Project 26: Rooster

Last fall, on a visit to my parents’ home, I went for a drive with them in the country. At a farm with a roadside stand, we stopped to look at the goats, sheep and chickens they had on display. This fine looking rooster caught my eye as he seemed to pose for his portrait.

Reference Photo

1 Establish the Form and the Dark Values

With a no. 3 round and Burnt Umber thinned with water, paint the outline and main tail feathers of the rooster. Use a no. 5 round to paint the Burnt Umber wash in the main shadow areas.

To create a black for the dark parts of the head and body, combine Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue. Paint with a no. 5 round. Apply a second coat when the first dries. Use a no. 3 round to paint the eye and beak.

For the green tail feathers, create a dark green mixture with Burnt Umber, Ultramarine Blue and Viridian. Paint with a no. 5 round, switching to a no. 3 round for details.

2 Paint the Middle Values

For the reddish feathers, mix a red-brown with Burnt Sienna and Cadmium Orange. Paint in smooth strokes with a no. 5 round.

Mix a blue-green for the tail feathers with Titanium White, Viridian, Ultramarine Blue and a touch of Burnt Umber. Paint with a no. 5 round with smooth strokes following the feather contours.

Mix a red for the rooster’s comb with Cadmium Red Medium and small amounts of Titanium White and Burnt Umber. Paint with a no. 3 round.

Mix the eye color with Yellow Oxide and Cadmium Orange. Paint with a no. 1 round.

3 Paint the Dark Feather Detail

Paint the dark feather detail with a no. 3 round and the black mixture, using light-pressured strokes and a small amount of paint with just enough water so the paint flows. Switch to a no. 1 round to reinforce the dark line around the eye, pupil and beak. Paint cracks in the log and darken shadowed parts of the feet with a no. 3 round.

4 Paint Light Values and More Detail

Mix Titanium White, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna and a touch of Raw Sienna to create a dark gray. Add more Titanium White to a portion of this for a lighter gray. Using the lighter gray and a no. 3 round, paint the beak, legs and feet. Using the black, dark gray and light gray (and a separate no. 3 round for each), blend the dark shadows on the toes into the lighter gray. Define the beak and detail the beak, feet and legs with a no. 1 round and a mixture of the black and dark gray. Use the neighboring color to make corrections to the shape if needed.

Add some reddish feather detail to the black areas of the rooster’s body with some of the red-brown mixed with Cadmium Orange. Use a no. 3 round.

Mix a color for greenish feather detail on the wings, chest, back and lower neck with a portion of blue-green and a small amount of the dark green. Paint with a no. 3 round. Add a little of the red-brown to the tail feathers with a fresh no. 3 round.

5 Add Highlights and Details

Mix a highlight color with Titanium White and a bit of Yellow Oxide. Paint highlights on the tail feathers, legs and some of the body feathers with a no. 3 round. Once you re-establish the eye color and pupil, paint a highlight in the eye with a no. 1 round and the highlight color. Use this color to paint detail in the comb, then blend with a separate no. 1 round and the red comb color.

Add lighter detail to the reddish wing feathers with some of the red-brown mixed with a bit of Yellow Oxide and Titanium White. Lightly paint parallel lines over the feathers.

Mix a highlight color for the blue-green feathers with some blue-green and a touch of Titanium White and Yellow Oxide. Paint with a no. 3 round with small, parallel strokes.

Combine a little of the red comb color and Titanium White with a touch of Yellow Oxide to create a pink for parts of the legs and feet. Paint with a no. 1 round. Mix a bit of the red comb color with Burnt Umber and use a no. 1 round to paint darker detail in the comb.

FANCY ROOSTER

Acrylic on Gessobord

8” × 10” (20cm × 25cm)

6 Add the Finishing Touches

Use a no. 3 round to paint a thin glaze of Burnt Sienna on the comb, beak, legs and feet.

Brighten the highlights on the legs, feet, beak and tail with a no. 3 round and Titanium White mixed with a touch of Cadmium Yellow Light.