Artistic Watercolor Techniques for Illustrating Birds
A course by Sarah Stokes , Artist
Bring vivid wildlife compositions to life by exploring modern methods of watercolor painting
Artistic watercolor painting is synonymous with freedom and spontaneity. Some of the most interesting results are achieved by simply going with the flow of the paint and seeing where it takes you. Whether you are a complete beginner or a master of watercolor, there is always something new to discover with every illustration.
Sarah Stokes is a self-taught wildlife artist who translates her passions for creating art and being close to nature into expressive watercolor compositions. Her work can be found in UK galleries like Whitewall Galleries and Clarendon Fine Art, as well as others around the world.
In this course, Sarah guides you through her step-by-step watercolor process for creating an expressive wildlife composition using modern watercolor painting techniques. Start from the basics, explore artistic brushstrokes as you learn how to paint birds, and bring expressive wildlife compositions to life.
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 19 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (3.5K)
- 64,745 students
- 18 lessons (3h 14m)
- 19 additional resources (6 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create a watercolor illustration of birds perched on a branch using modern techniques.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone interested in learning how to paint birds in watercolor or would like to expand their knowledge in watercolor techniques.
Requirements and materials
This course is great for anyone who is a beginner in watercolor painting since Sarah begins with the basics. However, this course is also suitable for experienced painters who want to expand their illustration abilities with watercolor techniques.
As for materials, you need good quality watercolor paper (preferably 635 gsm), watercolor paints, a range of brushes, graphic black pens, and a white gel pen, white gouache or acrylic, tracing paper, kitchen roll, water pots, scrap watercolor paper for testing, a hole punch for tonal value guide, photo paper and a printer, a ruler, a pencil, and an eraser.
Reviews
Sarah Stokes
A course by Sarah Stokes
Sarah Stokes is a self-taught artist from the Midlands region in England, a place where she finds inspiration and creates work that is full of life. From a young age, Sarah has always been her happiest when painting and drawing, using her creativity to build a successful business career before deciding to return to what she loved most.
She has created artwork for bands, restaurants, breweries, and schools, as well as giftware for clients like Enesco. Her work is exhibited in Whitewall Galleries, Clarendon Fine Art, and several independent galleries. Sarah’s prints can also be found worldwide in places like Next, Wayfair, and on Amazon.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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What We Will Do On the Course?
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U2
Materials, Seeing Tone and Understanding Color
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Materials
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Tonal Values
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Colour Theory 1
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Colour Theory 2
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U3
How Watercolor Works
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Pigment Control and Basic Layering Techniques on Dry Paper
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Wet Paper
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Brush Strokes
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U4
Preparing for Our Bird Painting
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Obtain and Enhance Photo References
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Compositions and Transferring
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Colour Palettes
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U5
Painting Our Birds
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Painting Birds 1
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Painting Birds 2
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Painting a Loose Branch: Adding of Pen Work to Define Shape
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Finishing Touches
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More Ideas / Different Choices
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FP
Final project
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Artistic Watercolor Techniques for Illustrating Birds
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
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FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for beginners and covers foundational watercolor and mixed media techniques, making it accessible for those new to painting.
You’ll need watercolor paints, paper, brushes (synthetic and natural), a tin palette, gel pens, gouache, and basic drawing supplies. The course provides detailed material recommendations for each lesson.
You’ll learn core watercolor techniques, mixed media methods, expressive animal portraits, color mixing, and practical skills like branding, marketing on Facebook, and submitting art to galleries.
Yes, the course includes lessons on creating brochures, designing studio signage, promoting classes with leaflets, and using Facebook for art marketing.
The course explains different watercolor paper types and brush options, helping you select the best materials for techniques like washes, layering, and blending.
Yes, you’ll learn to draw bird shapes, paint feathers, mix pigments, and use layering techniques to create expressive animal and bird portraits.
Yes, you’ll learn how to select, edit, and use reference images for accurate and creative painting, including ethical sourcing and composition planning.
Me gustó muchísimo gracias
I really enjoyed this course! I love fotographing birds, so I always wanted to be able to paint them. Even though I cannot draw, the step by step method of getting an outline of the subject on paper was easy to follow. Learning to use tonal values is the best tool I have ever recieved in order to get a realistic subject. All the needed background on how to use water colour and mix colours was so easy to understand. Thank you for getting me going in watercolours!
Çok güzel ve ilham verici teşekkür ederim
Me encanto!, Sarah es muy practica y clara para explicar y si bien me hubiera gustado un poquito mas de detalle sobre aves para principiante esta muy bien
Excellent content, well presented. Learned a lot and enjoyed the process!