Learning in Color
A Birdtober lesson in digital painting
I first met the Javan Green-Magpie through the Birdtober prompt list—a bird so rare that eBird holds only its voice, not its image. Deeper exploration revealed a heartbreaking truth: this species is so critically endangered that it’s been years since anyone has seen one in the wild. Once abundant, this stunning bird has been driven to near extinction by habitat loss and illegal capture for the pet-bird trade.
Since there were no wild references available, I leaned on a handful of zoo photos and chose the one that best showed the bird’s striking black mask and oversized bill1. The overall pose wasn’t especially dynamic, but it gave me strong, clear forms to work with—perfect for focusing on shape design.
With fluorescent green plumage and a gaudy red bill, this bird demanded color. Even so, I began in my usual sketchbook with a black ballpoint, thinking I might later explore coloring it digitally. I was surprised at how confident I felt during the sketching. Even drawing the feet felt like a joy—they almost drew themselves.
In the past, I’ve found digital painting intimidating because it’s so difficult to create an image that doesn’t look artificial or cartoony. Despite many online tutorials, I’d never found a method that yielded a result that felt natural. Still, I owed it to this rare bird to create something that truly honored its existence. No pressure.
Enter Marco Bucci. I’d run across one of his videos on color theory a while back and returned to watch one of his painting tutorials. As I listened to Marco explain how he uses digital methods to mimic traditional media, I felt a sense of excitement.
Growth often begins where we’re most unsure.
One of Marco’s ideas that changed everything for me was his approach to color. Instead of reaching for a single “perfect” green, he talked about moving around that hue—nudging it warmer or cooler, lighter or darker, more or less saturated—to create harmony and life within a limited palette. His confident application of brushwork felt almost contagious. It looked more like play than effort. Filled with hope and optimism, I decided to give his method a try.
When I began adding color to my digitized ballpoint sketch2, I felt a growing delight. The plumage looked rich and expressive.
When I completed the sketch, I experienced a quiet, genuine sense of accomplishment. I’d broken through a barrier and a limiting mindset that had been holding me back for months.
Looking back on the whole experience, painting this bird felt like a quiet prayer for its survival. The color lesson stayed with me as more than a technique—it became a reminder that growth often begins where we’re most unsure. To me, that feels like the most important result of all: connecting compassion to creativity and overcoming reluctance and fear in the process.
👉 Your turn
Have you ever pushed past hesitation with a new medium or technique? I encourage you to reflect on what helped you through it.
🪶 Insiders Bonus: Watch the time-lapse below and see each brushstroke come together, from underpainting to the burst of luminous green.
