Louise De Masi Art School

In this beginner/intermediate tutorial, Louise demonstrates how to paint a beautifully lit tufted titmouse using a limited palette and a combination of soft wet-on-wet washes, controlled edges, and carefully placed detail.

Throughout the class, you’ll focus on using light, shadow, and value to create form without painting every individual feather. Louise shows how to let water and pigment create soft, atmospheric passages, while darker values and small brush marks help define the bird’s eye, beak, crest, wings, feet, and claws.

You’ll also learn how to simplify the branch using loose wet-on-wet techniques, keeping the attention on the bird while still creating a natural, harmonious setting. The class is a lovely study in restraint, softness, and knowing where to place detail for the greatest effect.

• Painting soft feathers with wet-on-wet washes
• Creating form with light, shadow, and carefully placed values
• Mixing cool greys, rich blacks, warm browns, and soft oranges from a limited palette
• Controlling soft and hard edges to create depth and focus
• Using pigment separation to add natural texture to feathers
• Painting small feather flicks without overworking the subject
• Preserving highlights around the eye, beak, toes, and claws
• Painting a realistic bird eye with subtle value changes
• Shaping the beak while keeping soft highlights and accurate proportions
• Painting feet, claws, and small cast shadows so the bird feels anchored
• Creating a rounded branch using loose wet-on-wet colour
• Using selective detail to keep the viewer’s attention on the bird’s face