Here's my continued practice. I had a gorgeous picture of this guy a few years ago and always wanted to paint it. I'm also planning to repaint a bluebird painting I did before I took the course and compare the before and after.

Here are two of my "continued practice" paintings, a pair of wood ducks and a green heron, both painted from photos by Mr. E.J. Peiker. He has a wonderful website (ejphoto.com) and will allow any of them to be used for painting with the stipulation that if any sales are made, he will receive 10% of the sale price. I am thrilled with my creations and so appreciate the techniques you shared with us, Jane! Thank you so much!

I wasn't able to get the cardinal /barn swallow images printed in time, so I chose this Pine Grosbeak by  John Alexander Kay from an old Audubon Photography Award image on a calendar (great references). I did the painting in watercolor not acrylic (except for the the white on the wings and face) using a standard synthetic No 6 round watercolor brush and an inexpensive Lowe Cornell set of 12 paints. The paper was 6" x 8" Strathmore 80lb drawing paper. To help me draw the bird I used a #15 GridArt Image Guide on the photo,  which is a transparent overlay of 1" square boxes. Then I drew pencil dots on the corresponding corners of the boxes on my drawing paper as a guide for my drawing. I didn't erase the dots (oops! forgot) so you can see the dots on the painting still behind the bird's head. I didn't use Saral/transfer paper to transfer my drawing. I just drew directly on the final paper, then I traced the photo on tracing paper and overlaid it on my drawing to see where the drawing needed adjustments. I've painted birds before, but never did formal course on bird painting. Jane showed me a lot of new (to me) avian drawing and painting techniques that definitely improved my work. I look forward to trying and applying more of those techniques in future and experimenting with water new brushes and acrylics when I do future birds. Thank you, Jane!

Bulloch's Oriole with watercolors. 

Thank you for a wonderful class. I learned so much and now when I look at a picture of a bird, I see it in a whole new light.

First try ….took Jane’s advice to paint what I saw with lots of help with color choices   Love the red  

Third then 4th attempt and each with some good spots...will keep practicing...I really enjoy the challenge! Thanks Jane!

Thank you Jane, I learned a lot and had fun along the way!

thank you- it was fun and my first time painting with acrylics