Sketching Farmyard Animals

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Always love sketching at the zoo. Even our small zoo in Connecticut has lots to offer.  I find chickens so much fun to draw. I love using a fountain pen that writes fast and smooth like the TWSBI mini that I used here. I favor sketching in a continuous line style keeping my pen on the paper and moving around in and out of the subject.

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Noodler's Lexington Gray ink is also a free, flowing ink that glides right on to the paper making it easy to stay fast and loose while sketching.

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Splashes of watercolor bring volume to my little bunnies and give them personality. When I'm at the zoo I try to keep my sketching relaxed and go in without expectations. Animals move all the time and so sketches will be very fast and really just an impression, of shape and gesture. I've done so many of these that I've really come to love the simplicity and spontaneity of this way of working.