"Cardinal in the Hawthorn"
Natalie Linn 19 IL (she/her)
Colored pencil and Pandafly Marker on Xerox Paper, Photoshop
3.4 x 5 inches
Hawthorn trees enjoy a host of contradictory symbolism, from magic to death to longevity to protection to love. It's often said that when a cardinal comes to visit, they represent the spirit of a lost loved one.
“Cardinal in the Hawthorn” was rendered with colored pencils and Pandafly markers on Xerox “bold professional” printer paper. Because Prismacolor wax washes out dark outlines, Linn scans her art twice — first as line art, and then a second time after adding color.
This process allows Linn to align her lines and colors as separate layers in Photoshop, creating the stained glass pop art effect first seen in her 2024 graphic novel, "Bunnybirds."
