subtleties of painting soft realistic hair and animal fur. We'll begin with exercises to master the nuances of wet on wet painting and the 'drawing with water' technique- crucial for creating soft flowing textures. You'll also learn about negative painting essential for shaping wispy feathers and hair strands. As we progress, you'll discover how to seamlessly connect wet and dry areas, adding finishing accents that make a significant impact. Additionally, we'll cover the importance of using the right type of paper to enhance your results. At the end of the class, you will receive a step by step guide with strategies for painting natural looking hair and fur. This will ensure you have the tools to continue creating impressive portraits. I've been professional artists for many years, focusing exclusively on watercolors. I've always been captivated by the magic of this medium. I started to paint when I was a child, but as I grew, I had no idea how to improve or how to create effect that I wanted. I didn't know any of the techniques or how to use them. Now I've taken part in exhibitions and been fortunate enough to win rewards from such highly regarded organizations as international Watercolor Society, HelvetArt, Light Space Time, ArtShow International, and Royal Talens. Watercolor can be challenging to manage for those who start to use this medium, which is why it's my intention to help you to enjoy watercolors and to learn it in an easy and fun way. In the step by step lessons, you can see the hand and brush movements clearly from different points of view. We will explore versatile and fundamental watercolor techniques that you can use in all your paintings and sketches. Also, we will discuss the materials that will enhance your watercolor experience and will help you to enjoy the process greatly. If you find this class too easy or too difficult, you can choose from my different classes available for learning varied watercolor skills. The approach of my classes is to start with an easy wash. As we proceed with the painting, step by step, we will add more details completing the artwork. If you have any struggles or difficulties along the way, you can start a discussion and I will read and respond to all your questions. Remember to hit the follow button next to the class title just below the video. By doing so, you'll stay updated and be among the first to receive updates on my upcoming classes and exclusive giveaways. Also, you can see my latest free watercolor tips and tutorials by following me on Instagram and YouTube. Join 'The hair mastery class' and elevate your skills to new heights. Let's create something beautiful together! 2. Your Project: Before we begin with the class, I want to thank you for joining me today. Let's discuss our project. In the Resources section, you'll discover my completed painting as a helpful reference along with pencil drawing that you can trace, you have the freedom to select your own object to paint or to closely follow my painting as a guide. Additionally, you'll find a reference photo and a selection of other images that can serve as inspiration for your very own artwork. It's a great pleasure for me to give my students feedback. After you put so much effort in your artwork, why not share it? You can do it by taking a photo of your painting and share it in the Student Project Gallery, Under the Project and Resources tab. I'd love to hear all about your painting process. If you had any difficulties or what was the most enjoyable part of the painting process. Upload your artwork by clicking on Submit project in the Project and Resources tab. Upload a cover image. It can be your artwork photo, but it will be cropped. No worries. You can upload a full photo further. Share your thoughts about the class and your painting process. Under the field where you write, you can find three small icons. Click on the first one-image and upload your artwork. You can see your photo appearing under your text. Scroll to the top and click on the button 'Publish' to share your project. If you have any struggles or questions during the class, please start a discussion, and I will be sure to answer your questions. I highly encourage you to explore the work of your fellow students in the student project gallery. Viewing other creations can be truly inspiring, and also to receive support can be incredibly reassuring. Therefore, please consider engaging by liking and leaving comments on each other's projects. Join me in the next lesson to explore watercolor materials. 3. Materials To Enhance Your Watercolor Experience: Let's discuss general watercolor materials and how they can enhance your watercolor painting experience. We'll begin with the drawing. I recommend using a soft pencil, as it allows for easy erasure of pencil lines later in the process. Having both a regular eraser and a kneading eraser is valuable. The kneading eraser in particular, plays a crucial role in softening the lines before you start painting. This preparation makes it simpler to erase the lines once your painting is complete. For watercolor paper, I recommend opting for thick paper with a weight of 300 GSM. While the best paper is typically 100% cotton, it's worth noting that there are variations even within this category based on different brands. The ideal approach is to experiment with various paper types and select the one that suits your preferences. It's important