Illustrate Tropical Birds In Procreate

1. Introduction & What You’ll Learn : Hey guys, I'm Vinitha. I'm an illustrator and a pattern designer based in Singapore. In this class, I'm going to show you how I illustrate my tropical birds in Procreate. We will be doing three tropical birds in this class, that is, sun conure, flamingo, and kingfisher. I will be showing you step-by-step process of illustrating these birds starting from how I use my reference images to the default brushes I use to illustrate these birds. They can also be done on a bigger canvas with minimum layers in Procreate. I have these sketches in the resource section of this class, so you can download and follow along. I have a bonus video showing you my other birds I have done using the same technique as shown in this class. By the end of this class, you will have a lot of tips and tricks while illustrating any bird of your choice. Thank you for taking this class with me. 2. Project & Resources: Project and resources. I have attached all three birds' sketch in the Resource section of this class. You can download these sketches and follow along in the class too. I will show you how you can download them. You have to be on your web page and not on your app. On the class page, you have to go down, tap on Project and Resources, and if you see on the right side the few attachments here, first three are the sketches and the others are the reference images. Tap on the Sketch Attachment, tap on Download, open in Procreate, and it will open in Procreate directly. The scanner just have one sketch layer. If you tap on Gallery, go back. This is the first canvas in your app. Now for the class project, you can illustrate any tropical bird of your choice using the techniques shown in this class. You can even use my sketches and reference images for the project, and also I have this list of tropical birds to help you decide. 3. Canvas & Brush Setup : Let's start with our canvas and brush setup. I already have my sketches ready, and these sketches are also in the resource section of this class. You can download these sketches and follow along, you don't have to wait until you sketch. You can practice on these sketches with me. Resource and projects section, you can also check the steps to download these sketches. These are 4,000 by 4,000 pixel with 300 DPI. To create a new canvas, you can tap on the plus sign. Again, on the plus sign, these boards can also be done on a 6,000 by 6,000 pixel, which is quite a large canvas, but it gives you only 14 layers to work on, and all of our buds are maximum 11 layers. So you can absolutely work on this big canvas. It is always better to use a bigger canvas for any artwork because it is easier to scale down then scale up. If you try to scale up, you're going to lose a lot of quality. Now, let's move on to our brushes setup. I will be showing you the brushes that we're going to use in this class. I'll go to the 'Brush Library', first we'll make the folder. I'll tap on the plus sign, that will create a new folder and I'll rename this folder as buds. All the brushes we are going to use in this class are the default brushes from the procreate library itself. Now, for sketching, you can use any of these pencil brushes under sketching section. I've used 6B pencil for my sketches. Anyway, we will not be using our sketch layer for the final illustration. Now, let's move on to our first brush that is under inking section. That is technical pen. For our basic shapes, I will swipe left, duplicate and I'll pick this brush and drop it into our new folder, the board folder. The second brush is also under inking section, that is the second last brush here. Duplicate this brush and drop it into our board folder again. The third brushes under airbrushing, the first one that's soft brush, I will duplicate this brush and drop it into our folder. Third is under charcoal. The second one that's 4B, duplicate this, drop it in our folder again. Next is under materials, the short hair brush. Duplicate this brush, and drop it in our folder. I'll show you how these brushes looks like and which part of the board we're going to use them for. For all our basic solid shapes, we are going to use technical pen. The second brush is the most important brush, because for the maximum part of the illustration, we are going to use this brush. We will be using this for most of the feather part of the bud. Now, before you start your illustration, you can practice with this brush quite a few times so you can get a good hang of it. [MUSIC] Third one is the soft brush, this I'll be using only for the eyes. Fourth is this rough brush that we're going to use for the beak and the feet to add some highlights and rough edges to them. Now, the last one is this short hair brush, which we are going to use for the softer area, which is mostly the belly area of the bud. 4. Sun Conure: Eyes & Beak: Let's start with our first bird, that is Sun Conure. I'll tap on my first canvas. [MUSIC] On this canvas, I have one layer, that is the sketch layer. Now our first step is to import our reference image. For that, I'll go to action, swipe left on insert photo, insert a private photo and you can tap on the image. I will be using this image as my reference image. This will be for picking up colors and also to see