"Red Billed Rhythm"

"Red Billed Rhythm” is an illustration of a red billed woodpecker - Sometimes spotted near my home! This little guy began in a pencil outline, followed with watercolour paints.

I wanted nice vibrant reds and oranges for the males crown - This is the main thing that separates them from the females. The black and white barring on the wings are more difficult to plan out and work with.

I used my go to pen to add archival ink patterns over top of the red crown. Repeating feathered pieces, starting at the beak and going across to the back of the head. I really try to be careful not to go in too heavy when I want a colour to shine through. I’ve made the mistake before and have learned the lesson the hard way ruining a piece!

The black and white barred pattern on the wings was much more of a challenge for me! I had created a rough outline with the watercolours, but then needed to fill in the details. The result is a little more on the abstract side, but I really enjoyed the process. I did cross hatching to create depth in the feather layers. I tried the same thing with stippling for shading between the bark and it’s probably my favourite part of the whole piece.