"A Morning Starling"

A morning starling- Even though these birds are so invasive and it sometimes feels like they’re taking over, you have to admit that they’re gorgeous. Their feathers in the light create the most inspiring iridescent hues. Blues, greens, purples or even bronze can be spotted as they move through the light. 

I started this piece with watercolours, knowing I would go over it with ink. I used all of the tones that I wanted to have peek through afterwards. I’ve drawn pieces in the past with the same thought, but lost the undertones in the black and felt a lot of regret afterwards. This was really a  redemption piece and I wanted to try again at this same idea. 

I was a lot more selective with where I put shading, and I really love how this one turned out. I often use a bic style of pen, paired with sakuras, to use a light, feathered out kind of style. The pens I use most, sakura microns, will always make the same width and depth of line. I love them because they’re so precise. A bic pen is just the opposite - You have fine control over the line weight, and it enables subtle gradients. You can adjust the pressure or layer to range tones from from dark to light. 

I was really glad that I gave an attempt to this style - I love how the starling turned out and I adore the colours. Its one of my favourite pieces that I’ve done in a long time.