Plum-colored Starling (Violet-backed Starling) Transparent Watercolor and Ink

This bird is a great example of why they use scientific names with a genus and species. It has at least three common names: Violet-backed Starling, Plum-colored Starling and Amethyst Starling. Granted, they are pretty spectacular, so maybe one name just doesn’t capture everything? Plus, Cinnyricinclus leucogaster doesn’t seem super accessible to your average Joe. 

I had decent photo references for this bird from the Toledo Zoo. The photos were serviceable but not fantastic, and the backgrounds left a bit to be desired. I decided that they would translate better into a faster, splashier painting with a bolder color. I haven’t done a pen and ink and watercolor in a while and thought that style would suit the bird. Usually with zoo specimens I spend a lot of time researching the appropriate plants and backgrounds for each bird. In this case I was pretty time limited and decided to extract the bird entirely from a natural environment. That allowed me to do something fun that would work with the bird’s colors. This isn’t my typical style, but it was a fun change of pace.