In addition to taking images with a camera, I study the birds of Inwood through creating mixed media drawings and small paintings. Some images unfold in sketchbooks and others on postcards or watercolor paper.
Painting birds at home gives me time to understand the form, structure, and colors of the birds. I gain a deeper understanding of both their species and individuality.
Birds of Inwood store
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The Wrens of Inwood
Read more about the wrens and my drawing process in the post The Wrens of Inwood. “When painting birds, I tend to make the underlying drawings in water-soluble graphite and then apply watercolor washes to fill out the color. For details, I will use colored pencils and ink to emphasize the darkest markings and the eyes. I make those lighter markings often with white gouache, a chalky medium in the painter’s toolkit. I’ll use my photographs as references and a point of departure, but I still strive to represent the personalities of these birds in the tradition of academic fine arts drawing.”
Bird Art of Inwood
Study of a female Red-breasted Merganser I observed in Inwood Hill Park in mid-March. The mergansers have been some of my favorites to follow in early migration season. They always seem curious and lively as they roam the waters in the main inlet of the Salt Marsh.
Canson mixed-media sketchbook. Water-soluble graphite, watercolor, gouache. Finished April 7, 2025.
Mixed media painting of a Red-winged Blackbird observed on March 16, 2024 by author.
Gouache, water-soluble pencil, watercolor wash, and gel pen on 6″ x 8″ paper. See related post.
A sketchbook drawing of a Red-breasted Merganser illustrates a post on this visiting species of waterfowl.
This species has extraordinary red eyes, so I chose to emphasize this feature.
Visit the Full Gallery – Artwork by Habitat and Type
Sketchbook practice
See related post – The Woodpecker Projects.
A sample of sketchbook pages
Store
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Birds of Inwood 