Painting a Barred Owl: A Watercolor Study Inspired by My Daughter's Midnight Visitor

When Nature Knocks at Your Window

Sometimes the best painting subjects choose us, don't they? That's exactly what happened when a barred owl took up residence outside my daughter's bedroom window, making its presence unmistakably known with those distinctive hoots. My daughter's request to paint "her" owl was one I couldn't resist – there's something magical about capturing a creature that's become part of your family's daily story.

Living here in Western Washington, we're blessed with these beautiful barred owls, though I've learned they're actually considered an invasive species in our region. There are ongoing conservation discussions about population management, but as artists, we're simply here to celebrate and document the beauty we encounter. Today, we paint first and ponder habitat complexities later!

Setting Up for Success: Tools and Approach

For this intimate study, I chose my trusty Arches 9x12 cold press paper – substantial enough to handle multiple layers but not so large that I'd lose the delicate details that make owls so captivating. My brush of choice? A size eight round Silver Black Velvet brush, my absolute favorite for its incredibly fine tip that transitions beautifully to broader strokes.

The Magic of Limited Palette

Here's where things get exciting – I restricted myself to essentially three colors from my Rockwell Canada paints: Magic Wizard (a gorgeous warm brown), and what I believe is either Obsidian Brown or Lapis Brown. This limited palette approach isn't about limitation; it's about harmony. When you're painting a barred owl, those subtle earth tones are your best friends.

Though I could have painted this owl purple if I'd wanted (because art has no rules!), those natural earthy tones felt right for capturing the essence of this woodland creature.

Starting Small: The Eye as Anchor Point

I began with that piercing eye, and here's a crucial lesson – I made it deliberately small. When you're working on a full bird study, it's tempting to make features too large, but remember: you've got a lot of bird to fill in around that eye!

After placing the eye, I immediately used clean water to soften and merge the edges. This isn't a mistake – it's intentional. That slight bleeding creates the organic, lived-in quality that makes watercolor wildlife feel alive rather than stiff.

Feather Magic: Working with White Space

The feathers around the owl's face presented a beautiful challenge. In watercolor, white comes from the paper itself, so I used very diluted paint to create subtle shadows and form while preserving those precious light areas.

Here's where watercolor technique really shines: instead of continuous strokes, I used little dashes and dots to build up the feather texture. Feathers aren't smooth – they're broken, layered, organic. Your brushwork should reflect that reality.

The Lost and Found Technique

I deliberately chose to render one side of the owl's face clearly while leaving the other side softer and more ambiguous. This "lost and found" approach creates visual interest and guides the viewer's eye exactly where you want it to go. For the blurred areas, I used dry brush technique with short, quick strokes.

Conquering the Speckled Challenge

Working with animals that have complex speckled or barred patterns can be intimidating, especially for someone like me who loves to work really wet with lots of water flow. The key is restraint and planning – you must leave space between your colors to preserve those light areas.

This painting became a valuable exercise in patience for me. Every brushstroke required consideration: where am I leaving white? How wet is this area? Can I add more pigment without losing my lights?

Measuring Without Sketching

Throughout this piece, you might notice me holding my fingers up to the paper. I'm measuring proportions! Working without a preliminary sketch means relying on comparative measurement – if the head is this size, how big should the wing be in relation?

This skill develops over time, and there's absolutely no shame in using your brush handle or fingers as measuring tools. Just be careful not to touch wet paint!

The Beauty of Warm and Cool

Even within my limited brown palette, I played with temperature variations. That Magic Wizard has gorgeous yellow undertones (sometimes almost fluorescently yellow!), and when it interacts with the purple tones in the Lapis Brown, magic happens. These are complementary colors, and even when both are earthy and subdued, those underlying relationships create visual vibration and interest.

Pro tip: Purple and yellow make some of the most gorgeous grays you'll ever see!

Capturing the Barred Pattern

The distinctive bars that give this owl its name required a specific technique. I painted longer strokes for the main feather shapes, then added perpendicular lines to create those characteristic bars. But here's the crucial part – I didn't want every edge to be hard and defined.

Feathers are impossibly soft (if you've ever found an owl feather on a walk, you know what I mean!), so I selectively added water to soften certain areas while preserving crisp edges in others. This variation in edge quality is what brings watercolor wildlife to life.

The Dance of Drying Times

Watercolor demands patience, and this painting was no exception. As areas dried, I could return with darker values – more pigment, less water – to build depth and definition. This constant dance around the painting (head to body, back to head, down to wing details) is part of watercolor's unique rhythm.

I switched to my smaller Da Vinci Cosmo Top Spin size three brush for final details like deepening the beak shadow and refining the cheek area. Sometimes you need that precision tool for the finishing touches.

Embracing the Messy Middle

Watching this painting develop, there were definitely moments where things looked, well, messy. But here's what years of painting have taught me: trust the process. Watercolor has a way of coming together in those final stages, and what looks chaotic in the middle often resolves into something beautiful.

If you find yourself in that uncertain middle stage, step away. Take a break. Let things dry completely before making your next move. Sometimes patience is the most important tool in your kit.

The Lost and Found Belly

One of my favorite subtle details in this piece is how I suggested the owl's belly without outlining it. Using that lighter Magic Wizard brown, I simply flicked downward strokes on one side while keeping the other side much lighter. Our brains are amazing at filling in information – when we see flight feathers on one side and lighter values on the other, we immediately read "owl belly."

This is the power of suggestion in watercolor. Sometimes what you don't paint is just as important as what you do.

Final Thoughts on Wildlife Watercolor

This barred owl taught me so much about working within constraints – limited palette, no preliminary sketch, small scale – and finding freedom within those boundaries. There's something deeply satisfying about capturing a creature that's touched your family's life, even briefly.

The fact that owls can turn their heads 270 degrees (isn't that incredible?) means even though we're seeing wing feathers, that head could be completely turned around. Nature is endlessly fascinating, and every painting teaches us something new about both our subjects and our medium.

Remember: whether you're painting owls or any other subject, the key is to observe carefully, work patiently, and trust your instincts. Every brushstroke is a conversation between you, your subject, and your medium.

Until next time, keep your eyes open for those magical moments when nature provides the perfect painting inspiration! 🎨