to know that you don't always need to use 100% cotton paper. Occasionally, it's enjoyable to experiment and learn on acid free paper, made from cellulose or a blend of cellulose and cotton. This choice can be budget friendly while still providing you with the opportunity to explore various techniques. However, even in this case, I recommend choosing thick paper with a weight of 300 GSM to ensure a sturdy surface for your watercolor endeavors. To transfer a line drawing that you find in the resources tab, you can use artist's graphite paper. It's important to use wax free graphite paper specifically. As using carbon transfer paper is not suitable for transferring a drawing to watercolor paper. If you are interested in exploring 3 alternative methods for transferring a pencil drawing onto watercolor paper, I invite you to check out my other class, 'A dreamy landscape in watercolor, mastering wet techniques for beginners.' I stretch my paper using graphic stretching watercolor paper art board. To secure the paper, I use artist's tape. For more details on the various tape types for stretching the paper you can refer to my other class. 'Clear transparent water with shells and starfish, mastering drawing with water technique.' Let's move to the watercolor supplies, starting with brushes. I personally prefer using synthetic brushes because they are vegan, and I appreciate the idea of not harming animals. Generally, it's often believed that the highest quality watercolor brushes are made from squirrel and sable hair, they're resilient and hold water and paint exceptionally well. However, modern high quality synthetic brushes have nearly identical capabilities to natural hair brushes. For example, Escoda offers a series of synthetic brushes called Versatile that possess the same qualities as natural Kolinsky sable brushes. Da Vinci brushes have the Colineo series, and Isabey offers the beautiful Isaqua series. In the exercise lesson, you'll learn more about specific brushes I use in this class. Ideally, you should have two water jars, one for washing your brush and the other one for obtaining clean water for wetting your brushes, paper, or water colors. However, I must confess that I sometimes use just one jar for convenience. So I can concentrate on the process without worrying about which jar my brush goes into. Nevertheless, I always make it a point to change my water regularly to prevent mudding my color mixes. You can use either watercolor cakes or tubes for your painting. There are various watercolor brands available and they offer both student grade and professional grade watercolors. Your choice between the two depends on your specific needs and budget. If you are just starting with watercolors or working on practice pieces, student grade paints can be a cost effective option. For the colors used in this class, you can refer to the color palette lesson. To paint water colors with ease, it's a good idea to keep several paper tissues or a cotton cloth within reach. They're very useful for dabbing your brush or paper as needed and for thoroughly drying your brush. If you want to truly enjoy a watercolor painting experience, I recommend using a ceramic mixing palette. It can also be ceramic plate. Plastic or metal palettes tend to disrupt the smooth laying of watercolor strokes, causing the paint to form separate drops and pulls. A ceramic surface is ideal for watercolor painting, and using a ceramic mixing palette will enhance your watercolor experience. The mixing process feels exceptionally smooth and creamy on ceramic. A natural or synthetic sponge is essential for making adjustments to correct small mistakes in your painting. Additionally, for some artworks, you may require masking fluid. A white gel pen or a fine acrylic marker or white guage to add small details that can significantly enhance your piece. A spray bottle is also useful for evenly wetting your paint without creating water pools on it. Now that you've gained insights into general watercolor materials, let's move on to the next lesson. In the upcoming lessons, you'll learn about the specific color palette for our project, and you'll also engage in a couple of watercolor exercises to help you feel more at ease and boost your confidence. 4. Exercises Part 1: Wet on wet and Drawing with water: Let's begin with the first exercise. We will paint on wet paper. So start by wetting the sheet of paper with a broad brush. Spread the water evenly. Then turn your paper over and wet the other side as well. Turn the paper back, dry your brush with a tissue to squeeze out the excess water, and brush the surface one more time to remove any extra water. Choose a color. I use a mix of yellow and yellow ochre and mix it to a creamy consistency on the palette. Paint a circular shape on the wet paper. Paint one more circle with the same color. Now take another color. I use a mix of green and burn sienna. Mix it creamy and apply it around the second circle. Add a darker shade like dark blue or black to mix a more saturated color and paint around the circle. We need the contrast between the two colors to achieve our desired effect. Notice how nicely the edge of the first circle diffuses into the white paper. Take a fine brush. A rigger brush with its long bristles is ideal, but you can use any fine tipped brush as well. We will add some short lines to the edge of the first circle. The lines will blur on