Wetlands Great White Egret

MEDIUM: Digital Painting | STYLE: Painterly Realism | SIZE: 11 x 14 | ORIENTATION: Landscape | TOOLS: Procreate, 13″ iPad Pro, Apple Pencil Pro, Giclee Fine Art Archival paper and ink | AVAILABILITY: Prints available.

The Wetlands at Stony Brook, Long Island, are a haven for birds, fish, turtles, and more. Each summer, the town offers a “Wetlands Tour” to observe local wildlife, and this Great White Egret was photographed in flight over the water during one such visit. The image proved perfect inspiration for this piece, which was printed on Giclee Fine Art Archival paper, framed, and now hangs alongside a companion Snowy Egret photographed the same day.

ARTIST’S PROCESS: Wetlands Great White Egret was painted in Procreate on a 13″ iPad Pro using the Apple Pencil Pro. This technique replicates traditional painting’s depth and texture through layered digital brushwork. The process began with careful structural drawing, followed by multiple rounds of color blocking, value refinement, and detail work on feather texture and species characteristics to capture the bird’s appearance and temperament. Shadow and light were built up using multiple Procreate layers and specific brushes, and the background stays true to the photograph taken that day.

CHALLENGE: This bird is in flight over water, surrounded by multi-colored wetland plants and trees. Because its feathers are entirely white, the surrounding colors reflect more visibly onto them than they would onto any other color. To maintain the brilliant white of the bird’s feathers while still capturing this reflected light, layer passes were used to first establish the white feather landscape across the body and wings, followed by layers addressing the environmental lighting on the bird. A final watercolor-style thin wash technique allowed the water and greenery to subtly reflect off the feathers, without compromising the egret’s essential whiteness.

SUBJECTS AND THEMES: Wildlife Art — Nature — Wetland Birds — Birding — Great White Egret — Bird in Flight — Nature Preserve — Procreate Artwork — Painterly Realism — Long Island Wildlife