Birds are always intriguing models for me as they can easily convey a certain mood of other worldliness, isolation, or melancholy. Their facial expressions convey watchfulness and an acute awareness of which way the wind might be blowing. Their individual feathers and unique markings invite close examination.

Using delicate handmade Japanese paper and a hard 3H pencil, I begin the process of building an image. The hard pencil barely makes a visible mark yet leaves a slight indentation on the paper. This is my map of where I want the piece to go compositionally. I then use my favorite pencil, which is the F, to begin to indicate light and shadows. As the form of each bird takes shape, I employ softer and darker pencils. Before a picture is completed, I will have used a pencil as soft as a 9B to attain the blackest of darks. Lastly, powdered graphite is applied to produce an atmospheric quality.

Most of these drawings are large—up to six feet wide—and an eraser is never used, as the paper is far too gossamer to withstand any friction.