Quiet Winter · Plate 7 of 45

Northern cardinal color reference

Cardinalis cardinalis

The northern cardinal lives in eastern and central North America and in Mexico, and it stays through the winter. The male is bright red with a black mask around the beak, while the female is tan with red on the wings, tail and crest. Both males and females sing.

Colors to reach for

Color the male in bright red and deeper crimson, with a black face mask and an orange-red beak.

• bright red
• crimson
• black
• orange red
• dark red

How to color the Northern cardinal, step by step

1. Read the gray shading guide first. It already marks where the Northern cardinal is darkest, so the shadows are mapped before you pick up a pencil.
2. Lay a light first layer of bright red and crimson over the largest areas, with soft pressure and small circles, letting the gray show through.
3. Build depth with black and orange red, going over the gray areas a second and third time until they read as shadow and form.
4. Finish with dark red for the smallest details and highlights, then step back and compare with the color reference above.

Questions about this page

What colors do I need to color the Northern cardinal?

Start with bright red, crimson, black, orange red and dark red. Color the male in bright red and deeper crimson, with a black face mask and an orange-red beak.

Where is the Northern cardinal in Quiet Winter?

It is plate 7 of 45 in Quiet Winter. Like every Nibfern drawing it is printed on one side of the page, with a light gray shading guide under the lines and a dotted cut line at the spine.

Can I frame the Northern cardinal page?

Yes. Cut along the dotted line and trim to the corner marks for a 7 x 9 inch print that fits a standard 8 x 10 frame.

More from Quiet Winter

• Pine cone and needlesQuiet Winter, plate 9
• Gray wolfQuiet Winter, plate 10
• MooseQuiet Winter, plate 11
• Snow crystalsQuiet Winter, plate 12

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