the features and the texture on this bird. Next, I will be changing my background color. While we are drawing with a white color, we can see it clearly. I will keep the background as light blue. Next, we'll go to layers. Now, here we have two layers with image and sketch layer. I'll add a new layer, rename it as eyes and I'll pull it below the sketch layer. All our illustration layer will be below the sketch layer. Now let's pick up the brush for the eyes. I'll go to the brush library and pick up our first brush, that's technical pen. Select white color. We'll start with this outer ring around the eyes. [MUSIC] Now for the second ring around the eye, I'll pick up a light brown color from the image. Just to add a ring following the sketch. [MUSIC] Now, next the black area in the center, I'll select a black color. You can fill the center area with black. All these three colors that's white, light brown, and black can be done on different layers. But to save my number of layers, I like to do it on one. [MUSIC] Next, I'll add a little reflection detail to this black area. For that, I'll select my soft brush, reduce the size. Before you add this detail, you can even refer to more reference images to see how it falls naturally. I like to add a couple of dots that looks enough to make it look natural. Let's move on to the beak. For that, first I'll select my technical pen. I'll go to brushes, my first brush that's technical pen. I'll add a new layer, pull this layer below the eye layer, rename this layer as, beak. I'll pick up a color from the reference image and I'll start drawing my upper beak first. I'll be keeping both upper and lower beak with different shades. Upper one lighter than the lower one. Again, the upper and the lower beak both can be on different layers, that makes your editing easier. Even while adding details, it's easier when it's on different layers. But mine are on the same layer again for the same reason because my canvas mostly are larger. So I get away few number of layers to work on. Next, to add details to this beak, I'm going to Alpha lock this layer, tap on the layer, tap Alpha Lock. [MUSIC] Next, I'll go to the brushes, select my compressed brush. Select a darker shade from the image and I'll follow the reference image to add the shadows and the highlights. When you're adding these details, try to follow the shape of the beak. [MUSIC] Next to add details around the nose and the mouth in between, I'll select my technical pen. Select a darker color and tiny detail for the nose and between the month. Now we're done with our eyes and the beak. Let's move on to the feather in the next section. [MUSIC] 5. Sun Conure: Tail, Belly & Feather: [MUSIC] Let's start with our feather and body here. I'll go to the "Layers", add a new layer, pull this layer below the beak layer, tap on this layer, and rename this as Tail. Next I'll select my second brush for the feather. Try to select a darker shade of brown from the image. We will need three shades of brown here. We'll start with the darker, and then a medium, and then a lighter. Next try to pick up a color which is two-shade lighter than the brown we have already used here. Another way of selecting a color lighter than we're already using is from the color panel, because a lot of time the image might not give you the exact shade you need. Next I'll add a new layer for the greenish feather just above the tail. I'll rename this as Upper Tail. Now, if you see this part of the bird is more of a pale greenish color, and I'm not getting a good shade of green from the image, so I'm going to select from the color panel. With my feather brush again, I'm going to start adding these tiny strokes. Once you're done with this one layer of dark color, you can go to the color panel, select a lighter color of the color you're using. With the same brush, just add these tiny strokes, uneven strokes that looks like feather. If you're using my sketch, you can follow the pencil marks that I've already made on this sketch. Next let's move on to the wings. Go to "Layers", add a new layer on the upper tail layer. I'll rename this layer as Feather. With the same brush selected, I'm going to pick up a darker shade of blue here, and add few big strokes following the sketch. Next select a lighter shade of the same blue, or you can even select a color from the reference image, and add few thinner strokes so we can see the darker shades from the back too. Let's move to the next color, that's green. Select a shade of green from the image. Few medium-sized strokes following the sketch. Now, for the lighter shade I'm going to select from the color panel. Now again, while you're adding these strokes keep in mind to show the dark color from the back too. Keep the strokes a little canal. Now let's move on to the last layer of this wing. I'm going to select a yellow color from the image, and add few strokes and cover this upper area of the wing. Now again, selecting a lighter color of the same shade, a lighter yellow, and few for the leg strokes on the top. Next let's move on to the belly area of this bird. For that we'll add a new layer between the feather and the upper tail layer. Tap on this layer and rename this layer as Belly. Now again, we'll start by selecting a darker shade first, and as we go up, we'll try