Transcripts
1. Introduction: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the quick and easy watercolor
painting tutorial. With Easter just
around the corner, I thought it would be
the perfect time to celebrate with a simple
illustration of an Easter chick. This tutorial is designed
especially for beginners. We'll be painting in a loose and free style without relying too much on
any reference photo. The goal is to have fun, use bright and beautiful colors, and simply enjoy the
painting process. Will guide you step by step
through the entire process. We'll take it one
element at a time, so it never feels overwhelming
to help you get started. I've included a line drawing and some working progress photos you can follow along
at your own pace. We'll be using basic
wet on dry techniques. No masking fluid is needed, and since we are working small, you can easily finish this cheerful painting
in one setting. You can use it as a painting exercise or even turn it into a
greeting card if you like. Feel free to use the
design, however you wish. If you're ready to dive in and have some fun,
let's get started.
2. Project and Resources: I've prepared a selection
of helpful resources for your project available in the projects and
resources section. You will find a PDF with the supply list I used
for this painting, along with a reference photo and an image of the finished
artwork for guidance. Line drawings in various sizes are also provided
so you can print and transfer them onto your watercolor paper in the size that best
fits your needs. My painting is in an
eight by six inch format. Additionally, there are
working progress photos to help you follow the process
and focus on specific areas. Feel free to explore
these materials and use them to create your own unique and beautiful painting. Please share your final painting in the projects and
resources section. I also encourage you to
take the time to view each other's work in the
student project gallery. It's always inspiring to
see what others create and the support of your
fellow students can be incredibly comforting. Don't forget to like and
comment on each other's work. Lastly, I highly
recommend watching each lesson before
you begin painting. This will give you a
clear understanding of what to expect at each
stage of the tutorial. If you find this class helpful, I would greatly appreciate it if you could leave
an honest review. Your feedback will help
me improve my content and assist other students in deciding whether to
join this class. Thank you in advance.
3. Preparation and Painting Plan: Whenever I want to create
a seasonal painting, I love to get inspiration
from vintage greeting cards. There is something magical
about the way these cards were illustrated with such attention to detail and beautifully
composed scenes. They always inspire me, and I deeply admire the
artists who created them. While browsing through these
vintage illustrations, I noticed that Easter bunnies and checks are very
common subjects. I thought a check surrounded
by eggs and flowers, would make a perfect
subject for us. I started by making a few very quick
thumbnail sketches to test different placements
of the check and eggs. Eventually, I chose one sketch, enlarged it, and refined into
a more detailed version. The shape of the cheek is
actually quite simple. I looked at some photos
online for inspiration, especially for the head because I wanted to get that
part just right. I also looked at a few
meadow flowers for ideas, but since I planned to paint them in a very loose
and simple style, I didn't need anything
too specific. As for the eggs, well, we all know what eggs look like, so no reference needed there. After creating the sketch, I made a clean line drawing for us and I tested out some
color combinations. Once I was happy
with the design, I printed it out at eight by 6 " and transferred it to my watercolor paper
using a light pad. We'll paint this illustration
in a few simple steps. First, we'll apply basic
colors to all the elements. Then we will focus on the cheek, adding yellows, oranges, and
browns to build up shadows. Next, we will paint the beak
and add details to the eye. After that, we will
work on the eggs, adding patterns
and soft shadows. Finally, we will
complete the painting by adding more grass
and some loose, cheerful flowers
in the background. I really encourage you
to relax and paint it in a loose, easy going style. For me, this was a
joyful little project, a chance to let go, not worry about perfection and simply create something
adorable and colorful. I hope you're feeling inspired, and if you're ready,
let's begin painting.
