Painting a Loose Watercolor Cardinal: A One-Wash Atmospheric Study
A Heartfelt Dedication
Hi, I'm Valerie Englehart, and I'm thrilled to share my first painting of 2026 with you. This watercolor cardinal holds special meaning for me—it's dedicated to my dear dad, who has a deep connection with cardinals. When my sister-in-law gifted him cardinal memorabilia for Christmas, I realized I wanted to be part of this meaningful tradition. So Dad, if you're watching this, I love you very much. This one's for you.
Starting Without a Sketch
One of the unique aspects of my process is that I paint without a preliminary sketch. This means finding a starting point can be a little tricky. I use my fingers to measure out what I think will be the entire body of the bird. The key concern is painting too big—I don't want my cardinal flying off the page! Painting too small is always easier to work with.
Materials and Setup
For this atmospheric study, I kept things simple and accessible. I'm working on a pad of 140-pound cotton watercolor paper (Academy Watercolor, I believe), which isn't very expensive but works beautifully for studies. My trusty workhorse is a size eight round Silver Black Velvet brush—I recommend any round brush with a nice, fine pointed tip.
The colors I used are all single pigment paints:
Daniel Smith Aussie Red Gold (for the beak)
Daniel Smith Cadmium Red Hue
Daniel Smith Permanent Alizarin Crimson
Daniel Smith Burnt Sienna
A black pigment (either Holbein Peach Black or Daniel Smith Lunar Black)
Building the Cardinal Layer by Layer
I started with the beak using Aussie Red Gold, then used a damp brush to lift out highlights. A little dot of cadmium red gave color harmony with the body. Cardinals have that iconic pointed crest, so I painted that first. With my paper angled, gravity helps the water flow downward, creating that loose, atmospheric quality I was after.
The challenge for me was keeping this super loose. I wanted to include as little information as possible while still creating an acceptable painting. Think of a basic cardinal illustration—it doesn't even need an eye as long as it's red with that pointed head. Everyone knows it's a cardinal.
To add dimension to my reds, I introduced Permanent Alizarin Crimson. Since I'm using single pigment colors (which don't split and create variations like multi-pigment colors do), I needed to create variation by dropping in warmer and cooler reds, letting them fuse and merge naturally.
A Note About Technique Issues
I did encounter something unusual while painting—my Aussie Red Gold seemed to have sediment that wouldn't dissolve properly. If you know what might cause this, please share in the comments! For a serious piece, this would have been frustrating, but for a study, I just made a note and moved on.
The Magic Moment
Once I dotted in the dark pigment around the face (while the painting was still wet), it became unmistakably a cardinal. Even though I said I'd stop there, I couldn't help myself. I still wanted this to be something I'd be proud to show off.
For the flight feathers, I mixed a touch of Burnt Sienna with the black to create a brownish tone. I was careful not to add color everywhere—I wanted to maintain that light, airy quality.
I decided against painting the feet. Sometimes knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to include.
Creating Atmosphere
To prevent the bird from looking cut out and sitting in a white void, I softened edges and let the cardinal bleed into the background while it was still damp. This is key to creating an atmospheric painting—pulling colors from your subject into the background (or vice versa) creates color harmony.
I left white gaps on the belly to trap the light, giving dimension without overworking the piece. As areas dried, I continued adding little splashes of Cadmium Red and Aussie Red Gold. I wanted this loose and drippy, but not overly illustrative.
The Benefits of Cold Weather Painting
Living in the Pacific Northwest along Puget Sound, the cold weather is both a blessing and a challenge. My paintings stay wet longer, which is fantastic for lifting techniques and keeping things workable. But when you want something to dry naturally? It's maddening. You take what you can get!
Final Touches and Composition
I used a clean, damp brush (dried on my paper towel) to lift a few strokes around the wing for dimension. Just a few confident strokes, then leave it alone—that's the key.
I didn't paint an eye, but I did add water where the eye would be to show I know where it belongs. That whole area was looking flat, so I intentionally messed it up a bit.
For the background, I spattered some red where the paper was wet, allowing the drops to diffuse. I kept adjusting the composition—considering how I wanted it to flow, whether in a straight line or with curves. Be careful about fiddling too much; it usually isn't good for a painting.
The Finished Piece
This entire painting was completed with one brush and represents a loose, atmospheric approach to watercolor. The real-time format of my video tutorial shows every brushstroke, every decision, and the confidence that comes with practice—lots and lots of practice.
Until next time—happy painting!