to create a gradient effect. We'll keep selecting a lighter shade. Now, with the same brush, you can add these feather-like strokes following the shape of this bird's belly. When you're trying to find the shade that you need and the reference image is not giving you that shade, selecting from the color panel can make it easier. You can just select the shade lighter from the shade that you're already using. Selecting among the lighter color. This is the last layer and the lightest shade too. Now selecting the darker shade to add few details on the upper area, especially around neck. You can also follow the sketch and add these details around the sketched marks on the chest. Now selecting the lightest shade of yellow to add highlights on the chest area. Now this bright reddish orange to add highlights around the tail. Now let's move on to the head, feet, and the branch in the next section. 6. Sun Conure: Head, Feet & Branch: [MUSIC] Now for the head let's add a new layer above the belly layer. Tap on the Layer and rename this as Head. Now for the head, I'm going to use all the colors from the body. I'll be picking up the same colors we've used in the body. That will help the artwork look more cohesive and also it is easier for us to pick up the colors. For the head again, we are going to give a gradient effect but this time we'll be going from lighter shade to the darker. Also will be starting from the outer part of the head, going towards the eyes. You'd be starting from the beak and going in a circular direction for each column. Selecting our foes darker shade from the body and adding a layer in a circular direction, starting from the beacon again and towards the beak. Selecting the second darker shade from the body again and adding the third layer of feather to the head. Now the third layer, that's been the orange color. This is our second last layer. The last one with the orange-red color. We are done with the head here. Let's hide the sketch layer and see how it looks. Let's move on to the branch and the feet. Now for the branch, adding a new layer about the feather layer, tap on this layer and rename this layer as branch. Now for the base layer, I'll select my technical pen brush. Select a color from the image. Try to pick up a mid-tone, which is not too dark or too light, and following the sketch, I'll draw the shape of the branch and fill it with the same color. Now to add details to this branch, you can either add clipping mask to this layer or just alpha lock. I'm going to alpha lock this layer and select my full B compressed brush. [MUSIC] Selecting a lighter shade from the image. Now if you're following the image, you can see in the reference image the lighter area, the light is falling on the upper area of the branch. I'm trying to follow that and I'll add this rough strokes on the upper part. [MUSIC] Next, select the darker shade and add that on the lower area. [MUSIC] Now this can be done with the technical pen tool but I'm selecting my feather brush and reduce the size of the brush. This is to add wood light line details. This you can also do by following the lines done on the sketch. [MUSIC] Now with my 4B compressed brush, adding this tiny detail on the branch to make it look more natural for selecting a light color. Make a circle on the edge. Next, select a dark color. Again a tiny circle in-between and again a light color. [MUSIC] Now let's move on to the feet. For that, I'll add a new layer above the branch layer and rename this layer as feet. [MUSIC] Now with my technical pen brush and pick up a color from the reference image. I'll start drawing the shape of the feet, following the sketch. Fill it with the same color. [MUSIC] I'm selecting a dark Grey more like a black color for the nails. Nails can also be done on a different layer, mine is on the same one. Just following the sketch and filling it with the same color. [MUSIC] Next to add details to the feet, I'm going to alpha lock this layer. You can also add clipping mask. I'll select my 4B compressed brush with the dark gray color, just adding the shadows and highlights. [MUSIC] Now with my second brush, that's the feathered brush, I reduce the size of the brush and add these tiny lines that you usually see on a bird's feet. [MUSIC] Here we are done with the first board. Let's hide the sketch layer and see how it looks. I'll hide my reference image layer 2 and that's how the board looks. I'll change the background to a little darker. You can see the bird more clearly. [MUSIC] Let's move on to our second bird. 7. Flamingo: Eyes, Beak & Feet: Let's start with our second board that's flamingo, I'll tap on my second canvas. Now my first step is to insert our reference image. For that I'll go to Action, Insert a Private Photo, and I'll tap on my image. You can select any reference image of your choice. I have few more reference images in the resource section of this class, you can download them too. Now my first step is to add a new layer. I'll pull this layer below the sketch layer, and I'll rename this layer as eyes. All our illustration layers will be below our sketch layer. I will change my background to a little darker color. When we are using white color to illustrate, we can see it clearly. I'll keep it as light blue. Let's start with the eyes first. I'll go to my