Polyphony Bruna's "Eastern Screech Owl"

"For December’s Eastern Screech Owl, I chose to start off with an ink wash base after sketching my design. This is a process using white watercolor and black india ink that results in the distorted background. I used this technique because it would mimic tree bark and give the piece a woodsy tone. Another reason for choosing an ink wash is because the important part of this process, the distortion, occurs outside of the influence of the artist—the reaction between the watercolor and the india ink is impossible to predict and its results differ each time. By having this texture be created outside of my own influence, the result would not be artificially created and therefore more accurately reflect the nature tone. On top of this layer, I used watercolor to lay down the initial coloring. By adding the color with watercolor first, I was able to focus on creating the texture of the owl’s plumage when I went in with colored pencil later. Colored pencil was good for this purpose of adding texture because it has sharper and thinner strokes that would stand out against the softer watercolor. These techniques combine to produce a contrast between the bareness of the background and the richness of the owl that creates intrigue for the viewer. In this way, the Eastern Screech Owl embodies the warm richness of life against the cold bareness of December."

—Polyphony Bruna