Mother Bird and Chicks in Nest, Earth Day

A gentle color plan to get started — mix in your own anytime.

• sky blue
• leaf green
• blush pink
• tan
• deep blue
• dark brown
• pale green
• orange

A suggested order, zone by zone — skip around as you like.

1. 1Start with the bird bodies and the two chicks in sky blue, leaving the eye whites untouched.
2. 2Color the wings, tail and darker feather areas of the mother bird in deep blue.
3. 3Fill the nest with tan, then add dark brown to the lower rim and the chicks' beaks.
4. 4Color the flower petals in blush pink and the leaves and grass in leaf green, with a pale green touch on the small leaf.
5. 5Make the beak and the worm orange, and leave the flower centers and small branch highlights white.
6. 6Optional: Add a little darker shading on the lower part of the wings and inside the nest to make it look rounded.