Sleeping Flamingos

Yesterday, I went to the Como Zoo to sketch in public. I really like going to the zoo to draw. Most of my time was spent with the ducks and flamingos, although I did visit other displays and worked on sketches of other creatures. So far, my favorite animal to sketch is whatever animal is being perfectly still, which means that I like animals who are sleeping. Although, I could develop a side business. If you want your kids to see animals awake and moving around, just have them follow me around when I am trying to sketch animals who appear to be sleeping soundly.

There were several flamingos who were semi-cooperative.

It's weird, but flamingos don't look like flamingos from this angle when they are sleeping. I tried to do a few sketches from more of a head-on view, since the curl and angle of the neck was fascinating. None of those flamingos would hold a pose long enough for me. The only flamingos who stayed fairly still were all in this position and I could only see them from the essentially the same angle. The drawings on the right are closer to the true relationship of the height versus width. 

What I'm finding is that I am noticing more, but can't hold the details in my head long enough to get them on paper and live subjects move so frequently! I am looking forward to the Bell Museum of Natural History opening back up next summer and being able to sketch animals in the dioramas.