Poultry where????

Although poultry is banned at the Minnesota State Fair, I recently paid a short visit to a petting zoo in the heart of Amish farming land.  They had three absolutely beautiful chickens (as chickens go,) that many tried to coax out of the coop.  It was a particularly cool and blustery day, and the chickens made it clear, they were staying put.

6B pencil on tan Strathmore 400 series paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

This lovely hen was the only bird I could get a clear view of.....well, at least the top half of her.  She appeared to be very annoyed by all of the children and their parents trying to lure her to the doorway, and made this wide, one-eyed glare from her perch inside the coop.

Amish hen with color on tan Strathmore 400 paper.   Black India ink using Pentel pocket pen, white China marker, and watercolor paints.  Click on image to enlarge.

This sketch, with color, was intended to be a "quick sketch."  I have not worked much or often with watercolor paints, but like the quickness of laying in a suggestion of color and moving on. Of course, I had trouble doing that "quick" part, and returned several times to "tweak" the image; so much for the "moving on" part.

Tweak #2 in Amish hen. 

The second time I returned to "tweak," I remembered why I so seldom use watercolor paints or depend on them to capture an image; they always reactivate when wet.  Even though you lay down a color and have it the way you want it, a drop of water, and you are back to square one.  I knew there was a reason I used the black India ink (non-water soluble,) and the white China marker (water resistant!) i.e. - they BOTH stay put!

Tweak #3 - Amish hen

By tweak #3, I had discovered that not only did I need to think about how to make my colors more dense, I also had to think about what other colors I could add to create depth and volume.  Notice, for example, that I have added purple to the comb and waddle (red stuff above and below the beak.)  Also, a little purple under the eye and black, not gray, into the body. I am convinced I like that white China marker and black India ink!

Tweak #4 - Amish hen.  (I think I would have made the background even darker if there would have been a tweak #5....there wasn't)

During my quick visit near the coop, the hen continued her scowl and remained in the coop.  Perhaps she has heard about the bird flu and is being a "wise old bird!"  We won't be seeing her at the Minnesota State Fair' that's for sure!