the wet paper, which is the effect we want to achieve. The yellow edge of the second circle is also nicely blurry. Let's strengthen the effect by painting the edge lines with water. Clean your brush and remove any water drops on the ferrule. Mentally, divide the circle into two parts and paint the water lines on one half. Why do we do this? Because the dry the surface, the more defined the lines will be. The best approach is to try painting and see if you get a line. If not, wait 2 minutes and try again. The lines we make now will almost entirely disappear. But with this technique, you can draw them again after waiting a couple of minutes. While we wait for about 1,5-3 minutes, let's add some darker yellow lines to the still damp paper of the first circle. Make some lines and notice how they appear slightly blurry on the damp paper. To paint beautiful hair and animal fur, it's essential to have a fine rigger brush. Play little with adding several strokes. While we wait for our paper to dry a bit more, I'd like to show some examples of drawing with water in a portrait painting. Using this technique, you can create natural looking hair. In this portrait, I use the technique for painting hair and the folds in the clothes. Notice the hair pattern again. Now let's clean the brush and dab the ferrule. Look how the lines appear directly after drawing with a wet brush. It creates a fluffy edge. You can try it on the first circle as well. Although the effect is less contrasted on a light yellow background. You can also use this technique with color. Try making some lines with color and work on the background around the second circle. It's always a magical moment for me when I see a light line appear. Play around until you feel comfortable with this technique. 5. Exercises Part 2: Negative Painting: The second exercise will help you master the previous technique further. Let's begin by wetting the paper on both sides. Squeeze the brush with a tissue and brush the paper one more time. When painting wet on wet, it's best to place a wet tea towel or a cloth underneath the paper. This will help retain the paper's wetness, giving you more time to paint. Paint a simple circular shape in a light color. Then take a dark color and paint the background on the left side of the circle. While waiting for the paper to dry slightly, paint another light shape. Paint the background below it in a darker color. Make the color saturated by adding more pigment. Clean the brush and switch to a thin fine one. We are going to use the negative painting technique. Painting around the subject to shape it. Take the same color as the background or a darker one and make a series of loose strokes from the background to the object. You can also paint the dark lines from the object to the background. This way, we can shape the light hairs or down on a darker background. Instead of painting light strokes in the dark background. Let's see if we can draw with water on the other shape. Clean the brush and try to make a stroke from the light shape to the dark one. If the paper is still too wet, the lines won't appear. Note that drying time can vary depending on the weather. You just have to try and see if the paper is ready. After 1.5, 2 minutes, try to make a stroke with a damp brush. Yes, now I see the lines appearing nicely. You can stroke on the same line a couple of times, especially if you're using a fine rigger brush. Remember to wet your brush from time to time. Make a series of short or long strokes. Now let's return to our first shape. Add darker accents on the sill dump background. The strokes will be slightly blurry without harsh lines, adding more contrast. It's common for the paper to absorb the pigment, making your initial dark background lighter. If the paper is still damp, you can add darker accents for more shape and contrast. Finally, return to the second shape and accentuate the light lines by painting with a darker color between them. 6. Exercises Part 3: Connecting wet and dry area, Scratching technique: Beforehand, I prepared two sheets of paper for this exercise. Connecting a wet stroke, wash or stain with an already dry painted area is an essential technique for painting portraits. Here are a couple of examples. I added a darker shadow on dry paper and accents on the lips and skin. However, all those extra layers are seamlessly diffused into the painted background. Achieving this effect is quite easy, but the paper is of great importance. That's why I pre-made these painted backgrounds on two different types of paper. We will start by adding a wet stain on the first paper. To diffuse the edge, clean the brush and gently rub the edge with a damp brush. Then dry your brush with the tissue and gently rub the almost dissolved edge. You can also use a crumpled tissue to dab the outline, dissolving the rest of the pigment into the dry paper. Now let's do the same with the study grade cellulose paper. Add a wet stain and gently rub the edge with a brush. You will see that this lifts a yellow pigment, resulting in a light outline. Every time you try to dissolve the edge into the painted background, the pigment underneath will also be lifted, which can be very frustrating. Let's tryit one more time. Add a wet stain, clean the brush, rub gently on the edge. Dry the brush and diffuse the outline seamlessly into the background. On cellulose paper, even light rubbing will lift the