This sweet little bird project combines acrylic paint, glass, and resin to create a textured, dimensional mixed media piece that feels playful and cozy. It’s imperfect on purpose, forgiving in process, and one of those projects that magically comes together at the end. If you love layering, texture, and letting the art evolve as you go, try this project!

Step 1: Prepare the Canvas and Trace the Bird

Start with a blank 6×6 canvas. Tape your bird tracer onto the canvas so it doesn’t shift. Using graphite paper and a stylus (or any pointy tool), trace only the outer shape of the bird, the beak, eye placement, and a loose guideline for the nest.

Avoid tracing the bird’s breast area in detail since glass will be added later and won’t fit perfectly inside tight lines. Once traced, lightly sketch a rough shape where the belly will go so your painted color roughly matches the glass size later.

Step 2: Paint the Background Sky

Begin painting the background using Sea Mist mixed with white...