Untitled (Corvid Study)
Ballpoint pen on paper

This one started as “some kind of corvid” and turned into a turning point for me.

I began in black ink—just trying to lock in the shape and attitude—then drifted into blue and red as I went. The color wasn’t planned; it showed up like thinking on the page. Blue built the feathers and weight, red became little flashes of energy and correction.
No erasing, no hiding it—just marks stacking into a bird.

The sunbursts and the frame were meant to feel whimsical, like a little halo and a rough stage for it to sit in. I’m still not sure they read that way, but I like that they’re imperfect and a little weird—like I was trying to give this sketch more ceremony than it “needed.”

This drawing—and a handful of other bird studies around it—are basically what made me realize I genuinely love drawing birds.

-GIFTED-