The reference for this photos consisted of a very dark purple/blue background with the bright red cardinal creating a dramatic contrast. I knew that if I painted the background first that I would lose that popping chroma from the cadmium red, so I blocked in the bird simply, covering a little extra than needed.

I like to fill in as much of the background as soon as possible because it helps establish mood and helps me maintain a consistent feeling throughout the rest of the painting.

Starting with the darkest areas, I map out the important regions that will need definition, such as the divide between head and body and the feathers in the wings.

I started working on the berries, trying to push the blue contrast against the red bird. My trick to this is to start high chroma and dial it down, and lay highlights loosely and build them towards warm or cold depending on the light. Foliage is actually my least favorite thing to paint but I tried to push myself through these sticks and berries.

Adding in the blurry background berries and the loose sticks are what really brought this composition together. My final task is to stand back and see what draws people in first. I always strive to make people go to the eye first, but in this painting I think the contrast of the red on the purple takes over.