Chaffinch

Looking at my work, I realized I rarely ever paint passerines! This was a bit of a personal challenge, to choose a small bird and paint all the subtle details of the wings. I learned a lot by painting this, particularly in the wing anatomy of such small birds. All the feather groups are still there, but in different proportions than larger birds such as raptors.

Seen here is a male and female chaffinch in a flowering European crab apple (Malus sylvestris). These birds are extremely common throughout Europe, and the males have such lovely plumage.

_{Watercolor and just a bit of acrylic on illustration board, 8 X 10 inches}