And on paper and Ampersand Claybord.

9″x12″, ink on watercolor paper, probably Hahnemuhle Bamboo

The above is my favorite, but I’m also fond of the Claybord version, which is more stylized.

8″x10″, ink on Ampersand Claybord

(If you look closely at the above piece, you may be able to spot a Blue Crab in the water.)

My goal was to depict a family of Whooping Cranes. I used three different reference photos I had taken, all of the same bird. Another goal was to use what’s called a mother color to create a harmonious color scheme. Instead of relying on only one color to add to everything else I used, I created a triad “mother color” group with three primaries, and I added a small amount to everything. The paper version was all around more successful with that experiment, as the paper absorbed some of the intensity.