How to Paint a Chicken

My new =class is called How to Paint a Chicken. Guess what it’s about???

For about ten years I raised chickens in my backyard. I can tell you from experience that chickens are wonderful subjects to paint!

My style is to paint them against a simple, neutral backdrop, as if they are sitting for a formal portrait. With this style they look almost like members of the family, and you can capture their unique personalities. (Yes, chickens have personalities!)

In this class I demonstrate four chicken portraits using ink, watercolor, and gouache. You can do all four in either watercolor or gouache, or try both.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

How to take good photographs of chickens (or other birds!)

How to quickly sketch in the features by measuring proportions

How to mix colors so that you’re showing light and shadow

How to use brushstrokes to suggest feather patterns

How to mix a neutral background and make sure it blends with the rest of your portrait.

This is all about making quick, simple, charming portraits. And of course, if you’d like to paint another type of bird, please do! Ducks, geese, parrots—everyone’s welcome!

This class is happening on Skillshare now! Skillshare is a Netflix-style membership platform where you can take all the classes you want for a monthly subscription. Sign up with this link and get a free trial: https://skl.sh/3gyfU0r

You can also take this class on Udemy, where you only sign up for the classes you want to take. On Udemy, I’ve bundled this course with my class on painting animal portraits. Go here to take this class on Udemy.