Known as the Phantom of the North, it is much more likely to see you before you will ever see it. It is the world’s largest owl in total length, but not in weight. Most of its size is due to its feathers, not to its actual body size.
Although I appreciate a well thought out portrait, I wanted to try to tell a bit of a story in my drawing, without showing an actual hunting scene. I love to research my subjects, so these are the elements that helped me shape my composition.
- Their main prey are rodents and they hunt by waiting, watching and listening
- Because of this, they often hunt from a low perch, like a stump, often at a forest’s edge
- They have those iconic large facial discs that help them locate sounds, but I decided to break with tradition and show my owl in profile, targeting the sound of prey.
- Like many owls they are nocturnal, but they are also crepuscular meaning they hunt at dawn and dusk. That means no sharp highlights or shadows, just a very subtle lighting.
Graphite pencil on Mellotex. 14” x 10”
All comments and critiques are welcome.
