Dickcissel again

My usual process for the bird illustration project I'm working on involves 3 parts. 1. I have to see the bird with my own eyes in the wild 2. Draw or paint the bird as it appears (I usually end up using a mix of photo reference and field sketches) 3. Have fun making my own interpretation of the bird. I just go for the overall impression and personality of the little guys and gals. It's so much fun remembering where I was and looking back on old notes when I draw and paint these.