Watercolor Birds #21: Common Grackle

This one is best looked at from a distance...

I experimented again with letting go of control. This bird has so many details, it was daunting just to think about drawing them all. So I smeared and lightly swooshed the brush for the feather effect. I think it worked, especially if you stand about 50 feet away and squint :) Also, didn't consider the long tail when I started drawing, so about half of it is cut off.

But it was quite fun, painting this way, despite the ants that invaded my desk and had me hold the sketchbook on my lap while painting. That's alright, I have them feast on some sugary borax solution. They will not come back for more. This is how I thank them for reminding me to clean my office/studio every now and then.

May 23rd update:

The upper back feathers looked like a weird shoulder, so I tried to fix it. Also, the light in which I took the picture is different, which produces different, more accurate, colors. (It was rainy and dark, so I had the lights on the day I first painted this grackle.)