The personality
Ravens — large, intelligent, black birds, common across vast regions of the world. They are often slightly shy, yet can be boldly curious, and belong to the Corvus genus. Throughout history, these birds have inspired countless spooky tales. One such story speaks of the very first sin on Earth — the reason, it is said, why their feathers remain black for all their lives.
Inspiration
I’ve always been fascinated by birds — there’s something about them I can’t quite put into words. Maybe it’s their intelligence, maybe their appearance, or perhaps the fact that some can learn to mimic sounds, and a few can even speak.
In many ways, they are so different from us, yet in others, remarkably similar: opportunistic, bold, clever, cautious, and sometimes even violent.
Idea
Whenever I have some time to spare, I like to hike — or at least take a walk in nature. One day, I heard something gliding through the air. The sound was loud, so I knew it had to be something big. I looked up and saw a majestic black bird, patrolling the sky and its territory.
The next time I visited the same area, I noticed the same bird chasing two Eurasian goshawks (Accipiter gentilis). Goshawks are fierce predators themselves — once they lock onto prey, there’s little that can escape. Yet here they were, seemingly running from the raven. The raven was larger, but two goshawks? To me, it was an incredible sight to witness.
Technique
I used Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencils on Fabriano Sketch 90gsm A3 paper. The process took a few weeks, as I didn’t want to rush it. A trained eye might even notice subtle differences in style in certain areas — due to the lack of reference, I had to improvise a bit.
Personal Stance
I’ve always been fascinated by birds. My first pet was a budgie parakeet, and over time I’ve had a few more — parakeets, cockatiels, and currently a moustache parakeet. Birds are gentle yet can be fierce, intelligent yet unpredictable, and always mischievous companions.