Summer Visitors deserve some ink

Warm weather porch sitting on lazy days have given me the opportunity to observe our little friends who are anything BUT lazy.
I began with a light pencil sketch then concentrated on getting the depth and roundness . I used some still photos for reference, but I wanted my little fellow to be looking up at his sweetheart, so I kept erasing until I got the gaze just so. --What i didn't plan was his wingspan, and it ended going off into the binding of my sketch book.  - No worries, I worked that into my design on the notecards.
I took a good digital photo of my finished drawing in daylight to avoid shadows, but still noticed a little grey area on the upper part of the drawing. This actually was a good learning experience because I was able to use photo software to "remove" the background - something I wouldn't have been able to do if I had applied the watercolor before photographing. I really just liked the black and white detail of this, so I'm not sure if I will finish this out in color or do another one to work on doing fuzzy background effects.
I printed the images on 90lb acid-free paper and added borders to give each card a more finished look. At 4 per page, they come out to about 4"x6" finished- perfect for framing!
I worked on the sheets all at once to be consistent with my painting technique.
I used DERWENT INTENSE watercolor pencils. I love the vivid colors that blend so well. (THANK YOU, Judy Reed for that tip!)
I kept a small bowl of water and a folded paper towel so my work area would be small and easy to manage. The decorative bowl is "just right" for these small projects that don't require a lot of water on the paper. (Thank You Deb!) It is also inspiring, reminding me to keep my touch delicate and light .
I layered the Inktense pencils dry, making sure to build some contrast. I left some ink areas alone to keep the light effect, then went in with a Pitt Pen and drew the flower accents. This keeps the hand made element that I want in my cards.
I finished by trimming and applying the drawings to heavy decorative card stock. I chose flower garden themes to match my drawings.
I'm really happy with the way they turned out, so definitely will be making more this Summer!
They will be available in my ETSY Shop as well as in Artistry on Main in Buckhannon, WV.
I wish you many "idle" hours to enjoy your creativity this Summer.
​Happy Painting!