pigment from the background. Try this exercise with different papers in your collection and share your results. What paper works best for you with this technique? Exercises like these are valuable for your artistic journey. Let's learn about the differences in lifting dry paint from paper. As with the previous exercise, I premade some painted paper for this. We'll start with the second one. The study grade cellulose paper. Lifting paint on study grade paper is very easy. Just rub the surface with a wet brush, and you'll see a light area appear. On quality cotton paper, lifting paint from dry paper is more challenging. You need to rub with more pressure. That's why I use a dedicated old filbert brush for this kind of work. The shape of filbert brush is also perfect for creating a bokeh effect by lifting. Next, I'd like to show you how to use a sharp knife for creating highlights in haor. The line you scratch with a knife has a very different texture and appearance from masked or white painted lines. Adding a subtle highlights effects. Let's try it together. Hold the blade perpendicular to the paper down, and move your hand. Experiment and practice a little to feel comfortable. You can make fast movements or longer lines. The type of paper doesn't make much difference for this technique. This technique is a final touch and adds another great method to your watercolor arsenal. 7. Color Palette - Duckling In A Terracotta Pot: We begin with the colors for the first duckling painting. Here are the colors we'll use. Yellow. I usually use Azo yellow medium. Yellow ochre is the color I use frequently. Burn Sienna. Bright red like Vermilion. Black, a fine quality saturated black like Mars black. Indian red is a beautiful red brown color I use often for various subjects. To create a color that resembles Indian red, mix a rose-red like Alizarin crimson with a dark brown like Burnt umber. Add a generous amount of brown and mix well. The next color is Payne's gray, a nice, cool gray. You can mix Ultramarine blue and Black to reproduce this color. Let's take the selected colors to create custom shades for our duckling painting. You will find all the colors and their names in the Project and Resources tab. Mix yellow and yellow ochre for the first color. Mix yellow ochre and black for a shadowy yellow. Mix yellow and red for a nice orange. Mix red, black and Indian red together for a reddish brown. Mix red and burn sienna for a color we will use for a terracotta pot. Mix burnt sienna, Indian red and black for a very dark brown. Mix Payne's gray with plenty of water for a light gray color. Mix Payne's gray and yellow ochre for a dark greenish gray. Mix red and burn sienna and black for a dark brown. 8. Painting 1, Part 1 - Fluffy Duckling: As always, we start by gently smudging the pencil lines with a kneaded eraser. This will facilitate easy erasure once your painting is complete. If your sketch lines are faint, you can skip this step. We'll progress through the painting in two stages. First, crafting the adorable duckling, then focusing on the terracotta pot. Let's dive in! It's convenient to moisten the surface using a broad brush instead of saturating the paper with a round brush, opt for even coverage across the larger areas. Wet the upper section containing the duckling and part of the pot. Flip the paper and dampen the entire surface to allow it to lie flat. The paper should be thoroughly wet and soaked, yet free of any pulled water. Select a medium sized round brush, adjusting according to a paper size. Mix a blend of yellow and yellow ochre. Since we are painting on wet paper, refrain from adding excessive water to the color. Aim for a creamy consistency when mixing on your palette. Apply the color to the paper with gentle pressure, allowing the pigment to saturate the paper fibers. Add more of the yellow mix to color the ducklings head. The damp surface will naturally blend the colors, creating soft gradients. Introduce additional yellow ocher and black to the mix for shading the ducklings feathers. Add the color to the yellow background with playful strokes. Dab your brush on a tissue to remove excess moisture and create the texture in the feathers. Increase the darkness by adding more black to the mix and apply it to the darker areas of the feathers on the cheek and above the beak. To create a shadow beneath the duckling, mix vermilion or bright red and yellow. Now let's move on to detailing the ducklings head with a rigger brush or a fine tipped brush. Paint short strokes from the head to the white background, creating an uneven fluffy edge. Add some color variations to maintain a smoother transition between dark and yellow feathers. Accentuate the fluffy yellow feathers by darkening the space between them. This negative painting technique works wonders, particularly against a darker background. Utilize a fine rigger brush to effortlessly paint long wispy lines for the feathers. Hold the brush far from the point to achieve loose playful strokes. Paint the strokes in different directions overlapping them. Now we will paint the edge of the feathers where they come above the pot. We need the upper part of the pot to be damp. You can gauge the paper moisture level by touching it with the back of your hand. If it feels nearly dry, moisten only the pot with a wet brush. I brush it loosely, but you can choose to wet the area of the pot itself. Add more yellow to