Use any smooth, solid surface as the base for this springtime image.

SUPPLIES

• water container
• palette or plastic plate
• paper towels
• tracing paper
• ruler
• pencil
• wooden box
• #2 round brush
• 1/2" flat brush
• #4 round brush
• stylus
• 3/4" oval brush
• #10/0 liner brush
• grey transfer paper

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES:

Let dry completely between painting steps.

1. Base the surface with Snow White.
2. Repeat the basecoat and, while wet, apply some touches of Slate Grey randomly, blending with a slip-slap motion using the 3/4″ oval wash brush.
3. Measure and mark 1/2″ from all edges on the surface to create a border. Measure and mark another line 1/2″ inside the first, to create a second border. Basecoat the border areas with Sand.

4. Using the 1/2″ flat brush, thin Terra Coral with water to a transparent color and apply checks on each marked border section, as indicated in the pattern.
5. Add a thin line separating the two borders with Terra Coral. Add a wider line inside the inner border with the same color. Shade with Terra Coral. Highlight with Snow White.
6. Trace and transfer the nest pattern onto the surface with tracing paper and grey transfer paper.
7. Base in the bird nest with Dark Chocolate, applying two coats and letting each coat dry.

8. Deepen the center and bottom outer area of the nest with Soft Black, repeating if needed to darken the color.
9. Paint the nest with #2 and #4 round brushes, alternating with Dark Chocolate, Sand, Antique White, and Khaki Tan.
10. Use Soft Black to shade on the bottom part of the nest and deepen the shading inside the nest.
11. Add a few straw pieces with Turquoise Blue and Slate Grey.
12. Trace and transfer the egg pattern onto the surface.
13. Basecoat the eggs in Sea Glass.
14. Add some speckling with Sea Breeze and Snow White.

15. Shade the eggs with Turquoise Blue and then deepen with Turquoise Blue brush-mixed with a touch of Soft Black. Highlight with Snow White.
16. Base the limbs with Khaki Tan. Shade with Dark Chocolate and then use a tiny bit of Soft Black at the base and to define the cut edges of the limbs’ tops.
17. Streak some Dark Chocolate, Soft Black, Sand, and Slate Grey on the limbs, keeping it as a very fine line detail.

18. Add some pieces of straw coming out and over some areas of the limbs.
19. Base the leaves with Hauser Medium Green. Shade with a brush mix of Black Green and Soft Black. Highlight with Hauser Light Green.
20. Paint the veins with Hauser Light Green going into Dark Chocolate as they connect to the limb.

21. Base the flowers with Snow White. Shade the centers with Poodleskirt Pink and deepen with Terra Coral.
22. Add a very thin float of Terra Coral on the tips of the petals.
23. Dab in the centers with a 1:1 ratio of Hauser Medium Green and Black Green mix, then dab in Hauser Light Green and a few dots of Sand.
24. Shade next to the centers on the petals with Hauser Medium Green.

25. Intensify any highlighted areas on the flower petals with Snow White.
26. Thin Terra Coral to an inky consistency and use a #10/0 liner brush to add a few detail lines pulled up into the petals from the centers.
27. Paint the stems and calyx the same colors as the leaves.
28. Seal the surface with two coats of DuraClear Matte Varnish.

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