4. Initial Layer: Oh we'll begin painting by applying an initial layer to all the elements in
our illustration, the check, the eggs,
and the background. Since we're not focusing
on details at this stage, we will use a bigger brush. I'll be using a size ten brush. Also because I didn't use a specific reference photo
for this illustration, just some inspiration to sketch the basic
shape of the check. I thought it would be
helpful to show you a thumbnail of a work in
progress photo for this stage. Along with the finished painting so you can see our final goal. Now, let's prepare some colors. For the check, we will
need a few yellows. Let's prepare Windsor yellow as the brightest yellow and winds are yellow deep for
a warmer shade. These two will work beautifully together to create
a nice warm tone. To add some depth and shadows, we will use burnt sienna. These three colors create a harmonious trio with a wide enough tonal
range for our needs. We'll also prepare some
greens for the background, green gold and Windsor green
yellow shade for the base. Then the same green
mix with a bit of burnt cienaM to tone it down
into a more olive green. And the third petal
with the same greens, but this time with paints gray to create a
darker cooler green. Now, since my water is too
dirty to paint with yellows, it's a good idea to either
change your water now or use a second container with clean water
if you have one. Let's begin with the check. Pick up Windsor yellow and start applying it
from the head down. Paint around the eye and leave a white
highlight on the beak. We're painting with a
wet on dry technique, first because the
area is quite small, and we are using quite a big
brush as for this shape, and more importantly,
because we want to use short brush strokes that help create the
texture of feathers. I'm not covering the
entire area evenly. I'm leaving small gaps
between brush marks. These gaps will add highlights
and form a nice texture. Try to paint the chest
slightly lighter, imagining that the light source
is coming from the left. Use more burnt sienna
at the bottom of the belly and under the
wing to suggest shadows. This helps give the check's
body a nice rounded form. Add more Burn Sienna
to the tail as it's further back and should
appear more in shadow. One very important
thing to notice, my brush strokes follow
the form of the body. There is a kind of order within
the chaos of these marks. By following the direction
the feathers grow, we will create a more
convincing feathery texture. While the paint is still wet
at the bottom of the body, I'm dropping in more burnt
Ciena to darken that area. This is called charging, adding a darker or different color to a
wet layer to enrich it. I'm also adding
slightly darker tones to the wing and the neck, especially on the right side, since it's more in shadow. Now, let's move on
to the background. I'll begin with a
very diluted mix of green gold and Windsor green. The consistency is very
watery, like tinted water. Start applying it on the left side and paint
around the flowers, which will later receive
some yellow and pink. Begin with a light tone and then darken a few
areas slightly. I want the top part to be lighter and the bottom part
to have deeper greens. Just a general idea
to suggest depth. We're still painting wet on dry, and we're not aiming for
a perfectly smooth wash. I'm painting loosely,
allowing colors to mingle naturally and
letting hard edges form. This will create
a nice balance of soft transitions
and crisp edges, which looks beautiful
in watercolor. Pro. Use a darker green, especially at the
bottom under the eggs. This will help the eggs
pop forward later and create contrast with the grass and the yellow flower nearby. H I left two gaps for the checks legs and continued applying green
on the right side. So here we can vary the color a bit and add some burnt CNA to reflect
the check's colors. It's always a good
idea to repeat colors from your main
subject in the background. It creates harmony and
ties everything together. I'm also adding a
touch of Pain's gray. The school muted blue adds variation and helps push parts of the background
further away. Objects in the distance are
usually cooler in color, which creates a sense of depth. Now, to finish off
the background, we can spatter a few
drops of paint to add interest in that
characteristic watercolor look. I'm using green and
yellow for this. If the spatter feels too strong or you're
not happy with it, you can blend it out or quickly
dab with a paper towel. At this point, I
will dry everything just a little because next, we will apply the base
layer to the eggs, and we don't want those colors blending into the background. I will prepare some
permanent rose and apply a light tone, keeping the top part lighter. Pure permanent rose felt
a bit too cool for me, so I added a touch of yellow
to warm it up slightly. The egg on the right
will be more yellow. So I'm starting with the same yellows we
used for the chick and then adding a bit of pink at the bottom
and right side, leaving the top light. For the egg on the left, I'm using a light pink and dropping in a bit more pink
and blue at the bottom. This creates a soft violet tone, which complements the rest
of the colors nicely. Of course, you don't
have to follow my exact colors or composition. You can add more eggs, fewer eggs, or change the
palette however you like. And that's all for this part. Now let everything
dry completely, and when it's dry, we will
move on to the next step.
