From Workshop to Canvas: meet Pete Parrot 🦜

This story follows the journey of creating my Pete Parrot, an acrylic painting inspired by the workshop Acrylic Painting Made Easy 2.0 offered by the Milan Art Institute.

Due to the Christmas season and our holidays in January, this one took quite a long time to finish... I started the workshop on the 25th of October 2025 and only finished today! (March 8th 2026).

For this year I mean to draw and paint more regularly and finish more paintings. Workshops like these and the Ultimate Drawing Challenge f.e., help me improve my skills and stay consistent.

Learning from the workshop

This workshop focuses on simplifying acrylic painting techniques for artists at all levels. It breaks down complex methods into manageable steps, making it easier to build confidence and skill.

Painting along with Elli during the 3-Hour-Workshop meant applying the lesson and Elli´s advice directly onto my canvas. No sketching involved in this one! It´s all done with paint and brushes directly onto the canvas. Quite scary for a relatively new artist 😅 But with the Step-by-step guidance by Elli Milan I was able to create a beautiful bird painting. (If I do say so myself 🙃😉)

The creative process behind Pete Parrot

Without giving away the whole workshop, I´ll highlight some of the steps, which helped me create my version of the blue parrot used in this masterclass. Like I mentioned before

everyone doing this workshop creates a unique painting. Again mine is quite different from Elli´s and I´m sure other participants.

• Step one: Orientation & washes. Start by covering the canvas with a basic layer. Observe the source, find the center, and outline the general shapes using thin paint (washes).

• Step 2: Blocking in the darks. Progress from dark to light. Avoid details at this stage; focus on the darkest shades and large shapes. It doesn't look impressive yet, does it? 😅

After steps 1 & 2 on day 1...

I guess I didn´t step by step follow Elli. Because I focussed on the background more during the next session...

Some more focus on background and fruits before I add details to Pete himself...

• Step 3: Introducing mid-tone shapes with a mix of blues, purples, and greens... This marks the start of the feathers.

• Step 4: Highlights and edges. Gradually add lighter tones. Create sharper edges to guide the viewer's focal points.

Step 4 fase 1

Step 4 fase 2; some improvements to his shape

• Step 5: Adding final highlights and details. Increase the contrast. This part always takes more time than I should, I guess...😅 But this is where I'll stop. Adding more might ruin it, I'm afraid...

  

  Final result after a few sessions of adding highlights and details...

Every painting has its challenges, and Pete Parrot was no exception. Aside from finding the time (and space) to paint... It´s another bird, so feathers!

Bringing workshop skills to your own art

If you’re considering taking an acrylic painting workshop or starting a new project, here are some practical tips inspired by this journey (reminder to self 🙃):

• Don't worry about sketching; begin by blocking in large areas of color before adding details.

• Utilize layering and glazing techniques to create depth and texture.

• Take your time; let your work dry and come back to it with a fresh perspective.

• Try different brush sizes and strokes to discover what suits you best. (Investing in high-quality brushes is worthwhile and makes a difference!)

  
  

Workshops like this one from the Milan Art Institute offer valuable guidance, but the real growth happens when you apply those lessons on your own canvas.... Getting there one painting at a time 😃