Sample scratchboard

 The last part of the semester (in our Intro to Natural Science Illustration class) we've been focusing on learning scratchboard, also called scrapper board.  It was pretty challenging to get started as I've never even touched the stuff before, but I think my sample illustration turned out pretty well...

Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)

(click to enlarge)

The class final will also be in scratchboard, which reminds me... the first term is almost over!  Can you believe it?!?  All the class finals are due two weeks from yesterday (our last day of Fall quarter), which means the next time I post my work I'll be back in Long Beach enjoying a 5 week break from school.  After that, it's essentially one long 4.5 month push till the end (we only get one week off in between Winter and Spring terms).  It's crazy to think of all that will be done in that short period of time...

In other news, we enjoyed our last field trip of the year at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Wednesday.  I, oddly enough, spent my time sketching plants from one of the tanks (Sea Grapes and Surfgrass) while most people were drawing the wildlife that is so abundant there.  I discovered a beautiful little fish that I hope to illustrate in the future (perfect for a color assignment)...

Juvenile Blacksmith (with Sea Grapes and Surfgrass behind)

 Next Thursday will find me enjoying friends and family up in the East Bay and I can hardly wait!  After that, it'll be a crazy push to finish my final scratchboard, my final Photoshop painting, and 2 field sketching assignments (I'll post more of my field sketching work while on winter break).  So don't expect to hear from me again until early December.

Happy Thanksgiving!