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These starling-sized birds breed in the Northernmost coniferous woodlands of Europe, Asia and Northwestern North America.
During an influx of Waxwings into the UK in the winter of 2004/5, I made a series of studies from observing several flocks which frequented the berry-laden Rowan trees of nearby towns in Cheshire. To demonstrate how I often develop ideas and research my bird subjects, I've selected some of these studies which eventually led to the acrylic and oil portrait below. Click on all of my images for larger views. Please don't use them without my permission for anything other than personal interest.
 Drawings of a waxwing which died after flying into a window in the centre of Macclesfield. To see and hear this happen was a shock to the on-looking birders, but to me it was a unique opportunity to really study the unfortunate, freshly dead bird, so I ‘pounced' and took it home to work from.
The name ‘Waxwing' comes from the wax-like tips which project from the ends of the secondary flight feathers like little red beads or teardrops. On this immature bird they're typically quite small and, in this case, confined to just three of the inner secondary feathers. They can just be seen here, projecting slightly from the trailing edge of the open left wing.
Having the opportunity to open a bird's wing to measure, draw and photograph, is something I always find fascinating.
 These measured, life-size head studies of the dead bird were to explore the structure, proportions, mask and throat pattern from different angles, which I felt would help me to understand and capture the essence of the waxwing's striking facial character. However, studying a dead bird has its limitations, where form and living character are concerned. The exercise was essentially to map out the contours of the head, and model with simple lines the spacial relationships between key features of bill, eye and black face and throat patterns (which I've left white).
I later donated the bird to Liverpool Museum.
 Some of my field sketches developed into more detailed drawings after studying some of my own video sequences.
I often spend a lot of time trawling through frames of video to study bird movement and to select suitable postures and aspects of behaviour that I could not otherwise obtain. Combining this source of reference material with the more traditional methods of drawing and museum research is another aspect of my work that I really enjoy.
 I experimented by creating some more lively postures of feeding waxwings, and began to explore the tonal subtleties of the bird's plumage whilst also learning more about the wing patterns.
In these drawings, I used pencil in a series of cross-hatched lines. This is the way I achieve tonal drawings in pencil, most of the time. For the darkest areas on the upper bird's wing and face and tail, I used drawing ink which I diluted and applied with a brush in several washes, carefully bringing the tone darker each time whilst softening some edges here and there.
These postures were manipulated with a little artistic license. I created an adult male's wing pattern on the upper bird and became a little carried away with the tonal drawing. In fact, it could be said to be overworked, but it was still a valuable exercise in feeling my way around the bird and thinking in three dimensions all the while.
The bottom bird seemed to work quite well and so I've begun an oil on canvas with this same posture,
During this period,  I visited Liverpool Museum to examine some of their waxwing study skins. These specimens are of little use for drawing the overall shape and structure of living birds, but are especially valuable for close scrutiny of wing patterns and colours, and also for comparing birds of different sexes and ages. To support my research, I consulted Lars Svensson's excellent Identification Guide to European Passerines, and Identification Guide to North American Passerines, by Peter Pyle, Steve N.G. Howell, Robert P. Yunik and David F. Desante.
In these drawings you can see that I made a number of simple notations of wing and tail patterns, and an underside view of a waxwing's throat patch.
In the main image of the wing detail, I was noting not just the shape of the patterns of each primary tip, but also how each marking showed through the pattern of the next overlapping feather. One of the red 'waxy' tips has been sketched with the measurement of 6mm. For comparison, I recorded some details from an immature male, on the left. You can see that the white tip across each primary feather is lacking and, therefore, doesn't show the more extensive 'ladder' effect of the adult's folded wingtip.
 Bohemian Waxwing, Oil and Acrylic painting 12" x 8", 30.5cm x 20.5cm.
A simple composition, this was purely a personal exercise in exploring the character of a waxwing, using much of the information gathered over several weeks.
Perhaps not surprisingly, I chose to depict a boldly patterned and richly coloured adult male. Their approachable nature, smoothly contoured silky plumage, long wispy crest and dramatic face pattern make waxwings irresistible subjects for artists and photographers.
The acrylic background of blue and pink is quite vibrant, but I had viewed a lovely waxwing against such a sky and wanted to see if I could reproduce a similar effect.
The bird is painted in oil colours, yet the perch of an Ash branch is in acrylic.
An oil painting of waxwings by world renowned Swedish artist Lars Jonsson inspired me many years ago to study waxwings more closely. It was reproduced in the RSPB's ‘Birds Magazine' volume 14 number 5, Spring 1993.
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