Yellow-billed Jacamar
Galbula albirostris
Words and artwork by Eduardo Brettas
A bird of the forest interior
A glimpse into the process of painting the Yellow-billed Jacamar (Galbula albirostris). This beautiful bird belongs to the family Galbulidae. Reaching up to 21 cm in length, it inhabits the shaded interiors of forests north of the Amazon River, in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas.
The painting process
Bringing the bird to paper
I painted this Yellow-billed Jacamar on 300 gsm Fabriano paper, using Talens gouache and Winsor & Newton acrylics. I wanted to portray the bird in its natural surroundings, including some epiphytes, which are common in forest interiors.
Fabriano paper · 300 gsm
Talens gouache
Winsor & Newton acrylics
