Nicknamed the ‘king of all birds,’ eagles are large, heavy-beaked, big-footed birds of prey that are as majestic as they are powerful. They represent honesty, truth, majesty, strength, courage, wisdom, power, and freedom, which is why they’re revered and favored for official seals and symbols, and as an art inspiration or subject.
Today, we’re excited to share this tutorial on how to paint an eagle using acrylics–and it’s not as complicated as it may seem. Acrylic paint is smooth and blendable, so you won’t have any problem with smudges or leaking, and you can paint fine details on your eagle with ease. You won’t need much to create this masterpiece, too. Check out the basic materials you’ll need below.
- Chalkola Canvas Panel
- Chalkola Acrylic Paint
- Paint brushes
- Paint palette
- Bowl of water (to rinse your brush)
Ready to let your creativity soar high? Let’s watch the tutorial below and start painting together!
Steps:
- Paint the whole surface of your canvas panel with Mars Black. Once dry, draw a faint outline of your eagle on it.
- With Titanium White, paint the entire head of your eagle with feathery strokes, and then layer it with Gray.
- Pick up Vandyke Brown or Raw Umber (or use both for more texture), and start working on the lower part of your eagle.
- Using lighter shades like Flesh Tint or a mix of Titanium White and Vandyke Brown, paint the edges of your eagle’s feathers to define the outline and create a layered and dimensional effect.
- Pick up Orange Yellow or Indian yellow, and start painting the beak. Layer it with Mid Yellow or Lemon Yellow.
- For the finishing touches, use Mars Black to highlight the eyes with fine details, and apply soft strokes of Titanium White on your eagle’s feathers.
Once you’re done and satisfied with the details and colors, you can hang your eagle high and proud on your wall or perch it over your desk to remind you how you conquered this art activity and allowed your creativity to soar!
We’d love to see your artworks using your favorite Chalkola products, so tag us on Instagram @chalkola and use the hashtag #ChalkolaArt for a chance to be featured on our page. Until our next art-venture!