Holy cow, 100 posts!
Kookaburra Holding Court, 8×10 Copic Markers with digital corrections & digital sky
The topic is “Suspend” at Illustration Friday, and Thadeus the Kingly Kingfisher is holding court in an abandoned tire swing. He looks a tad cramped in there, if you ask me. His attendant today is a juvenile Boobook Owl, a smallish species. The elder Boobooks find Thadeus rather tiresome, if you must know. But he can usually get one of the kids to stand in. This one is called Lorna. She is very impressed by Thadeus, particularly the jeweled necklace.
The Kookaburra is the largest species of Kingfisher. Thadeus is a Laughing Kookaburra, though he tries not to laugh. He thinks it unkingly. This is my second kingly kingfisher! The first one with his mouse deer steed can be found here.
About 3 scans before the end I considered scrapping the whole thing! But I will be unable to do another this weekend, and I did spent quite a few hours on it. So here it is! I did some fixing up in paint.NET. The main issues were not enough refinement in the sketch and then trying to fix mistakes as I went. But each new drawing is a learning experience, whether it be post number 1 or 100. Thanks for looking!
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Kookaburra reference photo from TrekNature, Boobook Owl reference photo on Flickr
Congrats on 100!
Not enough refinement? You’re nuts! I bet you are the only one who sees the mistakes. Or, oh well, do you mean the pole sticking out oddly on the left side? Details..!! Love the long story you made with it.
The swirls are back today! Congrats on post #100!!!!
Your work is just amazing. I just love your honesty and that you share with us how you develop these beautiful drawings. I learn a lot just watching.
Beautiful!!!!
Nice friday post and thanks for the comment at my site. I get so few.
I live in New England and birds are our favorite past time.
eric
Congratulations on post #100! Beautiful, I love the details in the feathers. He tries not to laugh but you can see it in his eyes: it’s hard for him :) he is a kookkaburra after all…
And kingfisher James is awesome too!
Just had my first look around your site, and I love your work! Congrats on the milestone!
Someone had fun naming this bird. Kookaburra. What a great name. Good job with your kooky burra. I mean that in a good way!
I know! So may animals with silly names! Silly is good. :)
Beautiful work – really love your style
wow.
congrats on 100!!!
your cool palette is perfectly chosen for the staid and relaxed bird postures… nicely mellow.
I want to be at peace like that…
Happy 100! What a merry pair to come to your celebration!
I had to look up Boobook Owl…an adorably tufty little owl it is! Lorna is a lucky one, to be in the presence of the majestic Thaddeus and his noble neckpiece. I do hope at some point Thaddeus takes a sip or two of cognac or kool-aid or whatever loosens up his laugh button, in honor of your HappyHundred! :)
Congratulations on 100 posts. That is a lot of work – and a lot of illustrations! I like the kookaburra. the swirly head is perfect.
100!! still going strong!! You are just amazing!! Love,Mom
I agree with PiaD… don’t see what you’re fussing about!:-) I love the blues and browns together.
Haha, well, the whole tire and perch thing seems off, and the owl suffered from lack of planning. I think I did a pretty good saving job in the end, though. :D
Very cool! I love the blue tire–I’ll bet it came off of one of your fantastic vehicles ;)
I like his somewhat annoyed expression, which might have something to do with the trying not to laugh while squished into a tire swing (Squish a positive I think) It’s his upward turned eye that makes the expression.
Nice Cindy and woohoo 100 posts!
Your kookaburra has a wonderful expression… somewhat peeved, but patient as well. Lovely work…
(Do you know that Kingfisher is also a brand of Indian beer?)
That’s funny: in my country the Kingfishers have the same color as tire swing on your picture!
And congrats with your 100th post!
Faaaaantastic! I love this (and, perhaps somewhat controversially, really love your previous swirl-free piece – a radical departure, but one which works SO well [and a v. convincing digital sky, if I may say so…]): a pretty well perfect balance of colours and I particularly like the wonderfully textured effect you’ve achieved with the feathers. That bejewelled necklace and chequerboard valance (regal Kookaburra livery?) must have taken some serious patience, but I can see that nothing less would be appropriate (or tolerated…) for such a salubrious inhabitant of this hanging perch, even if it is a mite small (I bet the silvery-tongued estate agents of the Suspended Tyre Perch market described it as ‘cosy’ :-) ). Fab.
Very nice details on the blankets love your colors
Love your kingly kookaburra, Thadeus. He’s very serious but has a little glint in his eye…I wander what he’s thinking? Great work as always, Cindy.
Well done on 100 posts, I love this illustration!
Woohoo! Happy 100th! This is quite an accomplishment, Cindy. It’s interesting to look back at your first works and see how the consistent weekly practice has helped your artistic growth. Very nice palette on this piece, and lovely decorative details (you have a lot of patience)! Keep it up!
He has a very royal feeling about him with his sparkly necklace, his expression and the rich colors you used. It’s interesting how your first layer of swirls gets covered up but is still visible, adding texture and “ghost” swirls. Really pretty piece!
Wonderful piece. It reminds me of glass art my aunt had in her kitchen.
100 and counting! Congratulations! I think you did a great job of fixing mistakes because I don’t see any!
The tire swing gave me a thought. I’ll bet you could suspend an awesome Orangutan from one!
Congrats on the milestone! And love, love, love your Kookaburra!
I LOVE the texture on the Kingfisher and the color choices! Wonderful! I’m working on my IF entry now! :)
Thadeus looks very very kingly. I see no mistakes. perhaps the (hidden) mistakes makes him just perfect.
Big congrats on the 100th post! Thadeus is gorgeous! Just love the dimension in his feathers – and his bling!
So glad you didn’t scrap it – he’s such a regal looking fellow! We have lots of kookaburras around here. They used to fly in under the verandah and try to steal the meat cooking on the BBQ! Oh the perils of living in the bush… ;)