This is Edgar, who I ruined and then rescued while he reminded me how hard it is to paint with black. He also started out facing the viewer but looking over his shoulder, which created an illusion of his chest and wing swapping back and forth. But I totally ruined him when I tried to to finish the piece with pen and ink details. There was so much paint and colored pencil and fixative on the surface, the pen kept skipping and splattering. I wound up wiping away as much as I could and made a big mess. Then I started again in the morning with a wash of Paynes Grey (one of my secret weapons) and my trusty silver colored pencil. This time, I took the opportunity to change his position so his whole body is in profile. Maybe it came out not as beautiful as it once was, but I think it's better.

Phew!