Watercolor Painting: Naturalistic Birds and Wildlife Art
A course by Marcellus Nishimoto , Artist
Discover the art of watercolor painting with a focus on naturalistic birds and wildlife. Elevat your skills and improve your technique.
In this online course, taught by talented visual artist Marcellus Nishimoto, delve into the fascinating world of watercolor and learn how to portray wildlife realistically. Step away from the rush of the contemporary world and immerse yourself in the contemplation, experience and extended time that this historical technique offers. Discover how ancient scientists and naturalist artists used watercolor to record wildlife, and learn how to take these paintings with you on your travels to capture the vivid colors, transparencies, and textures of diverse species.
Throughout this inspiring course, Marcellus will guide you step by step to realistically paint watercolor birds. The final project will consist of reproducing a bird of your choice with exuberant plumage, following the specialist's techniques and guidance. You will learn about the materials needed and how to work on dry and wet paper, exploring different brushstroke possibilities to obtain surprising details.
Discover how watercolor can be a powerful tool to draw attention to the conservation of diversity and how learning a traditional technique will connect you to ancestral knowledge. Get ready to recreate bird life realistically and add a touch of beauty and meaning to your work!
What will you learn in this online course?
19 lessons & 23 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (48)
- 2,252 students
- 19 lessons (2h 40m)
- 23 additional resources (8 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Portuguese, English, Spanish (Latam), French, Indonesian, Italian, Romanian, Turkish
- Portuguese · Spanish · English · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
The final project will consist of reproducing a bird of your choice, highlighting its exuberant plumage with the watercolor technique. Following Marcellus Nishimoto's lessons, you will bring to life a realistic work that will capture the essence and beauty of these birds. Get ready to be amazed at the final result of your bird masterpiece!
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This content is designed for all people interested in portraying wild themes, especially those who want to learn the watercolor technique to create a realistic life. If you are curious about exploring the relationship between art and science, this course is perfect for you.
Requirements and materials
To fully enjoy this course, you will need drawing materials, brushes, watercolor paints and paper suitable for the technique. No matter if you are a beginner or have experience in the world of art, this course is accessible for everyone who wants to explore the multiple possibilities of watercolor and bring realistic and moving artworks to life. Get ready to launch your creativity and let it fly with birds on this exciting artistic journey!
Reviews
Marcellus Nishimoto
A course by Marcellus Nishimoto
Marcellus Nishimoto, a talented plastic artist specialized in portraying life in watercolors with realism. His works have been highlighted in private collections in Brazil and abroad, as well as being exhibited at events such as the Ljubljana Design Biennial, one of the oldest in the world.
His artistic work represents a break from contemporary hypervelocity and seeks to connect with contemplation, experience and prolonged time. Marcellus argues for the historical value of watercolor, a technique used by scientists and naturalist artists in the past to record fauna and flora. With each portrait of birds, Marcellus seeks to draw attention to the conservation of diversity and to keep ancestral knowledge alive in society. His works reflect the beauty and importance of our natural surroundings and transmit powerful messages about respect and care for the environment.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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U2
Materials, tone, color and watercolor
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Materials
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Color tonal values
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Pigment
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Basic techniques on dry and wet paper
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Brush strokes and corrections
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U3
Preparing and painting the bird
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The anatomy of birds
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Transferring the image to paper
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Color palettes
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Bird painting: eye, beak and head
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Bird painting: yellow and black feathers
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Bird painting: blue feathers
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Bird painting: green feathers
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Branch and flower painting 1
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Twig and Flower Painting 2
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U4
Identify, package and post on social media
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Identification of works: signature and packaging
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Advertising: Instagram and website
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Time and expectation
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FP
Final project
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Learn how to create naturalistic birds with watercolor
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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
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
The course is intermediate level, ideal for those with basic watercolor experience who want to refine realistic techniques, especially for painting birds and wildlife.
You’ll need watercolor paper (preferably cotton), watercolor paints, a variety of brushes, a palette, pencils, eraser, masking tape, and optionally liquid mask and a craft knife for fine details.
You’ll learn detailed observation techniques, color mixing, layering, bird anatomy study, material selection, realistic composition, plus historical and artistic references.
Watercolor is prized in scientific illustration for its ability to create accurate, detailed depictions of wildlife and plants; it’s portable and effective for field documentation.
Baroque watercolor emphasizes drama and contrast, while Japanese style values simplicity and sensitivity. Both influence naturalistic painting approaches and styles.
It’s not required, but the course covers essential anatomy basics to improve accuracy and realism in bird paintings.
Cold-pressed paper has a rougher texture, great for texture effects and absorption; hot-pressed paper is smooth, best for fine details and a polished finish.
Excelente curso. Muy completo y didáctico. Sigo el trabajo de Marcellus y la atención al detalle es lo que lo hace muy interesante!
excelente! muito explicativo e um grande profissional
Buen curso, admirable técnica. Mil gracias!!!!
Muy buen curso. Me encanta su trabajo
É um excelente Professor, didático, calmo e preciso!