Mike Hendley 🎨 ✍️ 🇨🇦

Thank you

Thank you ☺️

A watercolor painting of an Aldabra giant tortoise, detailed in soft browns and grays, walking with its neck extended, sketched on hot press paper.

Painted this Aldabra giant tortoise slowly with a limited palette and a lot of coffee (literally). These gentle giants can live over 150 years. That kind of long, steady survival feels like a small miracle lately. #sciart #addherper #watercolor

I do like them. I find the colours quite vibrant. I have also visited the factory twice and just really like the people. Very interested in making high quality products for artists.

Thanks for sharing. I will request being added for my next #herp post.

It’s all about observation, practice and observation. I would suggest that something like the Art Toolkit will allow you to remove a barrier to just getting into a painting which means more painting!! :-)

I love it!!

Online Art Classes We are the art learning specialists. Explore 450 hours of structured art classes from over 200 Artists from around the world.

Thank you Kelly. I have a five part course here. learn.etchrstudio.com/catalog But I will be relaunching my Patreon later this year which will offer exercises, training and later on, some 1:1 mentor work.

Watercolor painting of a spectacled caiman's head in profile, with detailed scales in grays and muted greens, and a striking yellow eye. Painted in an Etchr A6 sketchbook using Golden QoR watercolors and Pentel waterbrushes, with paints visible in the background.

Tried to capture the soft but ancient stare of a spectacled caiman. Textured scales, muted greens, that fierce yellow eye all painted with Golden QoR watercolors on Etchr hot press paper using Pentel waterbrushes. Did you know they're named for a "spectacle" ridge above their eyes? #sciart

Watercolor sketch of a caiman’s head in profile, showing textured scales, sharp teeth, and a striking yellow eye, painted on a sketchbook page with a watercolor palette visible below.

A coffee shop start on a young caiman. Just laying in the first washes with my waterbrush to catch that textured skin and sharp eye before heading back to the studio. Love taking these small moments to warm up. #sciart #artist #watercolor

Realistic graphite sketch of a Bengal tiger mid-step, mouth slightly open in a soft snarl. Fine pencil shading captures its stripes and muscular form. Drawn in a sketchbook with mechanical pencils visible on the table.

Planning my first beginner graphite workshop in Ottawa this fall has me so excited, but I took a break to sketch this tiger. Even as a dog person, I love these wild cats. Just graphite, some blending + indentation. No two tigers share the same stripes. #sciart #drawing

Thank you ☺️

Thank you so much

A pencil sketch of a snowy owl in flight, wings outstretched low over the ground, heading toward a small mouse. Soft shading captures the delicate feathers and motion.

Snowy owls visit here in winter and they feel like living spells, silent and huge. Quick sketch with Pentel mechanical pencils and blending for soft shadows. Males can hoot loud enough to be heard seven miles away, a ghost voice on the tundra. #sciart #birds

An open sketchbook features the start of a detailed pencil drawing of an owl with a mechanical pencil and an eraser placed nearby.

I also had some time to start this owl sketch this morning. As with many drawings, I don’t get caught up with an outline but rather focus of head and eyes and use measurements from there to bring the subject to life. Sketching with the blender helps define the larger areas. #sciart #bird #birdart

A realistic watercolor painting of a western lowland gorilla's face in profile, showing deep wrinkles, soulful amber eyes, and textured fur in muted grays and browns.

Painted this western lowland gorilla from using QoR Payne’s gray and gray violet layers + Pentel water brushes. Working on a creature so human-like was unsettling. It was like staring into a quiet mirror. They can even recognize themselves in reflections. #sciart #watercolor

Good point ;-)

A nearly finished watercolor painting of a lowland gorilla’s face, taped with black-and-white polka dot tape to a sketchpad and clipped with a green binder clip. Richer details and warmer tones define the gorilla’s fur and expressive eye. A watercolor palette, brush, stained cloth, and a coffee mug are visible on the wooden table in the background.

I am really enjoying painting this one in my sketchbook. Some pieces just pull you in and slow you down. This gorilla is a fun exploration of colors and hues. Slowly pushing the darks, bringing forward the highlights and wrapping it in warmth with this layer. Should I add a background? #wip #sciart

Watercolor painting of a gorilla’s face in three-quarter view, taped with polka dot tape to a sketchpad. A water brush and compact palette sit nearby on a wooden table, with brushes and a paint-stained cloth in the background.

Busy week last week. Happy to be back in the sketchbook starting this challenging gorilla. #wip #sciart #watercolor

Realistic graphite drawing of a red squirrel clinging upside down to tree bark with a detailed, softly shaded background.

This red squirrel sketch took more time than normal and still doesn’t feel finished. But she’s a signpost, not a destination. Time to move on. Drawn with Pentel Graphgear pencils + graphite powder. Red squirrels can rotate their ankles 180° making them tiny forest acrobats. Parkour! #sciart #pencil

Realistic graphite drawing of an American kestrel perched on a branch, rendered in fine detail with smooth shading and soft background gradients. Pencils in the background.

Sketched this American kestrel after it and its mate perched by our lot. Used Pentel Graphgear pencils, 0.3mm for fine detail, 0.5mm with 2B and 4B lead for depth. Makeup brushes with graphite powder for the background. These tiny falcons can hover like helicopters! #sciart #birdart #birds

Thank you. I couldn’t leaf it alone 🤣

A detailed watercolor painting of a frog resting on a log is surrounded by art supplies, including a palette and brushes.

Finished my green frog today over coffees this morning after letting sit in my sketchbook all week. Painted with QoR watercolors and Pentel brushes in an Etchr sketchbook. Many of these noisy friends hang out at our pond. Some calls can travel a mile! 🐸 #sciart #artist #watercolor

Thank you

Two sketchbook pages show an American kestrel pencil sketch and a detailed watercolor frog, with art supplies like a Pentel Graphgear pencil, brush pen, and watercolor palette.&10;

Coffee-fueled sketch session today! WIP American kestrel in pencil to loosen up and added watercolor layers to the frog using Golden QoR paint. Loving the contrast in texture and detail so far. Frogs hydrate through their skin—nature is wild! #sciart #bird #birdart #artist

Watercolor painting of a bright yellow warbler perched on a budding branch, created in a sketchbook with a visible waterbrush and paint palette.

Painted this yellow warbler from a photo I took at Mud Lake in Ottawa. Yellows are a challenge, but QoR’s Green Gold helped it pop! Done with a Pentel Aquash brush in an Etchr A6 sketchbook. Fun fact: males sing over 3,000 times a day during breeding season! #sciart #birds #birdart

Thank you 🤣🤣

Thank you. Getting there

A watercolor painting of a yellow warbler perched on a branch is shown above a palette with various paint colors and a brush.

Started a yellow warbler this morning for my morning coffee sketch before work. #birds #sciart #wip

Thank you 😊