Goldfinch on a Teasel Stem

A goldfinch grips a teasel stem, its red face and yellow wing bar standing out among brown seed heads. Fine feathers, prickly stems and a muted meadow behind the bird provide different kinds of clues.

Start with the beak, eye and wing stripe, then build the teasel head around its pointed shapes. Keep blurred grass aside until stems and feather edges give the background a dependable boundary. Red, gold and black markings form a compact route through the bird before the teasel and meadow pieces.