Quiet Cardinal 4 - torn paper collage

6x8.5 watercolor, Uniball pen ink and torn paper collage on blue tinted Color-Sketch paper drawn Friday and done today, the fourth cardinal in a series of four birds. I was answering a free lesson #sketchbookskool #art4all in which you look at a subject and draw it by not looking at it. With this final exercise they must've felt sorry for participants and allowed 10 quick glances plus an extra bonus of 2 more minutes for details in the initial drawing.  Total time today about 2 hours.  From his polkadot tail feathers to golden polkadot beak and cultured pearl for an eye, this red guy is singing.  An umbrella is serving as his top wing feathers.  This was a fun little series of drawing the same object then making art with each so different.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Quiet Cardinal 3

6x8.5 watercolor, Uniball pen ink, and Caran D'Ache watersoluble wax pastels on pink tinted Color-Sketch paper drawn Friday and done today, the third in a series of four birds. I was answering a free lesson #sketchbookskool #art4all in which you look at a subject and draw it by not looking at it. With this, they cut you some slack and allowed 5 quick glances. Mid-tone underpainting done first with
acrylics then followed by multiple pastels.  It is now possible to go in with a small brush and blend the very vivid pastels since they literally melt once water touches them.  I like this look so it stays for now.  This third cardinal was fatter than the first two.  Tomorrow will be the last bird and will be on blue tinted paper.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.