eyes layer, select my Technical Pen. If you see it clearly, the eyes is a little pale yellow inside the eyes. You can pick the color from the reference image. If it looks too dull, you can just select it from the color panel. I'll pick a little lighter and brighter yellow. Fill the center of the eyes with this color. Next, I'll select a little darker color to add in the center and the ring inside the eye. Next, we move on to the beak of this flamingo. I'll add a new layer, I'll pull this layer below the eyes layer, I'll rename this layer as beak. I'll cover the whole beak with the white color. If you see in the reference image, the white also goes around the eyes, so I will continue around the eyes too. Next to add details to this beak, either you can Alpha lock this layer or add clipping mask. I'm going to Alpha lock this layer. If you add clipping mask, it is going to help you if you have any changes in future. But with the Alpha Lock, you might not be able to do as many changes as with the clipping mask. The benefit with Alpha lock is you save the number of layers you're using. Next, I'll select my compress brush, selecting a light peachy color, and following the reference image, I'll add this layer on the beak. Next for the black area, I'll select my technical pen, select black color, and I'll add on the beak. Next, to add detail to this beak, I'll select my compress brush, and I'll add this detail on the front. It gives this little shiny rough detail to the beak. Let's move on to the feet. For that, I will add a new layer, pull this layer below the beak layer, and rename this layer as feet. Next, I'll go to the brushes, select my technical pen, select a color from the reference image, and I'll start drawing my base layer for the bird's feet. Now to add shadow and detail to these feet, Alpha lock this layer, select Compressed brush, select a darker color of the same shade, I'll add shadow at the back of this feat. This reference image doesn't show the feet, but you can always follow another image for this. Make selecting a lighter shade of the same color, this will be for adding few highlights and light falling on the feet. I feel the feet looks too dark for me, so to make it lighter, I'll go to Adjustments, Curves. I'll pull the string up and make it a little lighter. Here we are done with our beak, eye, and feet. Let's move on to the feather part of this bird. 8. Flamingo: Tail, Belly, Back & Head: [MUSIC] Now here for the feathers, we'll start with the tail first. I'll go to the layers, add a new layer, rename this layer as Tail. Next, select R the brush. Select a nice bright orange from the reference image, and add these strokes on the tail area of this flamingo. I'm trying to follow the reference image to understand the shape and the fall of these feathers. Once I'm done with this first layer, I'm going to select a lighter shade of the same orange color. This will be the second layer on the same feather. If you're not able to pick it from the reference image, you can just select a lighter shade from the color panel and start adding these tender brushstrokes. Make sure you don't cover the whole base layer. You can still see the base color between these strokes. Next, for the back feather of this flamingo, I'm going to add a new layer and rename this layer as Feather. This layer is about the tail layer. I'll select a white color for my base layer, and cover the whole back with this white color. You have to make sure the end of each stroke looks like a feather. If you're following the same sketch, it will be easier for you to follow the shape of the feather here. Now, here again, I feel the white color looks too dull, so make it lighter. I'll go to Adjustments, Curves, and pull this string little upward, that will make the color lighter. Now to add my second layer of feather, I'm going to add a clipping mask to this layer. Add a new layer, tap on the "Layer", and tap "Clipping Mask". Select a light peach color. With the same feather brush, I'll start adding these strokes following the sketch. Next, selecting a darker shade of the same color. These darker brush strokes will also be in the same place as the lighter one. Just make sure the strokes are little thinner and you can see the lighter one too, very really close to the light one. Let's hide the sketch layer and see how it looks. I'll go to the layers, hide my sketch layer. This is how it looks without the sketch. Now, here you can even make your own changes like keeping the strokes a little longer or shorter, or you can even change the base color. Instead of white, you can keep it a little more peachy or pinkish depending on your reference image too. Let's move on to the belly of this board. For that, I'll add a new layer, and this layer will be below our tail layer, and we name this as Belly. I'll select the same white color for the belly too, and I'll cover this whole lower area with my feather brush. Next, adding clipping mask to this layer. Select one of the lighter shade of the pink from the feather. I'll start adding this feather-like detail on the belly too. If you are following the same sketch, you can follow the pencil marks down on the belly. Now, selecting a darker shade to add few details around the tail and at the bottom. Now let's move on to the head. For that, I