At this point in the year of birds, we were three months into trying to have a baby, and now I was definitely one month pregnant. Just pregnant enough to be slightly miserable, but not pregnant enough to tell anyone. So the baby bird drawings, while infrequent, now start in earnest. I love this one. The urgency of their squawking little faces, the vivid colors of their naked necks… it was fun to draw.
Of the whole year of birds, this is definitely one of my favorites. And it has been hard to choose favorites. But with this bird, I was able to capture such a intensity of expression and texture, that the end result surprised me. I love to be surprised by art, especially my own,
This is one of the few birds that I probably won’t sell, but will keep.
The hornbill is such a fun bird to draw. I adore this one.
Once upon a time, I only wanted to draw regal birds. But over the course of this project, I learned that there is something so much more satisfying about drawing an awkward bird than a majestic one. There’s so much more to uncover: wiggly bits, scratchy lines, and fun places for my pen to go wandering. I feel like there’s more discovery in an awkward bird. I learned about pin feathers on this one. They’re neat.
