The Seagull Painting

By: DecoArt
August 14, 2020

Dearest painting friends, I love birds, I love seagulls, and I love to paint them on old and broken wooden boards. In this project I will teach you my dry technique with DecoArt colors, I hope you like it. Happy painting my dear friends!

Items needed:

• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Antique Green
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Baby Blue
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Bright Orange
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Bright Yellow
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Burnt Orange
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Cadmium Yellow
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Calypso Blue
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Colonial Blue
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Graphite
• Americana Acrylics 8oz - Lamp (Ebony) Black
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Salem Blue
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Sapphire
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Slate Grey
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Snow (Titanium) White
• Americana Acrylics 2oz - Traditional Burnt Umber
• Americana Decor Varnishes 4oz - Light Satin
• Kalel 7000-WCF Dynasty n1 1/2
• Old old Flat Brush n 4
• Liner Brush Black Gold n 5/0
• Pointed Flat 2/0 Micron Dynasty Brush
• Flat Brush Black Gold 4,6, 5/8 Dynasty Brush
• Angular Brush for Floating Black Gold 1/2, 3/8, 1/4, 1/8 Dynasty Brush
• Mop Brush to Blend and Soften Color 3/8 Dynasty Brush 400
• Rake Brush Black Gold Dynasty 3/8
• Ball Stylus
• Fine Sandpaper
• Lint Free Cloth
• Paper Towel
• Wet Palette
• Water Containers
• Tracing Paper
• Graphite paper to transfer the design
• Paper Palette

Instructions:

Painting Techniques

Basecoat: Opaque application of background color on surface or component.

Shading and Highlighting: Load a small amount of paint in the corner of an Angle Brush, stroke the brush back and forth on the palette paper until most of the paint is out of the brush. It is important that the color be worked in the brush until it is completely transparent. Apply as if walking out a float of color. Repeat if necessary and use the Mop brush to blend the color.

Drybrush: I use brushes that are dome shaped, rounded, and have shorter hairs. Dip the brush into the paint and then wipe the brush on a dry paper towel, rotating the brush until only a residue of paint remains. Move to the surface, use a light pressure, and begin “scrubbing” the paint out of the brush, slowly, in a small circular motion. Work the paint outward, allowing it to diminish so that there is a gradation of color.

Instructions

Using the brushes you are most comfortable with, apply a coat of Multipurpose DecoArt and let it dry.

Sand with fine sandpaper and dust with a soft cloth.

Shading and highlighting: (Refer to photos for placement)

Background 

Prepare the colors listed below on the palette and pour a few drops of Drying Time Extender on them (this will allow you to slow down the drying of the colors and therefore the possibility of working them as you wish): Slate Gray, French Gray Blue, Graphite, Salem Blue, Calypso Blue, Baby Blue. 

Work vertically with two colors at a time loaded on the brush (at your pleasure). 

Step 1

Place  the  pattern  on  the  surface  and  transfer  it  with  graphite  paper  leaving  out  details.

Eye 

1. Paint the iris with French Vanilla and shade with Traditional Burnt Umber. 

2. With the stylus paint the pupil with Lamp Black. 

3. With a liner brush paint the eye area with Burnt Orange and Lamp Black. 

4. Shade the corner of the eye with Traditional Burnt Umber.

Head

Always refer to the photo. Now I recommend putting all the remaining colors on the palette in order to have everything available.

My technique is often based on the use of an old and worn flat brush that allows me to rub and mix the colors without wetting it very much. 

It is washed only when I have to switch from a dark color to a light color and vice versa. 

However, it must be dried thoroughly before taking the color. 

Normally I clean the brush on the absorbent paper so as to leave small traces of the previous color that mix with the new color. 

It could be defined as a dry technique that however gives a very natural effect. 

Starting from the beak and with the liner brush make a line with Graphite inwards.  

Start painting the inside of the head with a small worn flat brush (by worn I mean it must not have long bristles. 

In this way it does not retain water, the color remains attached and I can rub and mix the colors together).

Paint the head with the Premium Americana Titanium White color (work with light movements from top to bottom, pulling the brush, dried well, with the color, so as to create the movement of the feathers. 

Work the darker parts with Light French Blue and French Gray Blue (near the eye, under the beak and near the neck).

Darken more with Graphite.

Beak 

Following the photo start by giving a base with Premium Americana Primary Yellow. 

Make the stain on the lower tip with Premium Americana Pyrrole Red. 

Work to create the shades using Cadmium Yellow, Bright Yellow, and Bright Orange. 

Shade with Brandy Wine. 

Paint the beak line and the nose holes with Traditional Burnt Umber. 

Outline the attachment of the beak with French Gray Blue.

Body 

Continue to paint the seagull's breast using the same colors as the head. 

Starting from the neck, start painting your back with Sapphire. 

Paint the wing by working with French Gray Blue, Light French Blue, and Premium Americana Titanium White. 

Darken with Graphite and lighten with Colonial Blue. 

Illuminate further with Baby Blue. 

Paint the outermost wings to the tail with Graphite and Sapphire. 

Paint the belly with Light French Blue and pass over with Antique Green. 

Shade near the legs with Traditional Burnt Umber.

Tail 

Paint the top of the tail with Lamp Black and Titanium White. 

Work with French Gray Blue, illuminate with Colonial Blue and shade with Graphite and Antique Green. 

Paint the lower part of the tail with Titanium White and going up use Sapphire. 

Illuminate with Baby Blue. 

Paint the part under the belly to the tail with Graphite, Light French Blue and Antique Green. 

Create feathers with the Rake 3/8 brush over everything with Titanium White, Lamp Black, and Colonial Green.

Legs 

The left paw is painted in the following way: 

Upper part: French Gray Blue 

Central part: Graphite and shade with Lamp Black 

Lower front: Premium Americana Titanium White 

Lower part behind: Graphite and shade with Lamp Black 

The right paw is painted in the following way: 

Upper part: Colonial Green and Baby Blue and shade with Graphite. 

Central part: Premium Americana Titanium White and shade with French Gray Blue 

Lower front: Premium Americana Titanium White 

Lower part behind: Graphite and shade with Lamp Black

Palms 

Paint with Brandy Wine and lightly pass over Light French Blue. 

Shade with Brandy Wine and highlight with Bright Orange and Bright Yellow. 

Shade again with Traditional Burnt Umber. 

Ground 

Working with Traditional Burnt Umber, Antique Green, and Graphite. 

Shade with Soft Black and touch with Brandy Wine.

Varnish as desired.

I hope you enjoy painting this as much as I did! 

Happy Painting                                                                   
Elisabetta