Mike Hendley

  • A fruit bat in watercolor using a Pentel water brush with my Art Toolkit palette and QoR watercolors in an Etchr hot press sketchbook. Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are crucial pollinators in many tropical regions! #sciart

    Watercolor painting of a fruit bat with wings spread, next to a watercolor palette and a Pentel aqua brush.&10;

  • Just finished this vibrant Cassowary bird using colored pencils in my Leuchtturm 1917 sketchbook! Did you know the Cassowary is one of the most dangerous birds in the world? Their kick can be lethal! 🦅✨ #sciart

    A detailed colored pencil drawing of a Cassowary bird in a Leuchtturm notebook. The bird features a striking blue head, a brown casque, and vivid red wattles, with two colored pencils beside the drawing.

  • Starting something new in my Leuchtturm 1917 sketchbook using colored pencils.

    Colored pencils are placed on paper next to a detailed drawing of a bird's eye.

  • I did a little urban sketching at an event this past weekend on the grounds of Stewart Hall in Montreal. Great connecting with fellow artists.

    A person is painting a watercolor of a historic house in a park, with the actual house visible in the background.

  • Painted this kookaburra in my Etchr A6 hot press sketchbook using Golden QoR watercolors and a Pentel water brush. Fun fact: Kookaburras have a laugh that sounds like human laughter! #sciart

    A watercolor painting of a kookaburra perched on a post, created in an Etchr A6 hot press sketchbook. The painting is accompanied by an open watercolor palette in the background.

  • Completed a detailed drawing of a northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia), also known as the murder hornet, with Pentel pencils (0.2, 0.3, 0.5 mm), a blender, and Blu Tack. 🐝 #sciart

    A detailed pencil sketch of a giant hornet is drawn on a white paper, surrounded by mechanical pencils and an eraser.

  • Sketched this goldfish today using Pentel Canada Orenz Nero pencils (.2, .3, .5). Goldfish can remember shapes, colors, and sounds for at least three months! 🐠🎨 #sciart

    A detailed graphite drawing of a goldfish on sketchbook paper, created with Pentel Canada Orenz Nero pencils in sizes .2, .3, and .5. The sketch captures the delicate texture of the fish's scales and fins.

  • Celebrating Canada Day with a watercolor of the iconic common loon! Used my Leuchtturm 1917 and a water brush—the paper took the water well. Did you know loons can dive for up to five minutes? 🇨🇦 Use MIKE20 for 20% off your next order!

    Watercolor painting of a common loon in a Leuchtturm 1917 sketchbook, showing the bird with its distinctive black head, white-striped neck, and checkered back, partially submerged in water with reflections visible.

  • I decided to take a piece I had done in watercolor (Edinburgh Book Museum) and adhere it to a wood panel. I am really happy how it turned out.

    A watercolor painting of a historic building sits on a wooden table surrounded by art supplies like paint bottles and spray cans.

  • Quick sketch of a capybara before a work event at the Museum of Nature today. Created in my Leuchtturm A4 sketchbook. Capybaras are incredibly social animals! 🐾✨#sciart

    A detailed pencil sketch of a capybara on an A4 sketchbook page, accompanied by drawing tools.

  • Completed this detailed watercolor of a chameleon. Highlighting its texture and playing with light and shadows was a real challenge. Fun fact: chameleons can move their eyes independently to spot prey! Pentel water brush, Etchr sketchbook and Golden QoR watercolors🦎 #sciart

    A realistic painting of a chameleon on a branch is set alongside an open watercolor palette and a filled water brush.

  • A 30 min sketch in a coffee shop in Ithaca, New York today inspired by a photo I found online

  • Sketched this cricket at Equator coffee in Kanata using my Etchr sketchbook, a Pentel brush pen, and QoR watercolors. Crickets produce their loud songs by rubbing their wings together, a behavior called stridulation. 🦗🎨 #sciart

    A detailed watercolor sketch of a cricket on white paper, created using an Etchr hot press sketchbook, a Pentel brush pen, and QoR watercolors. The sketch captures the intricate details and textures of the cricket. Art supplies are visible in the background.

  • Inspired by a serene moment this frog was enjoying by our pond, I drew him in my Leuchtturm 1917 sketchbook using colored pencils. Green frogs can jump up to 3 feet and their tadpoles can take up to two years to become adults! 🐸🌿 #sciart

    A hyper-realistic colored pencil drawing of a green frog, showcasing intricate details in its textured skin and vibrant green and yellow hues, with an array of colored pencils arranged neatly to the right.

