Great Horned Owl

Had some unexpected time at the drawing table today so I'm taking advantage by starting this GHO. I want to continue the momentum I gained with the last piece by getting right into another using the lessons I learned in my experiment.

I smudged in a light gray background to get the board dirty. That drops inhibition from the initial drawing marks. This image shows about 60 minutes of work. This would have taken me hours just last month given the way I worked. The board measures 18"x36" for this composition.

I'll detail the eye and beak next then finish the wing. This bird sits in snow among dried grass so there will be some habitat in this work. Not anything detailed or too specific.

I have a very large size commission I'm preparing for which is in the initial stages. Getting this owl fit in before I begin that 24"x48" elk herd behemoth gives me some practice and confidence before applying this technique to that project.