Painting a Loose, Vibrant Sun Conure: Letting Watercolor Work Its Magic

Have you ever been suddenly inspired to paint something you haven't attempted in years? That's exactly what happened when I learned one of my email subscribers has a sun conure. These magnificent birds, with their vibrant yellows, oranges, and touches of blue and green, are perfect subjects for loose watercolor techniques.

Starting Small: Beginning with the Eye

When working without a preliminary sketch, finding the right starting point is crucial. For this sun conure, I began with the eye - a tiny detail that would anchor the rest of my painting.

Starting with a small, precise eye allowed me to branch out and measure the rest of the bird's proportions using my fingers and the eye as reference points. Remember, the top of a sun conure's head is relatively flat - avoiding a too-round shape helped capture the bird's distinctive profile.

Color Selection: The Dance of Yellows and Reds

For the base color, I selected Daniel Smith Nickel Azo Yellow - a wonderfully transparent yellow that works beautifully for both light washes and deeper midtones when built up. Using my size 8 brush, I applied this with deliberate, textured strokes rather than smooth sweeps, creating little gaps of white that suggest the fluffy texture of feathers.

Pro Tip: Test your color combinations before committing! Even with years of experience, I tested three different reds with my yellow before settling on Cadmium Red Hue. Permanent Red didn't work, neither did Quinacridone Magenta. The third try with Cadmium Red Hue was perfect - it "sang" exactly as I needed it to.

Creating Feather Texture Through Water Control

One of the most magical aspects of watercolor is how it can create textures without detailed brushwork. As I added Cadmium Red Hue to the wet yellow around the face, the pigment diffused naturally, creating that stunning orange that sun conures are known for.

Though the red initially seemed too intense, I reminded myself that watercolor typically dries 30-50% lighter than when first applied. This is something to always keep in mind when working with watercolor - what looks perfect when wet will likely be too pale when dry.

Developing Dimension with Wet-into-Wet Techniques

Rather than mixing colors on my palette, I prefer letting them blend directly on the paper. By dabbing in curved rows of red into the yellow base, I created the illusion of feathers with minimal effort. The water does most of the work!

For the wings, I used a similar technique but left more defined edges. Adding touches of green and French Ultramarine blue created the characteristic wing pattern of the sun conure. Notice how those watermarks form naturally, creating the illusion of soft feathers without having to paint each one individually.

Maintaining Focus on Your Focal Point

Remember that your painting should have a clear focal point - in this case, the bird's head and eye. I intentionally kept the details and contrast stronger in the head area, while allowing the body and wings to remain softer and less defined.

This approach draws the viewer's attention to the most important part of your subject without creating distracting elements elsewhere in your composition.

Adding the Beak: A Study in Contrast

The beak presented an interesting challenge - unlike the soft, fluffy feathers, beaks are hard and smooth. I sketched the outline with a dark color (likely Obsidian Brown) and carefully dragged the pigment within the shape.

To add dimension, I dropped in a touch of yellow on top (suggesting light) and blue on the bottom (for shadow). Leaving a small white line between the upper and lower beak, plus a highlight where the nostril would be, adds that final touch of realism.

Know When to Stop (and When to Erase)

At one point, I thought about adding a foot but quickly realized it wasn't working. Because I kept the paper wet, I could easily lift most of the pigment with a paper towel and fresh water. This highlights the importance of knowing your pigments - some lift easily while others (like Phthalo colors) would have left a permanent stain.

Final Thoughts: The Joy of Spontaneous Studies

Not every painting needs to be a gallery piece. These spontaneous studies - when you grab your brushes simply because you're excited to paint something - often lead to the most valuable discoveries and growth in your artistic journey.

They help you practice techniques, rediscover subjects you love, and most importantly, keep the joy in your creative process.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, be sure to subscribe to my channel where I publish new videos every Monday and Thursday.