  • 🦏✨ Just finished this baby rhino watercolor sketch in my new Etchr hot press sketchbook! Used Golden QoR watercolors and a Pentel Canada waterbrush. Did you know rhinos have been around for over 50 million years? Despite this, they are critically endangered due to poaching and habitat loss. 🌍❤️

    Watercolor painting of a baby rhino lying in the grass, with a palette of vibrant colors and watercolor brushes nearby.

  • For my second acrylic piece, I started blocking in some colour but then got carried away with the eye detail of the female wood duck. Haven’t played with acrylics in months 😊

    A start of a painting of a female wood duck

  • More Drawing Day! Just finished this bear cub drawing! Took a few sessions in coffee shops and a cafeteria. Used my Pentel .3 (2B) and .5 mm (4B) pencils and tried the new .2 mm Pentel Orenz from Pentel Canada. Perfect for detailing, though the B lead is a bit hard. 2B lead coming. #sciart

    A detailed pencil drawing of a bear cub clinging to a tree trunk, surrounded by drawing tools.

  • 🖊️✨ Celebrating Drawing Day with a pen drawing of a kingfisher that loves visiting our pond! Did you know these incredible birds can spot their prey from 30 feet away and dive at incredible speeds to catch fish? Also, the belted kingfisher is featured on the Canadian $5 note! 🌊🐟

    Pen drawing of a belted kingfisher, created with a Leuchtturm pen in a Leuchtturm 1917 sketchbook.

  • Tried out my new Leuchtturm 1917 A5 with this detailed drawing of a painted turtle. I love how the paper handles graphite and how bright white it is! Our pond has 14 painted turtles, which can live up to 40 years and survive winter by absorbing oxygen through their skin. #sciart

    A detailed pencil drawing of a painted turtle perched on a rock. The artist’s hand is visible on the right, and a blending stump lies nearby.

  • 🎨 Just finished this watercolor of a dragonfly next to its shed exoskeleton, symbolizing transformation. Did you know dragonflies have nearly 360-degree vision? Also, breaking in a new waterbrush made detailing tough! #sciart

    Watercolor painting of a dragonfly on a green stalk beside its shed exoskeleton, displayed on a sketchbook page with a watercolor palette and a brush pen. The artwork features detailed wings and natural tones, with white paint splatters suggesting water droplets.

  • 🎨 Captured a small minnow on paper found in our pond. These native fish likely arrived via ducks, showcasing the interconnectedness of nature. Check out the sketching process and the vibrant colors that bring this tiny wanderer back to life. 🦆💧✨ #sciart

    Watercolor painting of a fish on a sketchbook next to a palette of vibrant watercolors

  • 🎨✏️ Captured the essence of a wood duck in graphite today, just as our first merganser family of the season made their debut. These adventurous ducklings take their first daring leap to the water within 24 hours of hatching. Can’t wait to translate this sketch into an acrylic painting soon! #sciart

    Graphite sketch of a wood duck on an open sketchbook, surrounded by drawing pencils, an eraser, and mechanical pencils, placed on a wooden table.

  • I captured the beauty of a green scarab beetle in watercolor in a coffee shop. These beetles symbolize renewal in Egyptian culture and play a key role in nature. I might create a small coloring card for kids who are curious but too shy to ask questions. Art should inspire curiosity! #sciart

    A detailed watercolor painting of a vibrant green beetle on a piece of watercolor paper, with a palette of colorful paints and a water brush beside it.

  • Dive into creativity with this quick graphite sketch of a tiger shark using my Pentel Graphgear 1000. Did you know tiger sharks are known as the ‘garbage cans of the sea’ because they eat anything, from fish to license plates? What inspires your art today? 🦈✏️🌊

    Pencil drawing of a shark with drawing tools on a sketchbook on a wooden surface.

  • I had a hoot painting this great gray owl, though it was tricky! Capturing the feather textures and the eyes’ catchlight on a small scale with a water brush was challenging. Fun fact: the great gray has the largest facial disc of any raptor, aiding in its silent hunting. 🦉🎨 #sciart

    Watercolor painting of a grey owl perched on a green, mossy branch.

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