Nature Journal: Returning Songbirds

My birdfeeder has given me a look into the movements of the songbirds in my neighborhood.  This Common Grackle showed up recently in a flock of migrating blackbirds.  The group refueled on the sunflower seed feast laid out for them.

The grackle that caught my eye moved around on the ground quickly, so I found a photo online at Cornell University's All About Birds to use as a reference.  Here's a link to their page about Common Grackles.

I began this journal page with the observations on the left side, then a light graphite pencil sketch of the grackle. I erased extra pencil lines, and layered in Prismacolor colored pencils on top of the graphite sketch.

If you try this approach, make sure to keep the graphite pencil sketch light so that you don't create any grooves in the paper.  Grooves can prevent the soft colored pencils from getting down into the channel cut by the pencil.  

Also, if you're using lighter colors, the colored pencils may pick up the gray graphite and mute your colors.  I find keeping the sketch light or rolling a kneaded eraser over the graphite sketch to pick up excess graphite helps to prevent this problem.  

Spring is a fantastic time to start a nature journal.  Grab any small sketchbook and your favorite drawing tools, and take them on a walk with you.  Or simply set them up by a window where you can watch what's going on outside.

I hope you find some signs of spring this week!