The goal of a scientific illustration is to communicate specific information, such as the parts of a cell or how to identify a bird. In these illustrations, the artist emphasizes some information and deemphasizes other information. You show what you need to show for your specific purposes. In the case of a field guide illustration, a bird is positioned at an angle that will highlight key features and other details such as shadows are minimized or eliminated altogether. Illustrators usually light the subject from the top left. In this Blue Jay study, I rotated the bird so that you can clearly see the bar across the chest. I added a slight shadow to help indicate the three-dimensional form of the bird but not enough that it would distract from the plumage pattern or possibly read as a dark pattern on the belly.
The purpose of this demonstration is to highlight the painting technique, not the drawing process that made the bird (which is only shown in three steps). If you want to follow along, you can download the accompanying worksheet, or redraw the bird yourself. Click on the first illustration to start a step-by-step slideshow.
Block in the basic shapes and angles with a non-photo blue pencil. Look for proportions (head to body, tail length) angles in the negative shapes around the bird.
Once you like the proportions, begin to draw the from. I start with the critical eye and beak and work my way out from there.
Define the major feather tracts and patterns in the feathers.
Paint a subtle shadow on the right side of the bird, just enough to suggest the body is rounded. Do not make the shadow too dark or it will feel like a pattern in the feathers.
Splay the tip of your brush and create texture and slightly darken the upper chest and flanks with gray-brown. This must be subtle so test your paint on another piece of paper before you apply it to the bird.
Paint the back and head blue, leaving a highlight on the outer edge of the back and the left side of the crest.
If your paint is not dark enough, add a second layer once the first is dry.
Paint the wings and tail with cyan (perhaps Phthalo Blue GS or Manganese Blue Hue). Leave the wing bar and tertial tips white.
Add a little blue into the secondary coverts, secondary and tertial feathers
Once the blue and cyan paint is dry, add the black bars on the head, wing, and tail. Count the number of black bars in each area to make sure you put in the right pattern. Also note the width of each bar and the spacing between them.
Darken the tips of the primary feathers (the longer feathers in the wing).
Use a white colored pencil to add a little texture and highlights on the back, wings, and head. Reinforce and clean up some of the pencil lines.