will add a new layer. This will be below the beak layer, and we name this layer as Head. Select a darker shade of this *****, cover the whole head area until the neck. We'll create this base layer first. This color should not be too dark or too light. It should be around a mid-tone. Next, I'll add a clipping mask to this head layer. Select a darker shade of this *****, and we'll be adding this detail layer, especially around the eyes and also where the neck has a curve. I'll select even more darker shade. I'll start adding another layer on top of the layers we've already done. Make sure you don't completely cover the previous layer. Now next, selecting a lighter layer. This color will be lighter than your base layer. We'll add this color to the areas we can see the light falling in the reference image. I'm going to select another lighter color, and this will be the lightest one. This will be a layer we will be adding to the last light color we did. We're done with our flamingo here. I will hide the sketch layer so we can see the final illustration. I'll change the background to be a little darker so we can see the board clearly. Hide my reference image. I feel the tail looks a little darker than the head. I want it to be a little lighter. I'll go to my Tail layer, go to Adjustments, Curves, and I'll pull this string a little up. If you want to change the color slightly, you can again go to Adjustments, go to Hue, Saturation, and Brightness. Here under Hue, you can change the color. Mine is looking a little orangeish. I want it to look a little pink, so I'm going to slide it towards left. Now the tone matches the hand. We're done with this flamingo. Let's move on to our third bird. 9. Kingfisher: Eyes, Beak & Feet: Let's start with our third bird, that's kingfisher. I'll tap on my third canvas. Right now I just have one layer on this canvas, that is, the sketch layer. Now, my first step is to insert our reference image. For that I'll go to Action, Insert a photo and insert your reference image. I will be using this reference image to pick up colors to understand the feature of this board and also the different texture on different parts of the body. I will be changing the background color so when we are working with the white color we can see it clearly. I will keep it as light blue. Next, I'll go to Layers. I'll add a new layer, pull this layer below our sketch layer, and rename this layer as Eyes. All the layers we're using to illustrate will be below our sketch layer. Select my technical pen from the brushes. Select the light brown color around the eyes. I'll fill the whole eyes with this brown color. This will be our base layer. Next, select black color. With this, I'll fill only the center area so the light brown color looks like a ring around the eye. Next, I'll select my soft brush. With this, we will be adding this reflection inside the eye. I'll select white color, keep the size of the brush smaller. I'll just add a slight brushstroke on the black color. We are done with the eyes here. Let's move on to the beak. For that, I'll go to Layers add a new layer, pull this layer below our eyes layer, and rename this as beak. [MUSIC] I'll pick a light color from the image. With the same technical brush, I'll start drawing our beak. I will be having both lower and upper part of the beak with different color, and this will be on the same layer, but you can also do it on different layers. I'll keep the upper one lighter and the lower one darker. For the lower one, I'll select a darker shade, and I'll draw on the same layer. Next, to add details to this beak, I'm going to Alpha lock this layer. You can even add clipping mask to this layer. I'll select my compressed brush, select a light color, and I'll start adding these highlights on the upper part of this beak. I'm following the reference image to see where the light is falling, where is the darker and where is the lighter part of this beak. [MUSIC] We're done with the beak here, let's move on to the feet. For that, I'll go to Layers, add a new layer, pull this layer below the beak layer, and rename this layer as Feet. Selecting my technical pen, select a color from the reference image, and I'll start drawing the feet of this bird. [MUSIC] Next, selecting a darker shade to add nails to these feet. [MUSIC] Now to add details, I will Alpha lock this layer, select my compressed brush, select a lighter color from the reference image, and I'll start shading on these feet. [MUSIC] Next, selecting a darker color to add shadow in few areas. [MUSIC] Here we're done with the eyes, feet, and beak. Let's move on to the body of this bird. [MUSIC] 10. Kingfisher: Tail, Back & Belly: [MUSIC] Let's start illustrating the body here. We'll start with the tail first. For that, I'll add a new layer. Rename this layer as tail. This layer will be above the feet layer. Select my second ink brush for the feather. First, we'll create a base layer for the tail for which we need a color which is not too dark or too light. It should be around a mid tone. Cover the whole tail area with this color. Select a lighter color from the image. If you're following my sketch you can follow the sketch lines. I'm just adding these uneven strokes, also trying to follow the reference image. Next, selecting a darker color. This color