The House Wren is a real “busy body”—in a good sense, I mean. And oh, how he can sing! On every post or perch his bubbling song bursts forth many times throughout the day. Male and female are dressed exactly alike. But Mrs. Jenny does not sing…she scolds! She is hustling and bustling, keeping the nest clean. Soon it’s time to have the second brood, but, meanwhile, the pair keep busy gobbling down grubs, spiders, caterpillars—oh, any insect is delicious for them!
You will need:
- Soft-lead pencil colors
- Regular paper
- Card stock
- Pencil
- Black fine-tip marker
- Foam sheet
- Acrylic paints
- #4 shader brush
- #10/0 fine brush
- #20 fat brush
- Pencil colors used: Dark brown, dark green, spring green, pink
- Paints used: Black, white, dark green, lime green, cream, brown, pink
- On regular paper, lightly mark 1” squares. Now lightly again, sketch in your wren scene block by block. When you feel satisfied, trace over your drawing with a fine-tip black marker. Now trace this onto white card stock paper, using a sharp dark brown for the bird, pink for roses, and dark green for leaves.
- Carefully do the eye first with your fine-tip black marker. Outline the feathers of the wing and tail with a sharpened black pencil color. Then lightly color over this with a brown pencil color. Follow with paint of brown, and a hint of an orange wash (a bit of water mixed with the paint), with a #4 flat shader brush, to blend the brown together.
- By this time, the feather divisions and black markings will not be plain, so go over these with a 10/0 brush. If something looks odd in your coloring, remember that paint forgives many blemishes. Finally, consider the wren done, and continue on with roses and leaves.
- Use a light pink pencil color for the roses. Then touch up with a darker pink paint. Use dark brown paint with cream dots for the centers.
- Color leaves with lightly-mixed dark green and black. Then blend together with a green wash. Add leaf veins with a mix of green and black paint. Add a few highlights with a mix of lime green and white. As a final touch, redefine the leaf borders with a fine-tip dark green micro pen or paint.
- Use your splayed #20 fat brush and foam sheet under your drawing to apply a pale blue background haze. Always remember to do the first sweepings on scrap paper to avoid ugly streaks.
There! I’m looking forward to seeing your drawing!
