This is my fifth and final sparrow pen and ink drawing in this series. Why is it the last? I’ve run out of Arches hot press watercolor paper. These guys were taking vigorous baths in a very small, decorative pond in a park.
I relied more on hatching for this one than any other, I think. It got a little busy, but I like to change things up to see what will happen and so it stands out from the others.
I had to look this one up using the Merlin app and my photo. There are so many types of sparrows. This is my fourth in what is becoming a series.
I’m celebrating sparrows in this series of drawings. Here are two sweeties perched on the last hurrah of a sunflower.
I’m using up a block of Arches hot press watercolor paper, which works beautifully with ink and fountain pens.
I start by creating a moody background with some de Atramentis ink, mixed and watered down a little. I brush it onto a wet surface. After it dries, I put in my pencil sketch.
I then start inking with my trusty fountain pens. Lately, I’ve been using far more hatching and cross-hatching, but I also do some scribbling and fill in shadows with a brush.
When I took this picture, this little sparrow was perched on this branch on a warm autumn day, but I imagined some snow and there you go.