should be darker than our base color. Again, following the sketch lines. Next, going to add a new layer for the back of this bird. Rename this layer as back. This should be above our tail layer. Next select a color from the reference image. This color should not be too dark or too light, a mid tone, and cover the whole back with this color. Next, to add details. I'm going to add clipping mask to this layer. Select a lighter color from the image. I'll start adding these strokes following the sketch. Now selecting a darker shade from the reference image and adding these details following the reference image. Selecting a darker color, this is again to add this feather light detail. I'll be repeating this detail three times; three layers of this featherlike detail starting with my second layer. This is the third one. If you see in the reference image, you can see this tiny light spots on the feather. I'll start adding them with the lightest color. Now with the dark color, I'm going to add these shadow and darker areas around the feather. Now moving on to the belly of this bird, I'm going to add a new layer. Rename this layer as belly. This layer will be between our back and tail layer. Select my short hair brush, select a color from the reference image, and I'll start adding these tiny brush strokes and cover the whole belly area. Next, selecting a darker shade from the reference image. Following the reference image, I'll start adding these darker shade around the darker and the shadow area of the belly. Selecting a lighter shade from the reference image. Just a few strokes like you can see in the reference image. Now in the next section, let's move on to the head and the branch of this bird. 11. Kingfisher: Head & Branch: Let's start with our head here. I'll add a new layer, rename this layer as head. This layer will be below our beak layer. Next, I'll select my second ink brush that will be use for the feather. Select a color from the reference image. Following the reference image, I'll cover all the area with the blue color. Make sure this color is more towards a mid-tone, not too dark or too light. [MUSIC] Next, adding clipping mask to this layer. Add a new layer, tap on the layer and tap "Clipping Mask". I'll select a light color from the feather and I'll start adding this on the head. We'll be creating this pattern, a striped pattern that we can see in the image. I'll keep selecting the lighter and the darker color and try to create the stripe pattern on the head. [MUSIC] We're done with this patch here. I'll move on to the next step. I'll select a mid-tone from the body, and create this longer stroke around the eyes. For here, again, I will be using different shades of blue and try to create a gradient effect. Every layer will keep getting shorter and going towards the eyes. [MUSIC] We are done with the upper part of the head here. Let's move on to the part below the beak. Even for this bird, I'll be doing the same thing we did near the eyes. I'll try to create a gradient effect using few different shades of blue. [MUSIC] Now, moving on to the white and orange area below the eyes. For this, I will add a new layer below our head layer and rename this layer as head too. [MUSIC] Select my short hair brush. Select white color from the color panel and add the white color first. [MUSIC] To add a little shadow and highlights, I'll select an off-white color and add just a few strokes on the white area. Now, for the orange part, I'll select a color from the belly and start adding orange on the face area. Same like we did on the belly, I'll select a lighter and darker shade and add few details on the orange part. [MUSIC] I'll go back to my back layer, the clipping mask of my back layer, select a light color to add this highlights and few short hair at the back. [MUSIC] Now, let's move on to the branch of this part. I will add a new layer and put this layer below our feet layer. Rename this layer as branch. [MUSIC] Select my technical pen brush, select a color from the reference image, and I'll start drawing my base layer for the branch. Fill it with the same color. I'll Alpha lock my branch layer. Select my compress brush. Select a lighter color from the reference image. I'll follow the image to add this lighter and darker shade on this branch. [MUSIC] Few rough edges and the details with the dark color. [MUSIC] Here we are done with our third bird, that's kingfisher. I'll hide my sketch layer and the reference image layer. This is how it looks on a different background color. [MUSIC] In my next section, I have few more birds done with the same technique 12. More Examples : I'll be showing you more examples of birds done with the same technique. This is the first bird That's crowned crane with some tropical plants at the back, and this is how it looks as an art print. This is the same sun conure we did in the class today with the palm trees. This is how it looks as an art print and with a different background. More examples of kingfishers with different angles and pose. This is how they look on the product of print-on-demand sites. This is a seamless pattern with scarlet ibis, wrapping paper and throw pillow with the same print. I hope this gives you a good idea about how you can place these birds in your art prints and your seamless patterns.