The name, Coatlus duodecapteryx, simply means “coatl with twelve wings” in almost-but-not-quite-scientific latin. Eight eyes, twelve wings, a masklike face…this was quite a bit of fun to draw, and I deliberately worked to keep it loose and gestural whenever possible.
Religion and spirituality were on my mind when working on this. Coatl is a reference to Quetzalcoatl the Feathered Serpent, a deity worshiped across much of mesoamerica; snakes and birds are important religious symbols in cultures the world over; and the number 12 is significant in multiple religions and also in the field of numerology. The masked face also plays conceptually to the idea of elaborate costumes common in Aztec and Mayan worship and religious life.
The linework is all Micron and Copic pens, and the shading was accomplished using three different Copic mid-range grey markers, mainly chisel and/or brush tip work rather than the finer tips. I’m most partial to Copic sketch markers as they feature both brush and chisel tips, and when I want to lay color or shading down I usually prefer to cover the page quickly – thus the preference for larger marker tips.
I’d almost forgotten how much fun sketching feathers is.
In other news, I’ve been having kind of a rough week, and I apologize for the every-other-day update schedule I’ve fallen into. I’ve been drawing these daily, but part of the exercise is to post them promptly to enforce that deadline. I’m feeling better for now, though, so I should be on track hereafter.