the feathers edges, then create a reddish hue for the pot using vermilion or red mixed with burned sienna. Apply this color to the upper part of the pot. Gradually intensifying with black and red brown. Blend the colors using a damp brush and tissue. Complete the upper section with additional terracotta tones. Apply pressure to the bristles to spread the pigment on the damp paper. Next, we will paint the light fluffy feathers against the pots dark background. Take your rigger brush and lightly moisten it. Carefully draw the lines just with the tip of the brush on the dark background. This versatile technique is crucial for rendering realistic textures like hair and fur. If the background is too wet, wet for 1.5-2 minutes before attempting again. Meanwhile, let's work on the darker feathers. While the painting is still damp, use the brush tip to create fuzzy textures. Use the pointed tip of the brush and try to make fast playful strokes. The paper has absorbed moisture, but is still damp, perfect for more outlined strokes that will hold their shape better, but still get somewhat diffused on the edges. Paint the area above the beak and on the cheek, touching the paper just slightly with a brush tip. Add some wispy dark feathers were needed. Add more of the yellow mix to paint delicate feathers, taking advantage of the slightly damp surface to blend the color seamlessly. Paint some short strokes around the head for a fluffy edge. Apply some darker shadowy yellow under the cheek and around the eye. Using a wet rigger or fine brush, draw water lines to represent fine fluffy feathers. Adjust pressure for lighter lines and regularly dab the brush on the tissue to maintain control over water saturation. While the pot is still damp, deepen the negative spaces between the feathers. If, like me, you wetted the entire area previously, rather than just the pot, you may need to lift color from the pots edges for clarity. Do this by lightly dampening a brush, rubbing away excess pigment outside the pot, and dabbing the paper with the tissue to absorb any bleeding. 9. Painting 1, Part 2 - Terracotta Pot & Details: Now that the paper has dried, we can paint the terracotta pot on dry paper. Deep your brush into the color on your palette and fill in the area. Begin by painting the upper part of the pot again. Since we're painting on dry paper, ensure you add enough water to your color so that the pigments blend smoothly and do not dry out too quickly. Color the pot accordingly. Mike a rich hue from Vermilion, burnt sienna and black to create the shadow on the pot. Deep your brush into the water jar to moisten the paper while covering the area with color. Ensure you color mixes are moist enough when painting on dry paper, to spread the color and blend the stains smoothly. Moving onto the area just under the feathers. We need to blend the dry color with the wet one, we just painted. To do this, dab your brush dry and with short strokes, gently fade out the edge of the wet area. Let's mix a darker shade for the shadow on the terracotta. Apply this color beneath the upper part of the pot and diffuse it onto the still damp background. Paint a shadow under the upper part. And add some darker shade on the edge of the pot. With a very dark tint, paint the shadows to create an illusion of a round shape. Because the background is still damp, the colors blend seamlessly. Stretch the dark color using the belly of the brush with slight pressure. It should feel as if you're gently rubbing the brush, mixing and blending the color stains on the paper. Use the tip of your brush to touch up the areas between the feathers. Diffuse the color by stroking lightly with your brush. Create a small shadow on the ground using diluted Payne's gray. Clean the brush and with wet bristles, soften the edge of the previous stain. Add some gray accents on the other side. To seamlessly blend the edge, dab the surface with a crumpled tissue. Let's complete our adorable duckling. After creating the fluffy feathers, it's time to add a few outline details to bring it to life on paper. Make some warm gray with Payne's gray and yellow ochre. With a very fine brush, paint the eyes edge with warm gray. Then stretch some red to your palette and mix it with yellow to paint the lower part of the beak. Add a shadow in the corner. Take some yellow and paint the big yellow area. Clean your brush and blend the yellow to create a gradient from yellow to light yellow. Add a light gray where the beak changes color. Paint an orange accent on the tip of the beak and gently blend the low edge. Add some shadow on the edge for depth. With a saturated black color, paint the dark areas. Then soften the edges with a clean brush. Once all the dark areas are covered, add black accents for texture. Enhance the beak with a more saturated orange accent and a gray one. Now let's paint the eye using a very saturated black, leaving a white dot unpainted. Add texture to the eyes with a series of small gray dots. Lastly, use a very fine brush to add a small dark shadow on the beak. Let's use a rigger brush to paint the feathers accents. With quick strokes, paint the feathers. Apply a more saturated orange shadow under the head. If you wish to add more color here or there, remember to blend the edges directly with a wet clean brush. Now let's accentuate the edge of the pot by drawing a thin dark line. Add some short lines between the