Mike Hendley

  • 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 a red squirrel clinging upside down to tree bark with a detailed, softly shaded background.

  • I started this little friend this morning over coffee. #pencil #sciart

    A starte of a pencil sketch of a req squireel going down the side of a tree is drawn on an open notebook, surrounded by pens and a pair of glasses.

  • 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

    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.

  • 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

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

  • 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

    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;

  • 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

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

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

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

  • Quick morning sketch of a night heron spotted at Mud Lake—just one cup of coffee’s worth of drawing. Loved playing with the lily pad perspective and reflections. Night herons are stealthy dusk hunters, which adds to their mystique. #sciart #birdart #artist

    A graphite pencil sketch of a night heron standing in still water, surrounded by lily pads and subtle reflections.

  • This graphite sketch captures a female belted kingfisher I saw at Stewart Park in Ithaca. Drawn with Pentel Graphgear 1000s and clutch pencils, with plenty of blending and a blu-tack. She only stayed a few seconds but gave me all the inspiration I needed! #sciart #art #graphite

    A detailed graphite drawing of a female belted kingfisher perched on a gnarled branch, sketched in black and white with rich shading and fine textures.

  • Just finished this brown-lipped snail from Mud Lake in Ottawa 🐌 Had such a relaxing time with it using QoR watercolors and a Pentel water brush in an Etchr sketchbook. Grabbed new references in Ithaca yesterday too – totally beat but happy this one’s done! #sciart #artist

    Watercolor painting of a brown-lipped snail crawling on tree bark, rendered with high detail and realism in a small sketchbook.

  • This frog was too photogenic not to draw. Used a mix of Pentel Graphgear 1000 pencils and the Orenz Nero for the tiny bug. Took some time this morning to finish the texture and light work–feels good to wrap it up! #sciart #frog #artist

    Detailed graphite pencil sketch of a green frog resting on the ground, with reeds in the background and a small insect nearby.&10;

  • Quick Pteropodidae bat study started before work and finished at lunch. Used Pentel Graphgear pencils (.3mm 2B, .5mm 4B, .2mm HB) and blending for a shallow depth of field. Loved playing with fur textures and getting those expressive eyes just right. #sciart #artist #bat

    Realistic graphite sketch of a flying fox bat hanging upside down, with blurred wings and soft fur, drawn in a sketchbook.&10;

  • Painted this fairy wren over a latte at Equator Coffee in Indigo in Kanata. Quick 4B pencil sketch erased with BluTack, then detailed with Golden QoR watercolors on Etchr A6 hot press using Pentel Aquash brushes. Male fairy wrens sing to their chicks before they hatch–amazing! #sciart #art #birds

    Watercolor sketch of a fairy wren, painted in vivid blues and browns, perched on a stump; artist's hand holds a compact watercolor palette above.

  • Started this bumblebee drawing for World Bee Day. I focused on texture with my .3mm Pentel Graphgear and 2B lead, resisting the urge to create too much detail. Flowers got less love, but still pop. Tagging this with #RareLittleThings as a teaser–announcement coming soon! 😉😊 #sciart

    Graphite drawing of a bumblebee mid-flight next to a cluster of flowers, rendered in fine detail on white paper.

  • It’s World Bee Day so of course I had to work on this for my morning coffee shop pencil sketch. #wip #worldbeeday #sciart

    A start of a bumble bee being drawn in flight with two mechanical pencils off to the side as well as a blender.

  • This cougar sketch was all about exploring texture–from bark to fur. I used a range of Pentel mechanical pencils, but my go-to was the .5mm 4B. Loved capturing the tension in its stance and the flow of the coat. #graphite #artyear #cats

    Detailed graphite sketch of a cougar climbing a tree, showing varied fur textures and intricate bark details, drawn in a sketchbook.&10;

  • I won a Legion Paper prize pack: Stonehenge blocks, oil paper, oil and watercolor aluminium panels, even a tee. What should I hit first–watercolour, oil, or pencil? Big thanks to Legion Paper. Check out the full video via the link #art #paper youtu.be/X6XLDEcXX…

    Mike Hendley smiling in green shirt holds a tall stack of Legion Paper pads and panels; bold text reads 'I WON SOME ART SUPPLIES' with product images floating around him.

  • Saw this yellow-rumped warbler at Mud Lake in Ottawa and brought it to life with Golden QoR watercolours in my Etchr A5 sketchbook with a Pentel waterbrush. That accidental brush dab? It’s a distant branch now. That was the sign that it was finished😊 #birds #sciart #artyear

    Watercolor painting of a yellow-rumped warbler perched on a tree trunk, with fine details and vibrant yellow markings.

  • From sketch to watercolor. About 45 mins work done this morning over coffee of a yellow-rumped warbler I spotted last week. I am excited about the branch detail below it. #wip

    A sketch of a yellow rumped warbler is partially colored with yellow and black markings, surrounded by art supplies like paints and pens. To the left is the initial pencil sketch.

  • Spotted this heron standing solo across the pond at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Sketched it with Pentel 0.5mm 4B and 0.2mm pencils. Finished it in a local coffee shop. Herons stand on one leg to stay warm–nature’s cozy stance in action. #sciart #birds

    Graphite sketch of a great blue heron standing on one leg on a tree branch, drawn in a sketchbook using fine and soft pencils with careful shading.

  • Drew this American Marten from Algonquin Park across three cozy coffee shop sessions. Loved working with the textures of fur, snow, and bark using Pentel pencils and blenders. Did you know martens can run headfirst down trees? #sciart

    Hyper-realistic pencil drawing of an American Marten in a sketchbook. It is perched on a snowy log, captured in mid-snarl, showing fine details of fur, snow, and bark textures.

  • A watercolor male stag beetle, brought to life with rich crimson and soft gray tones. I love drawing beetles–their textures and colors are like tiny sculptures in nature. Painted mostly with Aquash brushes and finished with a little white gouache highlights. #sciart #insects #artyear

    Realistic watercolor painting of a male stag beetle with rich red mandibles and black body, shown in a sketchbook held above a watercolor palette.

  • Back to watercolour beetles. Started this after the fox this morning. Nice to play with all these tools and Golden QoR paints again. #sciart #wip

    A partially completed beetle drawing is on paper with watercolor paints and a brush pen nearby.

  • Sketched this fox after it gave our ducks a good stare-down. All safe, but its beauty had to be captured. This quick study was done in 4B Pentel Graphgear pencil with BluTack to blend and soften fur textures–balancing sleek fur with that rugged tail was the tricky part! #sciart #artyear

    Detailed pencil drawing of a standing fox with soft fur texture, sketched in a sketchbook held open by hand.

  • Hey Ottawa area friends, just a reminder that I will be doing a talk at the Arteast Grow with Art Tuesday April 22nd at 7 pm. I’ll be sharing my journey, art tips and maybe a short demo. I’ll be bringing my sketchbooks and also doing a giveaway at the end! arteastottawa.com/speaker-s…

    A collage showcasing various artworks, including animal drawings, a portrait, and an artist in the center.

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