How to Paint Ravens in Acrylic (Without Black)

5.4K views on YouTube

Marianne Vander Dussen 41 tutorials here

Art

👉Grab my FREE 36 page “Introduction to Acrylic Painting” eBook: https://mariannevanderdussen.myflodesk.com/13f220f3-c281-49dc-8270-71362ca67efd
👉 My Acrylic Painting Course Bundle: https://courses.mariannevanderdussen.com/offers/YBZanVjp/

In this video, I’ll teach you how to paint two ravens on paper with acrylic, using a limited palette and no black. I’ll be sharing all my secrets to creating sketchbook entries that feel like they’re glowing, including a hidden red colored ground, warm and cool dynamics, and glazing with acrylic. I decided to paint these ravens into my acrylic sketchbook, but I would absolutely recreate these birds on a canvas, and I learned so much during the painting process.

I can’t lie, I really love this sketchbook spread, and I really love the moody fall feeling that these two pages in particular emanate. I find acrylic painting in sketchbooks incredibly rewarding and super fun. I hope this video inspires you to create your own acrylic painting sketchbook. Happy painting!

Special thanks to Canadian photographer Wendi Forster for allowing me to paint her gorgeous original raven reference. You can find Wendi’s incredible work here: https://www.wlforsterphotography.com/

👉 For my FREE eBooks on Acrylic and Oil Painting, grab them here: https://mariannevanderdussen.myflodesk.com/ebook

Colors used: Quinacridone Crimson (or Red), Cadmium Yellow Medium, Ultramarine Blue (Red Shade), Burnt Umber and Titanium White

My preferred supplies:
https://www.amazon.ca/shop/artbymariannevanderdussen (Canada🇨🇦)
https://www.amazon.com/shop/artbymariannevanderdussen (USA🇺🇸)
Please note: as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

🎨 MY PAINTING COURSES:
👉 For Painting Flowers in Acrylic, check it out here: https://courses.mariannevanderdussen.com/offers/sTGLNjHa/
👉 For Color Mixing with Acrylic, check it out here: https://courses.mariannevanderdussen.com/offers/QFL7ojXc/
👉 If you’d like to check out the course bundle and save $97, you can grab that here: https://courses.mariannevanderdussen.com/offers/YBZanVjp/

If you found this video helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss a new tutorial. Happy painting!

🌈 Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:19 Preparing your acrylic painting sketchbook
00:39 How to add a red colored ground
00:56 Adding the drawing directly with Burnt Umber Paint
01:22 My limited color palette
01:42 First layer
02:12 Second layer
02:52 Starting the ravens
03:06 How to glaze with a mixed black acrylic paint
04:02 Using warm and cool to create a dynamic look
05:44 How to render background sections of the composition
06:56 Final reveal

✨ More Helpful Videos:
🎨 https://youtu.be/9x6eY7SYxZ0
🎨 https://youtu.be/1JVMqmRLZp0

💌 Let’s Connect!
📘 Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artbymariannevanderdussen
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariannevanderdussen
🎨 Website: https://www.MarianneVanderDussen.com
📚 Substack: https://mariannevanderdussen.substack.com/

Materials used in the video:
Strathmore Watercolor Journal Sketchbook: https://geni.us/strathmorewatercolor
Palette: https://geni.us/artistbutchertray

Art Incubator Facebook Support Group – this is where you can connect with me directly, find free floral reference photos, and a supportive community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/artincubatorwithmarianne