Head-Butting Stars

Somewhere between thumbnailing, experimenting with media, and trying to keep things loose, I got tangled — too many directions and too much thinking.

The plan had been simple: a new portrait of Onyx, the crow. I had a smattering of photos, taken the first time we'd met at the Wildlife Shelter. Her signature turn of head and striking eyes were on display then. I'll have this baby finished in a week.

That was the plan, at least.

I began with thumbnails.

Onyx coming toward the viewer felt like the right starting point. Then, I added a few recognizable elements — a hint of her enclosure and a couple of puzzle pieces from her favorite game.

But the basic drawing was wrong, and I couldn't work it out.

So, I walked the neighborhood taking pictures of crows, hoping to catch one coming towards me. I returned to my favorite reference photos, looking to mix and match a pose.

With references in hand, I drew large, searching sketches and eventually found the pose. Then, I cropped and added elements into a composition.

Next came the media trials.

Each technique had its moments, but nothing was it.

And the composition — all those flying puzzle pieces?

Onyx was head-butting stars,

and I'd lost sight of the original goal —

to test media and find one that best captured her.

I put the media studies on the whiteboard in my studio, turned off the lights, and left for DC. The Postcard Printing Press was calling.

Two weeks later, I returned to the same tangle of images on my wall. It was time to shift focus to completion mode.

Two pictures looked the most promising to finish (one in ink, one in pencil). The third (in charcoal) resulted from a drawing session on my first morning back. Now, what do you need to be finished?

In the end, the three portraits came together quickly. Each carries something of Onyx — her posture, her presence, her energy.

Afterword: Momentum, Focus, and Staying Open

There it was — the familiar tension between exploration and control. Looking back, I can see when each stymied my momentum, diverted my focus, or closed me down, transforming a one-week project into an eight-week endeavor.

Note to self:

Starting with too few thumbnail ideas made you doubt, adjust, and second-guess for way too long into the process. Next time, create more initial thumbnails. Aim for 10 different ones and do them quickly. Then, with a few promising compositions, go to the easel and draw large — find angles and volumes you like. Stay loose and playful.

Trying too many media approaches simultaneously — without a clear decision point — prevented progress on any of them. Next time, start with the media that feels the most attractive (do that monotype!). Explore media quickly and then choose one — one! — to work with. If you get stuck, put them down for a few days. Return and commit.

Following too many detours hijacked the project. This was a big one for you. Next time, when a side idea pops up mid-way through making a picture, rather than exploring it, capture it somewhere else — a quick sketch, a few notes — and then go right back to the main work.