illustration

Bird Notes /  by Brad Sneed

I’ve added a new set of Backyard Birds notecards to my Etsy Shop. The pack includes eight cards and envelopes. Each card features an illustration a different species. On the back of the card is a blurb about the bird.

My latest collection of Backyard Birds notecards.

My latest collection of Backyard Birds notecards.

Card front.

Card front.

Card back.

Card back.

This 5th edition of my Backyard Birds series features a Brown Creeper, American Redstart, House Sparrow, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Summer Tanager, White-crowned Sparrow, Gray Catbird, and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.

Check out Backyard Birds Collections 1 through 4, as well as sets of Waders, Ducks, Corvids, Woodpeckers, Owls, Birds of the Flinthills, and Hummingbirds. Birds aren’t your thing? Take a peek at my set of Damsels & Dragons notecards, showcasing colorful illustrations of dragonflies and damselflies!

All notecard sets may be purchased from my Etsy shop, BradSneedStudio.

Encountering John Brown /  by Brad Sneed

It was super gratifying to create illustrations of John Brown, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, and others for the ENCOUNTERING JOHN BROWN exhibit on display at the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence, KS until November 6th. Kudos to the creative team at Overland Traveling Exhibits for producing this informative examination of Brown’s life and legacy as seen through the eyes of those who knew him.

JB and Me.jpg

Final Art / Take Two /  by Brad Sneed

There are several important and necessary steps I complete before tackling the final “perfect” illustration. Almost always, issues are solved during these preliminary stages. By working through a series of thumbnail sketches, a comprehensive drawing, and perhaps a color sketch, I can approach the final art with confidence. I have a clear vision. Occasionally, despite having laid a good foundation, the building collapses. When I complete a painting that I’m just not happy with, there’s really only one solution; throw it away and start over.

Below, are two versions of the same illustration. The first is… okay. I felt the illustration could be stronger. Can you spot the differences in the second version? The changes are subtle but impactful. For me. the second version is more successful.

Version One

Version One

Version Two

Version Two

Great Blue Heron /  by Brad Sneed

I’ve long admired these majestic birds, though always from afar, until one day I froze while passing by a window facing the backyard. Standing in our pond (this is a decorative hot tub-sized pond) was a Great Blue Heron! He was there to poach a goldfish or two, I suppose, but must’ve sensed or seen me, for he launched and was gone. The encounter, though brief, made an impression!

Prints of this bird are for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Barn Swallow Pattern /  by Brad Sneed

It’s been an exceptionally wet summer here in the middle of America. Lots of rain means lots of puddles which means lots of mosquitos which means there is food aplenty for critters that enjoy a mosquito meal. One of those mosquito-eating critters is the lovely Barn Swallow. Sadly, these birds don’t live in my neighborhood, but they were plentiful at my rural childhood home. They nested in the rafters and under the eves of the barn and outbuildings. There was a family that returned year after year to nest above a window on our house. By summer’s end, my family shared the homestead with at least 30 swallows! Those warm August evening skies were filled with careening fork-tailed birds gorging on mosquitos and other flying insects. That memory inspired this illustration.