[Art] Three Seabirds - Northern Gannet, Razorbill, Great Skua

[moonvoice]

This is part of a small series I'd like to do inspired by the recent trip to the UK. The birds pinged a lot harder than anything else did (except for the Gorse). Especially when we were in Orkney. And while we saw a great deal of amazing wildlife, I'm feeling pinged towards the birds, especially the seabirds, whose calls kept me company while I was frequently too sick to walk. Whether it was the gulls in Chichester, the curlews in Orkney, the guillemots at John O'Groats...

Anyway, these will be coloured, and are currently works in progress.


Northern Gannet as Totem // Morus bassanus







Razorbill as Totem // Alca torda








Great Skua (Bonxie) as Totem // Stercorarius skua

Comments

[redsixwing]

Seabirds! *fan squee*

I am particularly fond of the Skua.

[moonvoice]

Thank you! He's going to be the hardest to colour, I think, so I'm hoping a lot of the inkwork works hard for me, lmao.

[sundog]

I love the Gannet, but the eyes of the Skua really draw me in.

[moonvoice]

Ahhh that's so awesome :D

[elinox]

Oh that razorbill!

And I agree on the gorse...so beautiful!

[moonvoice]

Omg I love gorse so much. I didn't know what it was for AGES and then I think I literally looked up 'yellow spring flower Scotland' got a lot of crap about daffodils (I love them) and finally I found an article that was literally a love letter to gorse with plenty of reference photos and I was SO HAPPY. They make me want to illustrate plant totems again.

[elinox]

I found the gorse in Scotland absolutely fascinating, and I am NOT a plant person (allergies, ugh!). Not only is gorse a beautifully bright and happy colored plant, but the thorns make it something not to be messed with, and the smell was intoxicating, like vanilla/honesuckle cream.

In hingdsight, I wish I would have plucked some to press and bring home with me because we don't have it in the states (as far as I'm aware).

[silverjackal]

You know I find the black and white stage of your art mesmerising, and these are no exception. I can not decide whether I prefer the Razorbill or the Skua. I keep going back and forth between the two.

[moonvoice]

Ahhh I'm happy to hear you like the Razorbill though too! I mean, colouring will be interesting, all-black is always a challenge, but an exciting one!