TIPS FOR PAINTING FEATHERS

● When painting detail, I recommend starting with the feathers in the middle of the canvas, as there’s less chance of accidentally putting your hand in wet paint.

● It might help to turn the canvas to find the easiest angle for painting each feather. Remember, you don’t have to paint the entire length of each filament; often just the beginning or end is enough. Suggestion and artistic interpretation are needed rather than rigorous, anatomical precision.

● Some colour combinations are easier to work with than others. I found painting the yellow feather particularly challenging as the light yellow didn’t show up well against the blue background, however, once I added darker cadmium yellow low lights then white highlights, it suddenly began to pop off the canvas. By contrast the green feather was easy to paint, perhaps because blues and greens complement each other well.

● If you have trouble getting the paint to move across the canvas, use a little flow enhancer.

● A fine tip to your brush can be achieved by loading your bristles with paint then rolling them against the palette whilst also dragging the brush gently towards you.

● If a particular section isn’t going as well as you’d like, I recommend stepping away from the canvas. Rinse your brushes – or wrap them in Clingfilm to stop the paint hardening, but take care not to bend the bristles if you do this – then have a cup of tea or go for a walk. Later come back and look at your work with fresh eyes, and I bet you will be pleasantly surprised with what you see.

● Remember to relax and enjoy.