This is the eighth anniversary (I think?!) of a little request I started on a whim: asking people to draw with me on my birthday. Each year, on May 14th, I share step-by-step instructions and ask people to follow the steps and share their drawing with me as a birthday gift. It has become one of my favorite traditions and each year I start thinking well in advance about what we will be drawing.
Past drawings have included pigeons, wolves, chickens, selfies, blobfish, Eurovision selfies, and more! Last year’s drawing was particularly elaborate, so this year we are going back to the basics: BIRDS. But not just any bird: this year we are drawing AAI* chickens.
Supplies needed:
pencil and pen
paper
two six-sided dice (or a digital alternative)
First: roll your dice! The first one refers to a specific chicken-component as detailed on the instructions. The second one tells you how many of that component your AAI chicken should have… Roll two 4s? You’re drawing a four-tailed chicken. Roll a 6 and a 3? That chicken’s got three wings. (If you roll a 1 for a component that chickens usually only have one of, like a neck, feel free to get creative with the placement or size of that neck…)
Second: time to draw that chicken! I recommend drawing it first in pencil and then inking over it, but feel free to go right to ink if you prefer! Whatever it takes to get me a chicken!
Third: That chicken could be more festive…let’s add a party hat or a balloon or both! Now get a picture and share it with me online: @hellomizk on Instagram and Twitter. Or share with hashtag #AAIchicken
Since coming up with this idea (inspired by a suggestion from Rahel, “Chickens but wrong?”) I have been completely obsessed with rolling and drawing AAI chickens. They make me giggle! I hope you enjoy making them, too, and I look forward to seeing your creations!
*AAI = Artificial Artificial Intelligence. We’re trying for a similar level of weirdness without the ‘stealing from other people’ aspects and complications…