Join John Muir Laws as he unpacks his approach for painting birds with watercolors. Learn his three-step approach that can also be adapted to landscapes, plants, or any other subject. Paint along with the workshop by downloading the bird watercolor worksheet.
What is the system? Start with shadows using a pale purple-gray wash. Build your local color on top of the shadows (once they are dry), starting with the light values and building to the dark. Then add details using your brush, pencil, and white colored pencil. This system avoids many problems that people face when they begin painting with watercolor.