Started with a reference image, hunting for the most essential bird geometry—just the core shapes that say “bird” without saying too much.
The sketch had other plans. What emerged was heavier, more grounded than intended, but there was something honest in that unexpected weight. Added a layer of folk-inspired line work that transformed the simple form into something both ornate and fragile—like finding delicate stitchwork on work clothes.
Procreate’s oil brushes became my playground for the background flora. New tools asking to be explored, creating texture I couldn’t have planned.
The result feels like an imaginary cousin to a pheasant or quail—some ground-dwelling bird that exists in the space between geometry and folk art. The earth beneath reminds me of west Texas at that magic hour when long shadows make the dirt glow amber and the cooling air settles quiet over everything.
Sometimes the best discoveries happen when you let go of what you thought you were making.
