Iridescent colour

By Esme Dawson

Want to make your bird drawings look “iridescent”?

Iridescent means colours that look like they shine, glow and give off light. Some examples of where you might find iridescent colours are in the feathers of some birds, the sparkle in a shell, the shine in a bubble or the glow of an insect’s skin.

Tips

Tip 1) Make sure your colours are harmonious. Look at a colour wheel and choose  colours that are sitting next to each other in the wheel. These are harmonious colours and will help make a luminous effect. (e.g. red, orange, yellow).

Tip 2) Make sure your colours are the same value- this means that they are the same level of light or dark. 

Tip 3) Blend your colours thoroughly when colouring in your bird.

Steps to colour in an iridescent bird

Step 1) Play around with colours first. Decide which 3-4 harmonious colours you will use and try making a few colour blending scales where you blend one colour into the next in a line. It is good practice before starting on your bird and feathers.

Step 2) Start with laying down the light colours. Leaving some specks of white can help with the shiny effect!

Step 3) Add some darker colours to create darker tones. This will make your bird look 3D, not flat.

Step 4) Fill in the other parts of your bird that are not iridescent. I found a lovely purple/grey for the black feathers of my tui that fits with my colour scheme.
Think about the direction you are using your pencil. DIfferent directions of shading can help a form look its shape (such as round bird body) or can you use your pencil to make strokes that look fluffy to add texture to the feathers? 

Step 5) Try deepening your darks and lightening your lights to make sure your drawing has contrast. Squint your eyes, it can help you see if your drawing has light, medium and dark tones. 

Step 6) Time for the tiny details! Add in the final details to bring your drawing together. Eyes, beaks and background elements.

Step 7)Your drawing is complete! Does it look iridescent?

kcc_wildthings_165_summer2024_18-19 Download PDF