Oil Painting Tutorial - How to Paint Feathers

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 1:08 - Timelapse of underpainting 1:43 - Brushes used 3:06 - How to set up layers: start with shadows so you can add more detail on top 3:20 - Importance of painting without texture in bottom layers (if you want texture, add it in the top layer) 4:00 - Paint colors 5:20 - Painting start 5:40 - Underpainting can be darker than subsequent layers 8:16 - For smooth layers, hold your brush parallel to the canvas 9:30 - Time lapse of feather progression 10:40 - Use small round brushes for precision detail 11:35 - Remember to follow fat-over-lean 12:01 - There's more than one way to do this 13:00 - Zoomed in view of brushwork 14:18 - Beak 14:40 - Adding detail to the body of the bird 15:10 - Final result

[@drewyt3109]

The colors and details on this are absolutely spectacular.

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you!

[@pollyester6627]

Really well done painting and video! Right feathers and hair. I have a friend that paints large nearly photo real animal in acrylic on white backgrounds. She's a machine, paints every hair and listens to the same classical music every day. For most of us this applies, "Forget about perfection, you won't achieve it." Salvador Dali

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you! Sounds like your friend has found what works for her. I think Dali is right.

[@davidprior1196]

You are a world class artist my friend!!! One of my inspirations to change from Gouache to Oils. I’ve found it challenging at first but am slowly getting the hang of it. I’m enjoying it too and realised I can still achieve those fine details like yourself that I thought May be sacrificed, but it’s all great!! Thanks so much for inspiring me, your world class work is up there with the very best girl 🏆🏆🏆

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Wow, thank you for sharing that, David! It's hard not to fall in love with oils and the learning is endless. I've painted with gouache before and it's amazing for dry brushing leaves and flowers, but it dries so fast. I bet you'll find that you can get even finer details with oil paint due to its unique layering capabilities and slow drying time.

[@davidprior1196]

@@NikitaCoulombe yeah to be fair I used gouache to its maximum potential with the airbrush to achieve the blending, but what let it down for me was when my Bateleur Eagle painting was a finalist for David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023, I was very confident it would do well until I got to the event at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London. Whilst very confident in the quality of the work, hung on the wall in the gallery behind even the most expensive museum glass to prevent reflection only then did I realise how dull it looked behind the glass compared to works varnished completed in oils in particular but also to some extent acrylics!!! That’s when I started considering oils and sure enough got watching your videos!! The vibrancy of the colours in oils is breathtaking!!!

[@NikitaCoulombe]

@@davidprior1196 that’s a very good point, gouache is quite matte. Oil paints are so wonderfully vibrant, plus, oils stay the same color that you put down vs dry darker like gouache. Congratulations on being a finalist by the way, that’s awesome!

[@Newlinjim]

This is exceptional work. My ? is why your video doesn’t have a gazillion subscribers. Again a beautiful piece.

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Many thanks! Regardless of subscriber count, I'm enjoying the process of trying to describe my process. Also, if it helps anyone, that's great :)

[@FIZZGIG-RARF]

Hahaha! Love the "heads up." So true! I cannot believe you are so ahead of the pack at such a young age. This is just remarkable, girl!😲🤩🤩🤩

[@NikitaCoulombe]

I'm glad you liked the disclaimer 😅and thank you

[@FIZZGIG-RARF]

@@NikitaCoulombe So, a disclaimer from me, i literally thought you were around 17 or 18. I watched your other video about preparing to be a full-time artist and realized you were in your 30s!😳😬 So, yeah, my mistake! Hahaha! You're still amazing for your age, though! Please take that more as a compliment than an insult!

[@FIZZGIG-RARF]

Oh, also, you described yourself in that video as someone with little patience, but I have to disagree. It takes LOTS of patience to paint the detail that you do! Maybe it's just selective patience, but there's definitely patience in there girl!🤣🤗

[@NikitaCoulombe]

@@FIZZGIG-RARF oh wow, yeah, I am 36, which I suppose is still young for an artist. However you meant it, I was like, hey, I'll take the compliment ha ha. Art definitely makes me more patient.

[@norberts.3347]

Wer Federn malen lernen will, sollte sich dieses Video anschauen. Vielen Dank für dieses ausgezeichnete Toutorial. Besser kann man es nicht vermitteln. Es wurde alles sehr verständlich vorgestellt und mit perfekter Bebilderung unterstützt. Die Pinselarbeit und der Aufbau der Schichten waren sehr gut zu sehen. Besonders gefallen hat mir die Liebe zum Detail und die geduldige Vorgehensweise. Dieses Video ist zu empfehlen, nochmal vielen Dank. P.S. Meine Empfehlung: auch die anderen Videos dieser sympathischen Künstlerin anschauen!

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Danke schön! Ich freue mich sehr, dass Sie die Anleitung hilfreich fanden. / Thank you! I'm so happy that you found the instruction helpful.

