Long tailed tits on willow - the process of painting

1. First getting the outlines and some of that left hand side pastel background down.

2. Underlayer for later details, getting that pink underlay down early on is so important.

3. All those tiny feathers in the correct place - for my scientific brain, I have to get the details right! All the small details add up to distinguish a species.

4. Pretty much done but not yet signed. That means I am still looking at the painting on a daily basis to see if I am finished. Maybe a few extra strokes here and there - once signed it is done!