The Predatory Bird Illustration

I started this illustration just under a year ago before having to put it on hold. I recently resurrected it after deciding that it was worth completing.

To explain, the Predatory Bird is a project of professional skateboarder John Rattray. I’d love to write something insightful that would shed some light on why I took the admittedly odd decision to illustrate somebody’s blog posts but I actually don’t remember my initial inspiration for wanting to start this so any explanation I would be to offer would be highly likely to be a complete fabrication.

What I will say is that I have always enjoyed any blog posts that I’ve read on the Predatory Bird and I have also enjoyed the skateboarding exploits of John Rattray since seeing him first compete in a skateboard competition in a converted set of barns only round the corner from my house at Crofthead Farm, Livingston. He was barely a teenager but still handily disposed of the competition to win first prize in the adult contest. That was so long ago now that it feels like it belongs to a different space time continuum but I remember it clearly as the first time I saw somebody of my own age with a genuine amount of star quality. Most impressed.