Red Winged Blackbird

This is a digital painting I have just completed of the Red Winged Blackbird.

I did this in Photoshop using my Cintiq tablet. I did all the elements in separate layers. A background layer, a layer for the bullrushes, as well as separate layers for the bird and the left foot, as well as the stem in the foreground. I used multiple photos for reference, as well as specimens borrowed from the Royal Ontario Museum. A single photo does not have enough information to create an image like this, so it's important to have as much reference as possible.

The Red Winged Blackbird is one of the most common birds in North America, and one of the earliest migrants in the spring. They prefer marshy areas and wetlands, but are just at home in vacant lots in urban spaces. They are also territorial and vicious birds that will not hesitate to harass you and
stab you in the scalp with their needle sharp beaks while letting out a terrifying shriek. I can remember being terrorized by a four ounce bird on my way to work every day.

Digital prints on archival paper are available (12" x 12").