feathers for added dimensionality. Finish off with one more thin line. Then outline the edge by painting a shadow. Accentuate the shadow by darkening it next to the pot's edge. Then blend the wet stroke into the dry background with a clean brush. Add some tiny shadowy accents of the edge and beneath the pot. Diffuse the edge of the stain with a clean damp brush. Let's have some fun and age the terracotta pot. Lightly wrap the bristles on the dry surface, and dab the area with a tissue. This will create a textured and patterned effect, giving the painting a more artistic touch. Optionally, you can add some artistic color splatters on the pot to enhance its texture. Mask the area around the pot with paper. Take a brush loaded with brown color and tap it against another brush to let the splatters fall onto the paper. Dry your painting thoroughly on both sides. For the final details, add some highlights by scratching the paper with a sharp knife here and there. Learn more about the nuances of scratching technique in the exercise lesson. Congratulations with completing the painting. 10. Color Palette - Duckling In Grass: Let's make color swatches for the second duckling painting. Lemon yellow. Yellow ochre, black, sap green. Burnt sienna, ultramarine, indigo, or substitute with black and a little bit of blue. Viridian or bluish green, vermilion or red, alizarin crimson, or rose red. Let's mix the selected colors together to create custom shades for our second duckling painting. Mixing sap green and burnt sienna creates a natural green. Let's mix sap green and yellow ochre for a nice yellowish green. Sap green mixed with burnt sienna and black produces a rich dark green. Sap green, burn sienna, viridian and black, blends well for a beautiful dark green. Let's mix sap green, burnt sienna, and ultramarine for a cool bluish green. Add more blue if needed. Mix rose red or alizarin crimson with plenty of water and create a light rose color. Mix blue and black, for a color we will use for eye reflections. Mix red and yellow to mix an orange color. A mix from red, yellow ochre and blue is great for the webbed feet. Adjust by adding more red and blue for the desired shade. I find that mixing red and blue first, then adding a touch of yellow ochre often gives better results. Keep a dedicated sketchbook for all your color mixes. This makes it easy to find the right color for your project quickly. 11. Painting 2, Part 1 - Duckling On Grass: Begin by gently softening the pencil lines with a kneaded eraser. If you sketch lines are faint, feel free to skip this step. Refer to the photo for inspiration. The fluffy down of the duckling appears lighter than the background. To capture this effect, we'll combine painting on wet paper with a water drawing technique. Start by dampening a tea towel and stretching it on the table. Then thoroughly wet the paper on both sides until it becomes very flexible. This method works with all types of paper, whether cotton or cellulose. Place the wet drawing on the tea towel and using a broad damp brush, flatten the paper onto the surface. Select a round brush with a fine tip. Prepare palette with a range of colors, such as lemon yellow, yellow ochre, and black. Apply the color with gentle pressure on the bristles. Add some other tints and shades of yellow and mix the color stains on the paper by slightly pushing the bristles onto the surface. Use the belly of the brush, not the tip, to saturate the paper fibers with pigment. Clean and dab the brush, then extend some color to the white areas to highlight the feathers. Apply a shadowy yellow under the head and color the belly with slight yellow tints. Now let's mix the natural green from sup green and burn sienna. For varied grass colors, add a touch of indigo to the mix. Apply the colors, blending them on the damp paper. Paint around the duckling. Switch between using the belly and the tip of the brush when painting larger areas or when you need more defined thin strokes. For more brush exercises, watch my class "Glass mastery". Add ultramarine, indigo, and a hint of viridian for shadowy grass tones. Clean the brush and stretch the color to the white areas. Continue painting around the duckling. The wet paper will begin to create a fuzzy outline of the duckling. Intensify the shadow effect under the duckling by adding more blue to the mix. Paint around the paws, then use a very dark green mix between the paws. Adding playful stains on the grass and coloring the rest of the background. The outline of the duckling will appear soft and blurry without harsh lines. Adjust any areas where you don't want fuzziness. Dry your brush with the tissue and remove any bleeding color. Crumple the tissue and gently dub the beak to prevent color to spread. Repeat this process with the paws. Color them with a mix of red and yellow ochre. Adding a touch of bluish color to the feet. Dry the brush and adjust the duckling's shape by lifting any bleeding green color. Painting on wet paper offers flexibility. You can easily add or remove colors while the paper is damp. Placing a wet towel will prolong the paper wetness, giving you ample time to paint. Now let's create the flyffy down of the duckling. Wet a fine rigger brush or a fine tipped brush as we did in the exercise lesson. Remove any excess water from the ferrule and make a short stroke from the duckling to the background. It's always fascinating when a light