Part 20—How Many Roosters Can Fit Into a Barn Door?

One of the challenges with this part of the barn was figuring out how to fit all those roosters into a fairly small space while still making each one look different. I also had to make sure they didn’t disappear into the brown background. Their bright yellow beaks and claws helped make each rooster stand out.

I also wanted the barn to have the look of individual red wooden planks. Unfortunately, my hand isn’t quite steady enough to paint all those narrow lines, so I used a VERY thin permanent marker instead. Sometimes you just have to use whatever works!

And then there are the animal conversations that happen in my head while I’m painting. In this scene, I could almost hear the two hens walking in front of the barn gossiping to each other:

“Now I told Ethel…”

And from somewhere behind them came the last little chick:

“Wait for me!”

I’m beginning to think I spend almost as much time imagining these animals’ personalities as I do painting them!