5. Developing the Chick: This is our goal after
completing this stage. In the previous part, we applied the basic layer to
all the elements. Now we will deepen the
colors on the check and develop a more
defined feathery texture. This step is actually
quite simple. We're essentially
repeating the process from the previous layer, but this time we're
even more conscious of our brush strokes and more importantly, our tunnel values. At this stage, we
want to enhance the shading and bring
out the texture. Since we already have
a good base layer, painting now becomes easier. We continue leaving
small gaps between brush strokes to let the
previous layer show through. Be mindful of placing the darker tones
using burnt sienna. Focus on the areas
around the beak, between the beak and the eye, the neck, wing, tail, and the lower part of the body. These areas need a
bit more shadowing. Remember to follow the
natural direction of the feathers to create a more
convincing textured look. The chest should remain
slightly lighter in tone to maintain the sense
of light hitting that area. For the legs, I mix a cleaner
orange by combining Windsor yellow deep and permanent rose and apply the
swarm tone carefully. That completes the stage. Let's dry everything with a hair dryer before moving on to the next part where
we will paint the eye and add smaller details.
6. Chick Details: After completely drying
the previous layer, we can now move on to the finer details and
finish the check. At this point, it's a good idea to switch
to a smaller brush, and I'll be using a size four. Let's prepare two color mixes. The first is a combination of Windsor yellow deep
and permanent rose. This creates a warm orange
perfect for the beak. The second is a mix of burnt
sienna and pains gray, which we'll use as
our dark tone for the eye and to deepen
other areas if needed. Start with the orange mix and apply it to the lower
part of the beak. Then add a touch of
it to the upper part, being careful to
preserve the highlight. If the upper part of the
beak feels too white, we can add a little bit of yellow to make it
look more natural. Next, use the dark mix to
carefully paint the eye, making sure to paint around
the white highlight. If you accidentally
cover it, no worries. You can bring it back later with a small spot of white
guash or a white marker. I usually start the eye
with a lighter tone first. Once I'm happy with the shape, I go with a more concentrated
mix to deepen it. I also add a few
simple lines around the eye to suggest those
characteristic features. Now using burnt sienna slightly darkened
with our dark mix, you can add a few tiny details such as small feathers
around the beak, above the legs and on the wings. I also use this mix to slightly darken the legs since
they are in the shadow, but I leave small touches of the original orange
showing through. These subtle details help define those areas and add more depth. Finally, with a larger brush, I add a few last strokes to
suggest feather texture, and that completes this part.
