The Cardinal

Hit the PAUSE BUTTON often!

Sharon doesn’t expect you to keep up with her pace. As a professional artist and teacher she is moving along at nice clip in order for you not to have to spend a lot of time listening to her.  She rather wants you to spend your time completing your project. So,  listen to a small part (maybe only a minute), push pause and then work that section. It is very important for you to slowly and carefully complete the project.These projects are not meant to be completed in one setting except for the Beginner Level. A student should never complete more than one lesson in a day.

Use the Lesson Highlights section below to check your work. 

Look at the Lesson Highlight section after every video where you work on your project. These pictures show where you should be at the end of the corresponding video. Click on each photo to enlarge the picture as you check your work. If adjustments need to be made to your project, do it before proceeding to the next video.

Drawing the design:

When drawing the Cardinal initially – draw very lightly.

When you refine the picture you can press a little harder with the pencil. This will make the lines just a little bit darker than your initial sketch.

Drawing the eye:

Be very careful as you draw the eye. In order for the bird to look realistic, it is very important that you leave a section of white around the eye.

Painting the Cardinal:

Remember to press pause often. Your project will come out so much better if you take your time and pay attention to the details. If the video is progressing too quickly – press pause until you are ready to proceed.

When using the watercolor brushes, begin with the standard round size watercolor brush. You will use the smaller size later on in the project.

As you begin painting the Cardinal, dip your brush into the water to moisten it. Then touch the tip of the moistened brush into the black of the tree branch. Use this mixture to begin painting the chest of the Cardinal.

Controlling the depth of the color (the values):

Have a paper towel on hand to dab off any excess ink.