In my backyard, there is a large crow I call Leroy who wards off the hawks.  He and his extended family are always looking for a “kick back” in nuts.  They hang around waiting for me to bring them food.  I call it “Protection Money”, like the Mafia, and if I don’t pay it…well…so I pay it.  Additionally, did you know a flock of crows is called a Murder of Crows?  

This project was really challenging.  I used Canson Mi-Tientes black paper (back side recommended, not honeycomb side—but that might just be with pastels)  and Prismacolor pencils with a Kumi sharpener.  The pencil must have been too old because it didn’t hold a point very long at all.  It was challenging getting those bright fine lines and the mid-tones.  But I’m happy with the results and look forward to the next Noir subject.  Maybe I’ll try a different brand of colored pencils to see the difference.  Prismacolor is a good reliable strong brand; it’s just mine might have needed replacing. Or I should change to a Prismacolor sharpener for this work.