How does a painter make something look real? Is it color? The shape? Darks and lights? Brushstrokes? Or all of the above. Lets look at these birds: what is in front of them and behind them? Nature is about things interfering with another thing and painters call this shapes and space. Brushstrokes that make a shape all at once(one sweep of the brush) is what nature does-its there! Try these tricks to make your paintings more "real".