Realistic Bird in Watercolor (No Feathers!) | Chickadee)

Learn to paint a black-capped chickadee in watercolor with winter berries and snow—realistic, but without painting every single feather. We’ll start with a soft wet-on-wet winter background (slightly out of focus), then paint the berries, and finish the chickadee using simple values and soft edges.
🎨 In this lesson you’ll learn:
Wet-on-wet background that makes the bird pop
Easy berries with highlights + optional shadow “upgrade”
Soft-edge feather illusion (no tiny strokes)
Round head + soft belly shading for realism
Final snow shadows + white gouache touches (optional)
🧰 Materials (used):
Payne’s Gray (or Neutral Tint), Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Cobalt Blue, Pearl Red, French Ultramarine, white paint/gouache (optional).
Brushes: a medium round + a small detail brush.
✅ Question for you:
Do you prefer painting birds, landscapes, or flowers in watercolor next?
Chapters
0:00 Paint a realistic bird (no feather-by-feather)
0:18 Soft winter background (wet-on-wet)
3:20 Snow splatter texture (timing trick)
3:50 Paint winter berries (highlights)
5:40 Optional berry shadows + berry details
7:26 Start chickadee (dark shapes + soft edges)
8:00 Feather illusion trick (zigzag + water)
10:26 Beak + wing shapes
11:17 Belly color layer (blue + warm tones)
12:07 Eye + face details
13:24 Tail + wing touches
14:00 Soft belly shading (roundness)
15:14 Feet (simple shapes)
16:21 Branch shading (make it look round)
17:25 Thin twigs/stems for berries
18:19 Snow shadows (subtle)
18:56 White paint snow highlights
19:29 Final reveal + outro
#watecolor #watercolortutorial #watercolorbird #chickadee

🎨 Want more watercolor tips & painting demos?
Subscribe on YouTube: @BeatrizFedeleArt

🖼️ Shop my art prints and originals:
www.beatrizfedele.com

📷 Follow on Instagram for daily art & behind-the-scenes:
@beatrizfedeleart

💌 Join my newsletter for early access and exclusive offers:
www.beatrizfedele.com/newsletter