stroke appears after touching the paper with a fine brush. To achieve this effect, the paper shouldn't be overly wet. Test it by making a stroke. If you see no line, the paper is still too wet. Wait 1.5-2 minutes and try again. Mastering this technique is really invaluable for creating realistic effects with watercolor. Mix a shadowy yellow and paint the duckling shadows. The paper should still be slightly damp, allowing colors to blend softly. Add some yellow strokes to define the feathers. Paint dark nuances in the feathers with playful strokes. Re-wet a fine brush and draw with water to accentuate the fluffy edge. Use a wet brush to add highlights and shape to the webbed feet. If after a couple of strokes, you don't see a light line appear, re-wet the brush and try again. Stroke in the same spot a couple of times if necessary. Add a few darker strokes to the feathers and draw some light strokes with water as well. Accentuate the eye by placing a thin line underneath. To remove any color that has bled onto the beak, gently rub a wet brush over the area and dab it with a tissue to leave the pigment. Paint the beak light pink and add some light orange accents. Paint a hint of shadow using pink, and deepen the shadowed areas with a gray pink mix. Add a darker line above and below the eye. Let's move on to the next part. 12. Painting 2, Part 2 - The Details: Now that the paper is dry, let's focus on painting the details that will make a significant difference. Look closely at the reference photo. Notice that the ducklings eye is not completely black. It has subtle reflections that give it a three-D appearance. Begin by painting the eye with a dark bluish color, mixing blue and black. Add a subtle line in the feathers to accentuate the eye. While the eye background dries, define the beak's edge with shadows using a dark color like black combined with rose-red and brown. Paint the darkest details of the beak. Paint the beak with diluted rose-red and diffuse the edge of the stain with a clean damp brush. Enhance the beak's edge with an orange-brown. Add shadows to the beak's tip and soften them. Paint a subtle line on the beak, adding shadows and softening the outlines. Add a subtle dark dot in the corner of the beak and the edge. Apply some bluish color to the beak. Color the area under the big yellow and blend it. Add more shadowy yellow for a defined shape and defuse the color's edge. Use a saturated black, leaving the reflections unpainted. Then clean the brush and lightly rub the edge of the unpainted areas with a wet, fine brush. This will soften the outline and darken the reflection slightly for a realistic look. Complete the eye by painting the edge gray brown. Adjust a small area above the beak, defining the shape with green color. Clean and dry your brush, then lightly rub to blend the dry unpainted areas. Add more shadows to the webbed feet, remembering to soften the outlines for a natural look. Some orange color to accentuate the dimensionality. Do the same for the second foot, Diffuse the edges of the strokes. Some orange for more defined shape. Mix a very dark green and paint around the feet. Softly put the belly of the brush onto the paper and slowly move it coloring the area. Use a clean damp brush to blend the color into the dry area. Note that when the brush is dry, it will spread the transparent pigment unevenly, leaving gaps. This can look very artistic. Do the same on the other side. Repeat moistening, drying of the brush and proceed with diffusing the edges. Add more saturated shadows under the feet with a fine brush and soften the edges. A tiny accents to create more shape and a subtle, darker shadow to accent the webbed feet. Remember to soften the edges of the stains and strokes. Some gentle shadow to accentuate the fluffy down. Take some green again, and using a rigger brush paint loose grass lines to enhance the background and add depth to the scene. Congratulations with completing the painting! 13. Strategies For Successful Hair Painting - Step By Step Guide: In this lesson, you'll receive a helpful guide for successfully painting hair. Even the most intricate hair locks will no longer pose an issue when you master these handy steps. Print out a reference photo, study the object closely, observing its intricate pattern, as well as the interplay of light and shadow. After completing your drawing, gently use a kneaded eraser to soften any pencil lines that appear too dark. Place a wet cloth on the table and smooth it with your hands. Fully moisten your painting on both sides before laying on the damp cloth. Utilize a broad damp brush to flatten the paper. Begin by applying a base color for the hair. Then switch to finer brushes to add intricate lines following the hair pattern. Add darker accents to the hair, holding your brush farther from the tip to create loose strokes. Remove any excess paint and adjust the hair shape by lifting the paint with a damp brush. After removing the paint, clean the brush, dry it, and repeat the process of removing, cleaning and drying as needed. Paint hair locks playing attention to shadows and highlights. Use a saturated color mixed with minimal moisture to ensure that the applied strokes maintain their shape better on wet paper. Adjust the shape of the hair by lifting the paint. Remove the excess paint, clean the brush and dry it. Additionally, you can use crumpled tissue to remove paint from