Acrylic sketch on A5 canvas board, painted in around an hour or so.
An abstract barn owl (tyto alba – a cool as fuck Latin name). The last sketch from a series of four, the same series of experiments as the previous tawny, short-eared and little owls.
If you ask me, the barn owl is a very strong contender for most goth/metal bird. Hear me out. They hang out at night in and around abandoned buildings, dressed like a cross between the spirits of the restless dead and aliens, screaming like someone (or something) being brutally murdered and scaring the shit out of people. Ravens, eat your hearts out.
Janice Duke Illustration 
That’s great, I’m really enjoying this series. Barn owls are another of my favourite birds (and I agree – very metal indeed!)
Glad you are enjoying 😊 Thank you!
We have three Snow owls at our zoo, the kind I call them Hedwiges as they are a constant reminder of Harry Potter. I have not heard them make a sound though. Barn owl just got my vote for creepy as fuck with that voice clip. Great sketches.
Thank you 😊 Yes, barn owl definitely know how to do creepy as fuck, beautiful as they are! Snowy owls are gorgeous 😍 Another subject I must return to…
Hope to see a sketch soon. Will try send you pictures of ours if you’d like.
That would be great 😎 Please do 👍