[Art] Yellow-Billed Magpie Ink / WIP

[moonvoice]

Starting to consolidate my worldbuilding for the next Perth Shifters book, which needs a different title, and ugh I hate...I hate coming up with titles so much. At least with fanfiction it's generally easier. I can do whatever I like in a very cavalier fashion.

This Magpie has been a lovely, bright energy! It's hard to explain, but wonderful to work with.


Yellow-Billed Magpie as Totem
Ink on illustration board, unfinished.

Comments

[ofmonstrouswords]

Oh I love the magpie. The energy really leaps off the screen.

I agree on titles. Bane of my existence. I so often lurk in the Adoption Threads in the Nanowrimo forums to find good titles for stories.

[moonvoice]

Magpies are lovely animals! I only got to see them briefly in the UK, but they were marvellous, and so different to our Australian magpies (which are not corvids, despite copying so much of the magpie behaviours). :D

Actually your adoption thread inspired me, and while I didn't find a title there, I found a few new ideas to riff off, and I have a new title for my book! Thank you so much!

[ofmonstrouswords]

Yay on having a new title! So happy I inspired a productive trip to the Nano forums. XD

[cmcmck]

I have a thing for magpies!

This is our local variety, the Eurasian:

[moonvoice]

I've drawn Pica hudsonia which is nearly identical and almost conspecific, but not quite the same!

[silverjackal]

I am well accustomed to the Eurasian cousin to this species, and for all they can be considered pests I am very fond of them. They are brilliant and brash, and I don't think the Yellow-billed would be any different in that regard.

[moonvoice]

I tend to very much like the birds that are considered pests, though often here in the Eastern States it's birds like mynahs and starlings (both feral), and in Western Australia it's rainbow lorikeets among other things (many people don't realise that rainbow lorikeets are particularly pesty, but sadly they are).

[8bitamanda]

Beautiful art! I'm also often frustrated by titles. Looking forward to the next Perth Shifters book. :)

[moonvoice]

Thank you! It's so good when I can conquer a title, tbh. I don't even mind if I don't love it, it just needs to work and be sellable. I'm not as fussy as other people with titles, frankly, mostly because it's the story I get obsessed with (and also I'm terrible at remembering the titles of other books, probably this is part of it).