Learn to Paint an American Kestrel in Watercolour, with my Step by Step Downloadable PDF Tutorial
The Kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America, where it likes to perch on roadside wires. It hunts for prey by hovering low over fields, and will eat mainly large insects, or small mammals, birds and reptiles. It is a cavity nesting bird, and in areas without suitable tree cavities, it may be encouraged to nest in a box.
This is a complex project, particularly as the overall size is quite small in order to fit the whole bird on the paper, and keep it within the view-finder of my camera. You could of course super size your painting, which would make it easier to paint some of the finer details. The complexity of the project is added to by the positioning of the wings, which challenge us to keep a very careful eye on shapes and direction. They certainly change a lot, particularly around the wing base. Taking all this into consideration, I have classed this as an advanced project, where some experience would be helpful.
You also need to decide whether you are painting the adult Kestrel on its own, or whether you will include the chick too. We have mocked up some options for you, and ultimately the choice is yours.
The chick PDF can be bought here: https://devonartist.etsy.com/listing/1545816081
This is an instant PDF download, you could start painting the adult Kestrel in a matter of minutes. You don’t even need to wait for the post to arrive! You will receive a 41-page PDF document. Set out in the same way as the tutorials I write for magazines. However, you get lots more large photos of the different stages.
Downloadable lessons enable you to work at your own speed, you can dip in and out of the content, you can spend time studying the fine details and practise the various techniques as often as you like.
Have fun with this lesson, take your time and let me know how you get on. Try printing off the last few pages which have the larger versions of the step-by-step photos for additional help.
Why not try more of my tutorials: https://etsy.me/3BDvZNj
Or, maybe you prefer video tuition: https://etsy.me/3wBUyGY
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