Wood Duck linocut: Steps 9 - 12

The urge to just get ON with this linocut was strong after all those pesky little steps, so I took a deep breath and inked up the entire block with a transparent green.

Step 9: Some context

At last we have some context for these critters! If you're surprised that they are in the water then you either haven't been following this blog for long or you haven't been paying attention. It's a theme you can expect to see a lot of in the year ahead, as I prepare for an exhibition about seabirds in 2014. Not that wood ducks are seabirds, mind you. I just meant they were birds and they were in the water. Oh, nevermind.

Satisfaction with big progress was short-lived, unfortunately. We're back to that attention-demanding male again.

Step 10: Elvis has left the building.

Some bright green for His Drakenessship's handsome pate, and then some bright red for his wandering eye and smooth-talking bill. Yes, I've imagined him quite the Don Juan.

Step 11: Red eye and bill.

But really, it's time to start giving a little love to the female, don't you think? She's been quite patient up to this point.

Step 12: Enter the love interest.

It's all looking very awkward at this stage. I'd chew my nails, but they're already destroyed by a dozen rounds of inking and clean-up. And we ain't seen nothin' yet.