7. Eggs: The check is finished, so now let's move on
to painting the eggs. I'll start by preparing a clean space on my palette
for permanent rose. Mix permanent rose
with a tiny touch of warm yellow to create
a soft warm pink. Use this to deepen the
pink on the first egg. As you've probably
noticed by now, we're working from
general to specific, starting with broad
washes and basic shapes and gradually refining
color, shading and texture. Patterns and finer textures are often added toward the end. But in some cases, like the cheeks feathers, it's helpful to begin
building texture early. Now, add more yellow
to the right side of the first egg as a reflection
from the cheeks feathers. The bottom part of
the egg is in shadow, so I'm dropping in a
touch of green there. This green not only
suggests the grass below, but also acts as a complimentary
color to the pink, creating a pleasing
shaded effect. Next, add some shading to
the other eggs as well. Use the same color mixes
as in the previous layer. The second layer will help boost saturation and add depth, making the color
richer and less pale. Once you've applied
the second layer and the colors
look more vibrant, dry everything
with a hair dryer. Let the paper cool back to room temperature
before continuing. Now, let's finish the eggs
by adding some patterns. On the first egg, use the
same permanent rose and warm yellow mix in a light tone to paint
some simple dots. I felt the bottom part of the egg needed a bit more depth, so I went in with a more
concentrated mix of permanent rose and winds are yellow deep and then
gently blended it out. For the right egg, I mixed a very light
pinkish orange and painted simple tear
drop shapes on both sides, along with lines and
dots in the center. On the left egg, I want to keep it the lightest. So I just added a few random darker
dots to keep it subtle. Finally, using a darker green, I deepened the grass
under the eggs and suggested a few grass blades
to tie everything together. And that's it. The
eggs are complete. I think they look really
cute alongside the check. In the next and final part, we'll finish the painting
by adding more grass and flowers in the background. Five
8. Grass and Flowers: After drying the previous layer, we can now complete the
painting by adding more green to the background and
painting some simple flowers. We'll begin by painting the
petals of the flowers first, so the main elements
are in place. After that, we will build a
nice background around them. These flowers are super simple. I'm not focusing on carefully
following the pencil lines. I just have a general idea of the flower shape and
apply the colors loosely, more or less in the shape
I sketched earlier. There is no need
for detail here. I'm simply applying yellow
to the yellow flowers. The two larger flowers at
the bottom are where I'm leaving a few white gaps
to suggest highlights. I'm also dropping
in some orange to make the colors more
vibrant and interesting. There are also a few pink and pinkish violet flowers
scattered around. Once the petals are defined, I switch to a smaller brush size four using various
shades of green. Whatever I have on the palette, I begin working on the
stems, leaves and grasses. I start by painting
the stems, leaves, and sepals of the main flowers, and then I begin adding more grass blades to balance and complete
the composition. Near the eggs, I use
a darker green mixed with a bit of paints gray to
create stronger contrast. This helps separate the
eggs from the background, giving the painting
more depth and clarity. With a small size fbush, it's easy to paint longer
flowing blades of grass. But we can also add some
simple organic green shapes. We don't need to paint
hundreds of grass blades. Just a few are enough. I am more focused on tonal values than perfect
shapes or colors. Once the first layer
dries slightly, I return to some areas and add
darker tones where needed. For example, I'm darkening
the flower stems, painting deeper centers
in the flowers, and using simple
brush strokes to add shadow on the petals
for more definition. As a final touch, I spatter
a bit of green paint on the right side of the
composition to add texture and break
up any flat areas. It keeps that side from
feeling too static or empty. And with that, our little
painting is complete. I think it turned
out beautifully. It has a lovely color
composition and showcases some signature
watercolor qualities, transparent layers,
soft and hard edges, and loose expressive style. I hope you enjoyed
painting this with me. In the next and final part, we will do a quick recap
of what we've learned.
9. Summary: Thank you so much for
joining me in this adorable watercolor
painting tutorial. I hope you found it
enjoyable and feel inspired to create your
own Easter greeting card, or simply to enjoy some relaxing time with
your art supplies. Let's take a moment to recap what we've covered
throughout this project. We divided the painting into manageable parts and focused
on one section at a time. Except for the initial layer, which was applied across
the entire painting. That first wash
served as a roadmap, helping us feel more confident
as we build up the colors, textures, and tones
in each element. We used basic
watercolor techniques to suggest different textures, the feathery texture
of the cheek, the smooth surface of the eggs, and the organic grassy
texture in the background. We kept the entire painting
relaxed and simplified using looser style without worrying about perfection
or tiny details. This allowed for more expression and watercolor charm
to shine through. Followed a structured,
layered approach, gradually building the forms
with transparent glazes. By carefully layering
tones and colors, we created depth
and dimension while still preserving the luminosity
unique to watercolor. I hope this process left
you feeling inspired and empowered to paint
your own version of the skewed spring
Illustration. Thank you again for spending
this creative time with me, wishing you all the best and as always happy painting. Bye.
Krzysztof Kowalski, Watercolor artist
