How to paint a white chicken

‘I always have great fun painting chickens,’ says Kerry Bennett. ‘Although I have chosen to paint a white chicken for this project, I will be using mainly black Chinese ink. I will also have fine salt on hand to create the fluffy feather effect.’

Lively Chicken, Chinese ink and watercolour on 300gsm watercolour paper, (28x38cm)

The drawing

To begin drawing the chicken and to ensure you are working with the correct proportions, simplify the shape first by drawing the outline of the subject in three, four or five straight lines. This will help show you the negative spaces, which will in turn help you to view the angles of the curved lines, such as the back and neck and the shape between the legs.

Now draw a line from the eye downwards to show how far back the claws are then draw a horizontal line from the eye, to gauge the height of the eye in relation to the back. Continue with your drawing until you have a full outline of the chicken.

Salt and ink

You could use salt to create the effect of the fluffy, feathery parts of the chicken’s bottom in this project. It is useful to practise using the ink and salt, as timing is crucial. On a separate piece of paper draw four or five circles, roughly 2in. in diameter (see image below).

1. Wet the first circle then look at how wet the paper is. Is it glossy, does it have a sheen or is it matt? Make it very glossy and using your ink pen dipped in the ink, touch lightly with the loaded nib and see how far the ink flows. I used a dipping ink pen but you can also use a fountain pen to dip into the ink, a ruling (draughtsman’s) pen or even a tiny brush. Does the ink flood the area, making it too dark, or does it just stay put and not move?

2. If the paper is too glossy the salt will not bloom; too matt and it is too dry to work. The paper has to be with a slight sheen, neither glossy nor matt. Once you have the right level of sheen, sprinkle a small amount of salt using your fingers. Each grain of salt will give a bloom so, if too many are placed together, the blooms will be too large and indistinct. It is quite easy to overdo the salt so use tiny amounts.

3. Wet another circle and try again, with the paper at a sheen and with less paint on the nib then try with diluted ink and apply with a paint brush and see where the differences lie. Apply the ink first then wet with clean water; what difference do you see? Drawing with the ink pen on wet paper will leave a dark mark that scores the paper. We are just experimenting here so try as many variations as you can.

4. Making many marks in one spot will create darker areas when water is applied and a single broken-up line will create lighter areas. This is good to remember when you are painting the white chicken (below). Along the back, where it is very white, for example, I could draw a faint and broken line then immediately, before it has a chance to dry, run a brush along it with clean water and watch the ink flow. You could also try wetting that area before applying diluted ink, taking care to be gentle and lifting the pen if there is too much ink.

My Three Hens, Chinese ink and watercolour on 300gsm watercolour paper, (28x38cm)

Kerry used the same techniques to paint this as you will follow in the project below.

Top tips for using salt and ink

Salt can be used to help soak up excess ink. It is impossible to lift entirely as the ink stains the paper but add a little salt when the ink is still wet to make that area paler.
By wetting the paper first then applying the ink, you can move the ink around a little before it stains. If you apply ink on dry paper, it will stain immediately.
Ink dries quickly so it is important to work with small areas when you are adding water, as you will have a better chance of making the ink move. Try holding another brush in your other hand to use with clean water so you have it ready and waiting.

Demonstration: Lively Chicken

Reference photo

1. Study the reference image of the chicken (above) and notice where the dark shaded areas and the lightest whites are. Observe these as shapes.

2. Begin by wetting some feathers that are not next to each other to ensure you are able to paint individual feathers and they will not bleed into each other. Drop in a small amount of diluted ink on the end of the feathers. As the paper should be very wet, coax the ink to flow a little, but try to keep it light.

3. Wet the entire bottom and thighs of the chicken with plenty of water and use a small brush to deposit small amounts of diluted ink, paying attention to the darker areas. When wetting the thigh area, separate the back and front leg with a dry line so when you deposit the ink it does not flow between the two.

4. Let all the ink and water sink in so the paper goes from glossy to a sheen then sprinkle salt sparsely using your fingers over the entire areas of fluffy bottom feathers.

5. Leave the salt there to start dissolving, leaving you with small blooms and dots that create a fluffy, feathery look. Brush the salt off when completely dry.

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1. Wet the small darker feathers around the neck area using a No. 1 brush. After wetting, let the water sink in so it becomes a sheen, almost matt.

2. Next paint the feathers at the base of the neck, which become smaller the closer to the head you go. Use small dashes; these should be slightly fuzzy as the paper is damp.

Top Tip

If the ink leaves a blob when you lift the brush off the paper, tap the brush on a kitchen towel or cloth to remove some of the paint. When the brush is too loaded it deposits too much paint. After dabbing some of the paint off, you will notice it leaves a much smoother line.

1. Mix a puddle of cadmium red and paint the wattle and comb.

2. Darken the shaded areas whilst still wet with alizarin crimson, using a small brush with not too much paint so as not to flood the area.

3. Darken the red with a very small amount of dark green (perylene or olive green). Use this to darken the smaller shaded areas even more.

1. Wet the feet and, referring to the image, darken some of the areas by coaxing the ink to where you want it to go. Let it dry.

2. Make a puddle of alizarin crimson and yellow ochre to create a peach colour. Paint the feet with a diluted mix, darkening with a stronger mix in the shaded areas.

3. Keep the background simple and light. You could use a strong brew of tea to paint the background – alternatively, use raw sienna or yellow ochre – and add diluted ink to the bottom of the painting, paying particular attention to the shadow on the ground under the chicken (and the worm). Dab darker ink here and there to create texture and depth.

4. Using a small amount of diluted Payne’s grey, darken the neck to increase the shadows, under the wing and some of the feathers to create a more rounded look.

5. Add a layer of Payne’s grey mixed with lemon yellow to create a green shade and apply a glaze on the ground.

6. Finally, flick a few diluted ink droplets onto the damp background then, once it is dry, add more droplets with a stronger ink colour to create the impression of movement as if the chicken was kicking its feet.

7. Finish the painting with a little burnt umber on the top tail feathers.

The finished painting

Lively Chicken, Chinese ink and watercolour on 300gsm watercolour paper, (28x38cm)

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Kerry is a professional artist and art tutor living in Battle, East Sussex. She teaches, demonstrates and runs workshops throughout East Sussex and Kent.

To discover more, visit Kerry’s website at www.kerrybennett.co.uk.

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This project is adapted from the September 2021 issue of Leisure Painter. Enjoy endless inspiration with access to past and present issues of both The Artist and Leisure Painter magazines, plus exclusive video demos, tutorials and more, with our Studio Membership! Discover how you can join today.

How to paint a white chicken

Equipment

Colours

Discover imaginative techniques with Chinese ink, salt and watercolour

The drawing

Salt and ink

Top tips for using salt and ink

Demonstration: Lively Chicken

Top Tip

The finished painting

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