The original photograph this image was inspired by was taken by Vincent van Zalinge and can be found here on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/oH6RhpzOtDg
Personally, I'm fascinated by their tails... Thus far I've drawn birds that have "long straight backs" that have an implied visual straight line from the top of the head to the end of the tail, but these birds were the first I'd drawn that the tail sticks straight up! They're so cute! It's like they're constantly alert and vigilant! I love it!
Today's new print drop on my Esty store is the last of the three hummingbirds I've done lately: an Anna's Hummingbird. With this image, I now have 70 different bird prints available on my Etsy shop.
Apparently, they're named after the wife of an ornithologist...
I don't use AI to make these--this image took 10922 strokes to make over 4 hours and 14 minutes. Here's the speedpaint, condensed down to 2:13!! https://makertube.net/w/6nBoQXq3rkEs6n4XaBpUFF
The original photograph this image was inspired by was taken by Vijayalakshmi Nidugondi and can be found on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/pmTzIqkbQRs
My husband grew up with this Kookaburra song that his entire family knows and I'd never even heard of... I guess it didn't really reach my childhood in Southwest Iowa, but oh my goodness it's an earbug and now I hear it in my head all the time!! https://youtu.be/p2VitpGRalw?feature=shared
Here's the speedpaint from Procreate: https://makertube.net
/w/8fd9rSppeSbTpU9E3fXTbV
Today's new Etsy listing (and free phone and tablet wallpapers) is a juvenile Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. This little fellow is young enough that he hasn't developed its characteristic red coloring. I still think its lovely!
This one turned out incredibly powerful looking, and I have to think it might be in part because of its very simple and "graphic-like" markings--sides of red-orange, a black hood that tapers into a field of white on the breast... It's very "superhero looking" to my eye... The angle also makes him seem very "buff" somehow...
Here's tonight's free bird wallpaper. It's a Eurasian Wren, more commonly known as just a straight-up Wren. It's common to most of Europe and Southeast Asia.
I don't do AI images, and I like to provide proof I actually drew and painted it (albeit digitally) using Procreate. The app records each stroke I make while painting it. For this image, I made 4410 strokes of my Apple pencil, and it took 1hr 48 minutes to complete. Here's the speedpaint: https://makertube.net/w/3SR1A2un5U66KpkFjaGDPr
I just love how this very tiny bird's tail just sticks straight up!! It's so cute!!
Apparently Phoebe is an alternate name for the Roman moon-goddess Diana. I'm not sure why or how that was selected for this particular bird, but some suggest it might also suggest the sound of its call.
I tried out some more bokeh lighting effects on this one and sort of made the whole thing a bit darker and dramatic. I'm telling myself I'm doing Glamour Shots for birds. LOL! 😆
This is the second Northern Cardinal I've drawn in this series. The first was a very long time ago (it seems) and was one of the original bird images I'd completed before I ever realized I was actually working on a series...
I love the look of these birds--especially the females as their rich browns and creamy tan coloration is so much fun to paint! The bright red of the males is fine, but there's sometimes less subtlety in their hues. They seem all red all the time! Haha!!
There are lots of different types of Drongos apparently! 28 different species--Shining, White, Spangled, Bronzed... This one is distinctive because of its gray, ash-like coloring.
It seems black to me, and I used a lot of blue in it, so... This illustration is an Ashy blue-black Drongo. My own species. Haha!
Just so you know, 24x36" prints are $22. The smaller the size, the smaller the price, all the way down to 5x7" which are $7.50. So these might be a nice way to fill up a frame or something you want to use.
I've also included a phone wallpaper and a tablet version with this post! The lovely spring grass green really refreshes me!
Leslie the Bird Nerd has a wonderful "Top 10 Facts about Chickadees" vid that is lots of fun and very informative! They have such a beautiful call! https://youtu.be/5KdvPp1_JeI
This one is the darkest of the three, the most "dramatic", which was totally an accident and something that I have tried to emulate in my more recent pieces. There's something "Old Masters"-ish about this one that I really like. Darkening the background made a huge change in the emotional tone of the imagery making it richer and deeper in my opinion, more "Classical".