Challenge Level Lessons

Details in Focus: 6 Tips for Coloring Realistic Birds (Copic Marker, Colored Pencil)

Details in Focus: 6 Tips for Coloring Realistic Birds (Copic Marker, Colored Pencil)

Do you want to color Realistic birds?

Traditional blending techniques teach you to color everything smooth.

It doesn’t matter what animal you’re coloring— furry puppies, spiky porcupines, scaly fish, or feathery flamingos— no problem, just color them all smooth!

So it’s no wonder your animals turn out generic and cartoonish.

Folks, this is nuts. As a professional artist, I can’t imagine ignoring the amazing textures that make birds so interesting and unique.

It’s not hard to add a little bit of realism to your coloring.

The Underpainters: Advanced Artistic Coloring Community- a step beyond basic coloring classes

The Underpainters: Advanced Artistic Coloring Community- a step beyond basic coloring classes

All students get to the point where you no longer struggle to use Copic Markers or colored pencils. Coloring becomes pretty darned easy as you zip though project after project.

At that point, a good instructor either adds more challenges or pushes the little birds out of the nest.

Because it’s not good to play follow the leader forever…

Details in Focus: Add Beautiful Color to Gray Copic Marker Projects (Grayscale Coloring Paper Recommendations)

Details in Focus: Add Beautiful Color to Gray Copic Marker Projects (Grayscale Coloring Paper Recommendations)

A whole project with only gray Copic Markers?

How boring!

Actually no.

In the coloring world, grayscale is presented as a fun novelty technique. Something to try just for the heck of it.

But in the art world, gray is serious. Gray is how artists train.

Grayscale projects improve your coloring by teaching you to focus on value rather than color.

But oh, gray markers are so… uh… well… they’re gray.

Gray is drab and ho-hum.

Meh times 10.

Pssstt… gray is only boring if you color it boring.

My spooky Nevermore Manor online class project is anything but drab. You can get the same beautiful effects from your gray markers on a wide variety of projects!

Box of Colors: What Comes After Copic Marker Coloring Classes? Artistry & Independence

Box of Colors: What Comes After Copic Marker Coloring Classes? Artistry & Independence

After all the Copic Marker and colored pencil classes… after all the tutorials, articles, and skill building projects…

You’ve learned how to color beautiful projects with skill.

What comes next?

Box of Colors. It’s time to become an artist…