[@plfjh247]

Thanks so much for posting how many hours it took you to get to that first part of the painting. It's good for people to know how much time and effort artwork takes.

[@NikitaCoulombe]

For sure! Some people paint faster, some people paint slower. I think I'm a bit on the slower side but am fine with that. You've got to go at your own pace :)

[@taylortelentine9195]

Cool

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thanks, Taylor!

[@irfanfarooq99]

WOW..that's breathtaking!! :-)

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you, Irfan!

[@annmarie3520]

Your painting is gorgeous! It’s amazing how sometimes it takes hour and hours to finish a wonderful piece of art. Just beautiful!❤👍🏻

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you, Ann!

[@RomaBegumArt]

Omg this is beautiful! You're so talented! 😍

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you, Roma!

[@holly52ful]

Incredible realism!! U got it my friend!

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you, Gary! You made my day.

[@leojablonski2309]

Thank you for sharing your time and skill

[@NikitaCoulombe]

My pleasure, thank you!

[@tiffanyshiels]

Your amazing

[@NikitaCoulombe]

thank you!

[@T.C.Bronart]

Nice art and teaching!

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you, Corina!

[@fantashio]

Great, mate (y)

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thanks!

[@Michelle-oc4ty]

I just stumbled on this, but this is BEAUTIFUL!!

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you, Michelle!

[@macclift9956]

It's beautiful!

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you, Mac!

[@iamenough6218]

I just found your channel, wonderful information thank you so much for the detailed explanation on how to achieve these beautiful results. Congratulations on your fantastic work and talent.🙏 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 👌

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you!

[@whiteblossom4077]

Beautiful

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you!

[@klblarsson]

Hi Nikita, what did you think about the W&N Artisan paint vs traditional oil paint? Fabulous painting!

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you! Since this painting I've gone back to using traditional oil paints. I felt like some of the water mixable oils became too stiff to work with (like hardened a little over time in their tubes) whereas the traditional oil paints remain easy to spread. I still use the water mixable oils occasionally when I'm doing abstract paintings and want to create a watercolor effect. If you're interested, I outline my color palette in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aInCpHairMaLhqssi=l2GLs3SOmIBtFBDH

[@AL_THOMAS_777]

Can you please tell me the exact brand/type/dimension of the super-fine brush you take for single hairs, like I´ve seen on your fox ? Thanks a lot !

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Hi Al, the brush is Silver Brush Silverwhite Synthetic Brush - Round, Short Handle, 5/0: bit.ly/sw-5-0-round

[@AL_THOMAS_777]

@@NikitaCoulombe Thank you soooooo very much my dear ! I love your ULTRA-quick response and your engagement for us artists VERY much !! You are a real GREAT lady . . . all the luck of the world for you !!!🙌 👏 🙏 🤝 👍

[@NikitaCoulombe]

@@AL_THOMAS_777 You're most welcome!

[@AL_THOMAS_777]

@@NikitaCoulombe 🍀

[@dao8805]

Just discovered your channel and you are obviously very talented. I would really enjoy watching this if I could hear what you are saying. Have you tried clipping a really good microphone to your shirt? Or do a voice over? I'm sure it's a big job making YT videos so I hope my comment will be received as constructive and not critical. 🙂 Your close-up shots are great. I think improving the sound would really make your channel take off because it's the only part of your videos that detracts from the whole.

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you. This is one of my earlier videos and I've been doing more voiceovers since (hopefully you can hear those better). I've tried a few different mics but none improved the sound over a voiceover. If you have any recommendations for a mic that goes with an iPhone 14 let me know!

[@ElaineCicconi]

Hi This is beautiful... do you like water mixable oil paints better than standard oil paints?

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you! I like both for different reasons; I was testing out W&N water mixable oil paints with wildlife paintings but these days mostly use them for abstract paintings as I think their ability to turn into a watercolor type paint lends them to interesting applications. Since this painting, I've gone back to using W&N Artists' oil paints for realistic pieces. I find that certain water mixable colors, like raw sienna and burnt umber, dry more quickly - like within a day - whereas the artists' colors don't dry as quickly, which I prefer. If you use water to dilute the water mixable paints they will dry even faster. Some people might like that but I like having more time to push paint around. Hope that helps!

[@ArtelisStudio]

hyper realism! have you tried acrylics? there is a wildlife painter who is also paints realistically and meticulously, her name is carla grace. she paints with acrylics though. carla says she chose acrylics because she has to watch over her kids while painting so she’s avoiding the toxic fumes from oil painting solvents. but, i think using acrylics for that style of painting is more suitable because the paint dries faster and you can layer each feather/fur easier.

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Yes, I have tried acrylics but oils are my preference. I've seen Carla Grace's paintings - she, like Robert Bateman (one of my favorite wildlife artists!), has really found a way to make acrylics work well. Personally, I feel like I capture more detail and create more depth with oils than with acrylics. You can oil paint without solvents.

[@patti280]

Beautiful

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you, Patti!