The Owls rotund shape and distinct features makes them easiest bird to draw.
For this project, students spent a few minutes dabbing diluted paint on paper. This is a good way to empty paint tubes or buckers after all every bit to save on materials counts and to add to the translucency try adding gold dust into the water which I am sure your students will love.
Once the paint is dry, start drawing and filling in colours.
Chinese Ink on Rice Paper has its advantages and I think for beginners it is more forgiving than watercolour.
This medium is used to demonstrate how to paint gently compared to Acrylic and without tearing a hole in the paper. The fast drying ink allows students to add colours almost immediately without having to "wait for next week".