This was my first official Dala rooster, where I colored the adult bird in the Swedish style rather than just the offspring. It was a fun change, since the adult is so much larger and easier to add detail to than a little chick, not to mention the texture of the feathers is very different from (and in my opinion, easier than) the chicks’ down. These are based on the Blue Andalusian, a Mediterranean class chicken that is a beautiful shade of soft blue-gray.

This was also my first drawing with a full background, which caused far more trouble than the birds. It was at least partially re-done twice after the initial background. I like to think I’ve improved since then. But I love the rooster’s face.