Thank you, maarten :)

I could upload a higher resolution version, yes. The original scan was done at 600dpi, and on letter-size paper (8.5" * 11"), but I might have to scale it down from there at least some due to my dial-up situation. Either way, I'll try to get it as high-res as possible. :)

As for the shading technique, there's not a whole lot to it out of the ordinary. It's standard cross-hatching for the most part, though a little "loose" compared to the precision of pro-style drawings. Of course, using different pen widths for different areas (thinner stroke pens for light areas; heavier pens for dark areas and outlines) helps a lot.

The hair and feathers were done by drawing semi-parallel curves from the origins to their ends. The trick was to vary where the ends lie -- either at the shape outline; or, more frequently, where a line would meet up with the line(s) of another curve. Of course, there is a lot of spontaneity involved either way... although it does help to have an idea of the general path of each clump of hair and plot those paths well enough to fill in the blanks. :)

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I learned all this from a book I've had for a few years, but just recently started working with. It's called "The Technical Pen", and it's written by Gary Simmons. It has these techniques (and many, many more stroke styles), with illustrations of the uses for each, as well as the logic behind them. It pairs the techniques with lots of demonstrative illustrations done by various artists. Great book, IMHO. :)

And the Copic Multi-Liners are awesome, too. You can get a set of 9 disposable pens (from 0.03 to 1.0, plus two brush-tip pens) for just under $20US from Amazon. These are high-quality pens (made in Japan); the ink applies evenly, smoothly, and dries instantaneously it seems (I drew that entire image without a single smudge on my hand -- quite a feat); and there's no messy refilling involved. I like 'em! (Copic also makes color markers... based on my experience with their ink pens, I'm tempted... though, their color markers are quite expensive!!)

Hey, glad to hear it! Drawing is fun. :)

The Copic pens are really good IMO. You don't have to refill them like traditional technical pens (like the Rapidographs I had back in the day -- oi), and they also don't clog up. No need to constantly clean them, either. They're like Rapidographs that "just work". :P

I managed to find a somewhat decent scale, about 50% of the original and then cropped (1974 x 2770 pixels; as opposed to the original 5100 x 6600 pixels) and it's just under 900kb. It is JPEG'd to hell, but for line art, it works fine. It does show how unsteady my hand can be -- the detail is much more obvious than in even the hard copy. The lines on the hard copy look fairly tight, but the larger image... well, it looks like it was drawn when I was rather drunk or something. :P