Animal and Bird Tutorials (Oil + Watercolor)

Do you love painting animals and birds - but feel unsure where to start? On this page you’ll find my step-by-step Animal and Bird tutorials, organized so you can choose a project and start painting today.

If you’re brand new, start with one beginner-friendly project below and don’t worry about drawing perfectly. You’ll improve fastest by painting consistently - one small project at a time.

Quick links:

Animal and bird tutorials in oil and watercolorThe beauty of painting animals.
Animal and bird tutorials in oil and watercolorThe beauty of painting animals.

Start Here: Choose Your Project (30 seconds)

Pick the option that fits you today:

Animal Tutorials - Oil + Watercolor

These lessons include detailed instructions with the reasons behind the value choices, what colors to mix, edges, and composition.

Common Problems with Quick Fixes

Painting values make our animals look real.Paint the lion's mane with values.

Sometimes we can run into a situation, but they are all fixable.

My animal looks flat - Push value contrast between the light and dark shapes.
Start here: The one thing that makes paintings look ‘real’.

My fur/feathers look messy - Paint fewer, larger groups. Add detail only near the focal point.

My colors turned muddy - We get clean colors by mixing colors of the same color bias (warm or cool). Color bias: clean mixes vs mud


Quick Exercise

Before you paint: do a value study of light, medium, and dark.

  1. Sketch your biggest light, middle, and dark shapes (ignore the details).
  2. Decide where the focal point is (often the head or eye area).
  3. Make sure your strongest contrast supports the focal point.

This one small step makes your animal or bird look “real” much faster.

Look at the painting with your eyes squinted or eyelids lowered. Compare the 3 values with those on the value study.

Values studies help us plant a painting.Look at your subject and do a study of the 3 main values.
The finished painting planned with a value study.Squint your eyes to compare the study with the painting.

Bird Tutorials - Oil + Watercolor

3 Keys to Make Animals and Birds Look Real

Use these with any medium:

How do we highlight the focal bird or animal?Hard edges on the hummingbird
vs. Soft edges on the flower
  1. Values (light, medium, dark)
    If your subject looks flat, values are almost always the fix. Start here: Values (light and dark)
  2. Edges (soft vs. sharp)
    Keep sharper edges near the focal point (often eyes/beak) and softer edges elsewhere.
  3. Color mixing (warm/cool neutrals)
    Animals aren’t always just one color. Learn to mix richer neutrals here: How to Mix Colors

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the Easiest Animal or Bird to Start with as a Beginner?

If you want the simplest - first win, start with (Oil) How to Paint a Dog or (Watercolor) Watercolor for Beginners.

Do I Need to Draw Good to Paint Animals or Birds?

No. You can improve your drawing as you go. Just keep your drawing simple, strong values and clear shapes - they matter more than perfection.

How Do I Paint Fur or Feathers

There is no need to paint every hair or feather.

Paint groups first - the big shapes, then add a little detail only where you want attention, usually near the head, eye or the focal area.

Should I Start with Oil or Watercolor?

Either. If you like adjusting and refining as you go, oils are forgiving. If you want luminous color, watercolor is wonderful.

Both are good for beginners - start with a beginner tutorial and build from there.

What Are the Recommended Supplies?

Jump into the Joy of Painting Art!

Choose one tutorial above and schedule a time this week to paint it. You'll be amazed what you can do one step at a time.


Recent Articles

RSS

  1. Paint a Fun Dog

    Oct 02, 26 12:00 PM

    How to paint a dog on canvasIt's easy to paint this fun dog on canvas. This is a great way for beginners to start using oil paint. Follow the easy steps that use only three colors to paint this puppy dog. You can learn and use p…

    Read More

  2. The Big Three

    Sep 18, 26 12:00 PM

    Learn the three fundamentals of painting good art.You can create good art using the big three painting fundamentals. Learn how to paint good art with good composition including a focal point, values and color choices. Use these three important fundam…

    Read More

  3. Design Paintings

    Sep 04, 26 12:00 PM

    Are there different types of compositions in painting art?There are basic types of compositions in art paintings, symmetrical and asymmetrical. Most other compositions are variations of these two basic types. See paintings of the common types; S-curve, pyram…

    Read More