Paint A Blue Jay: Easy Step-By-Step Guide

Blue jays are a symbol of winter, and painting one can be a fun project for a chilly day. In this step-by-step guide, you'll learn how to paint a blue jay, creating a beautiful work of art that captures the proud and chilly nature of this bird. You can choose from a range of techniques, including using acrylics on canvas, watercolours, or even creating a collage-style painting using paper and glue. So, gather your materials and get ready to paint!

Sketching the body

To sketch the body of a blue jay, start by drawing an elongated oval for the body. Draw the tail as a triangle that overlaps the branch the bird is sitting on. Next, sketch the neck and a circle for the head, adding the crest on the left side of the head and the beak. The legs can be drawn as two diagonal lines that go from the body down to the bottom branch, with curved lines at the end to show the bird grasping the branch.

Once you are happy with the proportions, you can start to add some detail. Define the major feather tracts and patterns in the feathers. You can use a non-photo blue pencil to block in the basic shapes and angles, looking at the proportions and angles in the negative shapes around the bird.

Now, you can begin to add some shading. Paint a subtle shadow on the right side of the bird to suggest a rounded body, being careful not to make the shadow too dark, as this will distract from the plumage pattern. You can also add some texture and darken the upper chest and flanks with grey-brown paint, testing the colour on another piece of paper first to ensure it is subtle enough. Additionally, you can add some darker dashes to the lower contour of the blue jay's neck and dab some paint on the underside of the branches to create a rough texture.

Painting the feathers

The wings of a blue jay have multiple layers of feathers, starting with tiny downy feathers and gradually increasing in size to the long tail feathers. To paint these layers, begin with the dark blue paint, then add the medium shade, and finally, the light shade. Work quickly in short lines, layering the paint while it is still wet. This technique will help create the feather texture.

For the median feathers, add more layers of white and dark blue paint. Remember that the two middle feathers do not have a white cap, so leave the middle of the feather dark. Add black lines that curve slightly towards the middle to give the feathers dimension.

For the crest, add a coat of medium blue paint and then add darker blue lines. Follow this with some white lines, blending and layering until you achieve the desired effect.

Once the blue and cyan paint is dry, add the black bars on the head, wings, and tail. Count the number of black bars in each area to ensure you follow the correct pattern. Also, pay attention to the width of each bar and the spacing between them.

Adding shadows

When painting a Blue Jay, shadows are important to convey the three-dimensional form of the bird. However, you should be careful not to overdo it, as shadows that are too dark or prominent can distract from the plumage pattern.

Begin by blocking in the basic shapes and angles with a non-photo blue pencil. Look for proportions and angles in the negative shapes around the bird. Once you're happy with the proportions, start drawing from the eye and beak, working outwards. Define the major feather tracts and patterns.

Now, paint a subtle shadow on the right side of the bird to suggest its rounded body. Test your paint on another piece of paper first to ensure it's subtle enough. Splay the tip of your brush and use grey-brown paint to create texture and slightly darken the upper chest and flanks. Again, this must be subtle, so test your paint before applying it to the bird.

Next, add black bars to the head, wing, and tail. Count the number of black bars in each area to ensure the correct pattern, and note the width of each bar and the spacing between them. Darken the tips of the primary feathers (the longer feathers in the wing).

Finally, use a white-colored pencil to add texture and highlights to the back, wings, and head. Reinforce and clean up some of the pencil lines.

Painting the wings

To paint the wings of a Blue Jay, you will need to use a combination of phthalo blue, bright aqua green, and some white. Paint in curved strokes to form the shape of the wing. Rinse your brush and paint the belly area with titanium white.

Before you start painting the wings, it is important to sketch out the body of the bird. Draw an elongated oval for the body, a triangle for the tail, and a circle for the head. Don't forget to sketch the crest on the left side of the head and the beak. You can use a #4 round brush to paint the tail, painting diagonal strokes from the bottom of the bird's body to the end of the tail.

Now, load your brush with phthalo blue and sketch out the back up to the head/crest and the underside of the wing area. Use the same brush to sketch a very thin line on the belly/right side of the bird.

Birds' wings are made up of many layers of feathers, starting with tiny, downy feathers and gradually increasing in size to the long tail feathers. In this painting, we will be adding three layers to the wings: a downy layer, a median layer, and a primary layer.

Use dark blue paint to layer on the downy layer, then use medium blue for the median layer, and finally, light blue for the primary layer. Work quickly in short lines, layering the paint while it is still wet. Once you have covered the top of the wing with tiny feathers, you can add a few darker dashes to the lower contour of the blue jay's neck.

Touch up the median feathers by adding more layers of white and dark blue. Remember that the two middle feathers do not have a white cap, so leave the middle of the feather dark.

Final touches

Now that you have the base colours down, it's time to refine the details and add the finishing touches to your blue jay painting. Here are the steps to follow:

Add Black Details

Use black paint to create the bars on the head, wings, and tail of the blue jay. Count the number of bars and note their width and spacing to ensure accuracy. Darken the tips of the primary feathers, which are the longer feathers on the wings.

Highlighting and Texture

Use a white-coloured pencil to add highlights and create texture on the back, wings, and head of the bird. This will make your painting more realistic and bring out the details.

Reinforce and Clean Up

Go over the pencil lines that you want to keep and erase any unnecessary lines. This will help define the feathers and refine the overall shape of the bird.

Add Shadows

Create a subtle shadow on the right side of the blue jay to suggest a rounded body. Be careful not to make the shadow too dark, as it may distract from the plumage pattern. Test your paint mixture on a separate piece of paper before applying it to your painting.

Final Details

Add any final touches that you feel are necessary. You can use a small round brush to add finer details, such as the eye of the bird. Ensure that your painting is dry before attempting to add any final details.

Your blue jay painting is now complete! Feel free to add your signature or any other personal touches to make it truly yours. Enjoy your beautiful creation and don't be afraid to experiment with different techniques as you continue to refine your artistic skills.

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