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MEDIUM: Scratchboard
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SIZE: 5" x 7"
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STATUS: For sale $250, in a stacked wood frame, black and white
"I've been exploring scratchboards of feathers recently, so this eagle portrait is a natural extension. His intense stare, captured in the color reference photo I used from Tammy Kokjohn, captivated me. My technical challenge was to depict his feathered body and facial features without any added color, while preserving the powerful appearance.
By varying my scratching tools and techniques, I was able to differentiate the light vs. dark feathers. I also aimed at making the thinner long feathers of his head and neck look fluffier than the body feathers, which lay flatter and more stiff. The eagle's head is very 3-dimensional, with the hard beak protruding between his dramatic offset eyes; careful shading helped to achieve this volume.
Research tells me that eagles are unique to North America. I've occasionally spotted eagles fly along the river and lakes nearby, and, earlier this year, saw one just outside my window. With binoculars I could identify the large bird perched on a branch as a juvenile eagle. It was exciting to see this majestic emblem of our nation."
