Sandwich Terns in flight
Two Sandwich Terns in flight
Those small, pointless scraps of lino floating around your studio…don’t throw them out. Create something!
My studio was starting to accumulate a pile of endless scraps of lino, ink, and bits of kozo paper — I felt guilt when I thought about throwing them out (even if they’re compostable materials) At the top of my thoughts, I immediately saw two Sandwich Terns flying in my mind; I knew I had to carve them. And, I did! The few scraps of lino I had on hand were very hard, unworkable and stiff — Dont let your blocks sit out that long. I had just enough room to carve something a considerable size with enough room to keep the print large. Two sandwich terns in flight turned out to be the perfect idea for this block — this shorebird is absolutely dreamy. A cream-pointed black bill with a rich, stark-dark cap paired with off-white and grey feathers..the perfect shorebird. Ok, they’re all perfect to me.
Sandwich Terns are easily seen during the spring/summer months along the coast of Virginia. They are a coastal bird, so habitat is key here when trying to locate them. They can be one of the more difficult tern species to find in large numbers when compared to Royal Terns or Forsters Terns. Not as difficult as the Least Tern, but we will save that for another time!
I started with a simple sketch — the face was the best part to draw
When I draw birds, I make sure to take my time and to ensure I’m composing the bird correctly. Their eyes and their bills/beaks; whichever bird youre drawing HAS to be anatomically correct. One wrong placement with the eye—or something out of alignment and the entire things looks like a new species that has yet to be discovered. (we’ve all been there). Make sure to stay in sync with the flight pose, along with the head and beak/bill (whichever is appropriate for the bird). One might say drawing birds in flight is difficult, but I find it to be the easiest when compared to warblers that are posed on a branch. There is something magical about shorebirds in flight.
Sometimes the image is not there at first, I have to really imagine myself at the shore and try to “see” the birds passing me by
Trying out different wing poses
The best part about drawing shorebirds in flight are the various wing poses — once you nail the facial anatomy, the rest is simple. Wings can be up or down or behind. There is no right or wrong when a burst of wings pass you by. You simply want to feel the movement and picture them flying right off the print. Once I was comfortable with the pose and wings I was ready to start carving!
Two Sandwich Terns to go, Please!
To help your eyes relax from all of the negative space—use ink to help with that
Adding ink really helps your eyes relax
This is initially what a typical block looks like when I begin carving! I like to cover my blocks with india ink to help keep the negative space in check. I always trace under with a fine-tipped sharpie so that I do not lose my initial sketch. Believe me, there is NOTHING worse than accidentally forgetting to go over the graphite with a sharpie, only to find the image washed away. Will never make that mistake again! If you look closely, you can see the sharpie peeking through. For this part, Im just carving away and letting the shapes of the terns unfold.
Adding in those tiny details — my favorite
When carving feathers, I like to use various tools with different shapes to create texture. Sometimes I carve certain areas with my V-shaped tools and others I stick with my U and flat-shaped tools — this creates such a dreamy surface that mimics feathers in flight. I love clearing large areas to display shadows/highlights and to make sure the white of the bird shines through. You can check your work by rubbing graphite over paper to see if your marks look correct, or you can use baby powder / cornstarch; although, I don’t use that method. I’m already too messy of a person when I’m carving :)
I think were ready for a test print and the first layer of ink!
Right before the ink absorbs into the kozo paper — check the next photo for the after!
I think were ready for the first peel and reveal!
After figuring out the composition, I finally decided to keep the print more horizontal rather than vertical — this was such a fun print to carve. I spent only two days on this project, which was well worth it! This was one of my most popular prints of 2024. Who knew that a random idea of utilizing scrap lino would turn into a project such as this. Sandwich Terns are magical and I hope you are able to see one if you’re ever along the coast of Virginia. Thank you for reading!
Deciding between the two compositions — horizontal for the win!
:)