Brushstrokes: Acrylic

LEVEL: BEGINNER

Silhouette Owls

Let’s try using high-contrast paints to create a simple silhouette of owls on a tree branch. The nice thing about a silhouette is you only have to focus on the outline, rather than small details like eyes, feathers, and beaks.

TOOLS & PALETTE

• Stretched canvas, size 8" × 10"

• Flat bristle brush, size 14 or 16

• Flat bristle brush, size 2 or 4

• Palette knife

• Titanium white

• Carbon black

• Cadmium yellow medium

• Transparent brown iron oxide

• Ultramarine blue

• Quinacridone red

• Alizarin crimson

STEP ONE

Add a wash of transparent brown iron oxide paint to the canvas and let dry. Use alizarin crimson or transparent brown iron oxide to mark where you want to place the owls on your canvas.

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