This step-by-step started as a little painting in my
sketch book of the holly tree in my garden.  It was
in memory of my cat who loved to sit under it.
I noticed how lots of the smaller branches came
off larger ones and curved upwards making a
pretty trellis pattern.  It’s not a great picture so it
sat in the sketch book for a year or so.  Then … 

On mornings when I had time to look out of the
window at the tree I got very interested in all the
different species of birds that visited as the
berries became ripe.  In the very bad winter of
2009/2010 I saw Fieldfares and Redwings in the
garden for the first time ever.  Also a Green
Woodpecker would often visit although he would
really be on the ground below the tree searching
for ants in the grass.  I got the idea for putting
the birds into the tree (even the Woodpecker)
and making a Christmas card picture from the
2 elements.  I drew these colour sketches of all
the species I saw, with help from a bird book –
they move too fast to draw accurately. I took
some photos of the tree too.

Next I worked out a composition.  I had to
stylise the tree because the leaves are so dense
and you wouldn’t be able to see the birds
otherwise.  But I’ve taken the upward curving
thinner branches and woven them into a trellis
pattern which shows off the shapes of the birds.
As it’s a Christmas card, it was important to show
the rich, red berries under their clusters of
leaves too.

Finally I decided to use pen to draw the design
out because it is quite complex  yet small in
size.  I wanted it to be very clear, with bright
colours and it was hard not to overwhelm the
softer colours of the birds’ feathers with the reds
and greens of the tree.  The pen helped to define
the shapes of the birds so they didn’t get ‘lost’.
There are: male and female Goldfinches, one
Greenfinch, a Magpie, a Wren, a Robin, a Coal
Tit, a Redwing, male and female Blackbirds, a
Blue Tit, a Collared Dove and a Green
Woodpecker.  Can you see them all?