Catpaw – diary of an angry cat

Oh baby it’s cold outside. Way too cold. I think when I went out earlier the weatherman said it was about -25c. Gawd I hate the winter. I know, I know… I’m Canadian and by default I’m supposed to love playing in the snow, skiing, hockey skating… everything snow and ice related. Somewhere in my genetic makeup those specific DNA markers went rogue and never took over. I loathe the snow. Sorry, I realise that is terribly disloyal, but I can’t even get excited about the Winter Olympics. Sigh… I want to go sit at an outside cafe sipping lattes and drawing little birds. I want to go out and not have to dress up like Nanook of the North. Know how to tell how old a Canadian is? Count the salt rings on their pants.  Oh god now I’m whining and it’s only January!

To make up for my whining here’s one of my latest little birds for you. I did this Tufted Titmouse during the holidays. I’m using both the classic Staedtler Mars Lumograph B 2B and 6B for the darkest parts of the birds. For the lighter softer downy feathers I’m using Cretacolor Fine Art Graphite pencils 2H HB Fine. The Cretacolor leads are terrific for creating a soft fluffy look and the leads are very durable. I tried some other brands but found the lead tips kept snapping off.  Staedtler and the Cretacolor hold a sharp point beautifully. I haven’t settled on either brand yet, but I’m enjoying a great deal of success in using them. The mechanical pencils were great but using a variety of pencils allows for more detailed and softer sketches. Well enjoy the bird, I’m off to the cafe for a latte and to draw a bit and dream of spring. Oh… spring… outdoor cafes, sunshine and warmth … sigh….

From Catpaw’s Art work – birds

Stumble it!