wet paper. It's time to add saturated shadows for more depth. As the pigment gets absorbed by the wet paper, it will lighten. So during the process, we'll add more shadows to maintain depth. Use water and an extra fine brush to draw thin highlights in the hair. These lines are crucial for shaping the hair and giving it a natural appearance. Review the exercises to master the drawing with water technique. Add some darker fine thin lines in the hair. A thin rigger brush with long bristles is essential if you love painting portraits. But you can also use an extra fine round brush. Paint saturated shadows by adding more pigment to the mix, creating a creamy texture as you blend it. Remove excess paint by lifting it where needed. Even a small gap between the locks can have a significant effect. Paint the shadows referring to your reference. Apply paint between the highlights and the hair to enhance the effect. Add fine dark lines in the hair to further define the strands and add depth. Add color accents where needed. We're still painting on slightly damp paper. The cloth underneath helps maintain the papers moisture. Create hair highlights using water. This process always feels magical to me. If the line doesn't appear directly, try drawing it again. Put shadowy accents. Individual strands of hair. Paint shadows using a rigger brush for the strokes. Add darker colors between the highlights and paint individual strands of hair to enhance the texture and depth of the hair. It's time to dry the painting. Start by drying one side, then flip it over and dry the back side. Repeat the process until the paper is completely sturdy and dry. Add saturated shadows on the dry paper. Then soften the edges of the fresh strokes. Since the paper is dry, you'll note the colors appear lighter than on wet paper. And adding extra shadows now will provide a noticeable difference enhancing depth and dimension. The final touch is to create some highlights by scratching the surface with a sharp knife. Review the exercises we mastered together to learn more about the scratching technique. Let's jump to the last lesson to conclude what we have learned during the class. 14. Concluding In A Nutshell: As we conclude our journey together, I hope you found inspiration in the artistry of watercolor painting. Throughout this class, we've delved into nuances of techniques to express the delicate beauty of feathers, fur, and hair. Together, we've unraveled the mysteries of crafting smooth surfaces and seamlessly integrating soft textures into our compositions, laying the foundation for expressive and lifelike portraits. From mastering wet on wet painting to the art of drawing with water, we've explored a spectrum of fundamental techniques designed to enhance your artistic arsenal. The power of contrast has been revealed as a tool to accentuate the softness of our subjects. While the aging of terracotta surfaces has added a rustic charm to our compositions. We completed two different duckling paintings, learning and mastering techniques like drawing with water and negative painting, which are essential for all portrayed artworks, whether you love to paint people, animals, or birds. We enjoyed the softness of watercolor on wet paper and created soft blurry transitions between the background and the feathers. Finally, we summarized all the techniques and steps in a handy step by step guide for painting natural looking hair in portraits. In our exploration of color, you've not only discovered essential hues, but also learned to mix your own natural greens, offering endless possibilities for enriching your future landscapes and nature paintings. If you enjoyed the class, I would be really grateful for getting your review on it. The first part of the portrait painting course, where we learned to paint hair is complete. By painting two adorable fluffy ducklings, we learned fundamental and essential techniques for painting all types of hair, fur, and down. While the subjects may vary, with your newfound watercolor knowledge, you will be able to paint any subject you like. Remember to keep experimenting with different techniques and embrace your unique style. I hope to see your artwork after you put so much hard work in it, and I love to hear all about your painting process. If you had any difficulties or what was the most enjoyable part of the painting process. Show your artwork in the Student project gallery by clicking on Submit Project under the Project and Resource Tab. Every piece of art, no matter the level, represents time, effort, and personal expression. But most importantly, it's a part of your artistic journey. It's a visual record of your growth as an artist. If you have any questions, I'm happy to respond and to help. Just post your thoughts in a discussion thread. If you prefer to share your artwork on Instagram, please tag me @magical.watercolor I would love to see your painting! Skillshare would also love to see the artworks of my students. Please tag them as well @skillshare Remember to hit the follow button next to the class title, just below the video. By doing so, you'll stay updated and be the first to know when I introduce a new class or announce a giveaway. Thank you for embarking on this artistic journey with me. As you continue to hone your skills and create breathtaking watercolor artworks, I wish you joy and fulfillment in every brushstroke. Farewell and happy painting!