sketching is not just for the birds

These past couple of weeks, I have been working at spending a bit of time each day tapping into some kind of artistic distraction.  Those times have been while dinner is cooking, or enjoying my morning coffee, at times half listening to the news, or while winding down at days end.  These three projects are what I have to show for those times of needed distraction!

This female Belted Kingfisher was rendered from a photo I took as shown below the sketch.  The sheet of paper is 9"x12" bristol smooth.  It took many layers, five to seven depending on area,  to build up the final product.  I had to make a conscience effort to leave the white spaces.

This is my second India Ink project.  The mountain section was from a tutorial and the balance was from ideas that popped into my head.  I find working with India Ink more challenging than sketching with coloured pencils.  The Ink is unforgiving, it is permanent and once laid on paper there is no undoing to any degree.   The heart gave me grief but when all is said and done I like what I see! 

This is not a location that you would spot a Black-Capped Chickadee but in my dreams anything is possible! Like the Belted Kingfisher above, this project is sketched on bristol smooth with 9"x12" dimensions.  I have sketched lily pads in the past so referred to those to assist with laying them here.  The bird was fun to do and was the easiest part to daw of this whole picture.