Sunday, December 18, 2011

Cardinals


Cardinals, originally uploaded by Cathy (Kate) Johnson.
I don't remember ever seeing this many cardinals all together, and especially not 5 males all together. They're very territorial, except in family groups--and this would have been a BIG family!

I used VERY quick gesture sketches to get their poses, and then firmed them up with color...

10 comments:

  1. I find your Cardinals totally amazing Kate! There is hardly a bird more recognisable in the world and the way they are depicted on Christmas cards (we can buy here) living brightly-red and happily in the cold snowy conditions is totally awesome! Lovely sketches!

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  2. Love you cardinals. Its always fun to see a gathering, but, yes, more often, I see them chasing each other away! Cold sketching these days but a bird that always lights up the landscape!

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  3. I like them very much too, but they never stayed on one spot.

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  4. Thank you, all! And Vickie, that's it! They're usually chasing one another off...these were just peaceably eating our offerings.

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  5. Your cardinals are beautiful, Kate. I grew up with them ... but none here. I miss them.

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  6. I would miss them too, Elva...they're so beautiful, at all times of the year.

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  7. Kate, I always like the way your overlap the pieces in your sketches. Do you plan that from the beginning, or just let it happen?

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  8. "Plan??" :-D Mostly things just develop! I wanted a large closeup with more detail and there wasn't room left on the page, so I just stuck it in there and let the earlier sketches lap over...

    When I'm doing gesture sketches like these, I'm working so fast I don't have time to compose...I'm hardly looking at the paper at all!

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  9. Beautiful bird and very nice sketch I would like to see both original!

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