Blue Tit

There is something about garden birds that just makes you stop and look. This little blue tit was worked in pan pastels and pastel pencils which is a brilliant combination for getting that soft feathery texture.

The colours on a blue tit are unreal when you really study them — that bright yellow chest against the blue cap and those tiny white cheek patches. I used the pan pastels for the broad colour areas and then went in with pencils for all the fine detail in the feathers.

It is one of those pieces where the medium just fits the subject perfectly. Pastels have this softness that works beautifully for birds.