an illuminated beak

I have been preparing myself for a beginning drawing class I will teach in the Fall. I read several books on the subject, watched you tube videos and experimented with some of the suggested methods, and however ashamed I am to admit, copied some works by Leonardo today! (With my favorite ball pen  of course.) I loved it. I am afraid I'll want to do more of it. There is a very big and heavy 700 page non circulating book with his work at the library.

Anyhow something funny I came across:

This is a cucumber. Never seen one like it before.

Here is the above mentioned. Of course I messed up the proportions. Made the lion bigger and what not, but over all was fully immersed in looking and discovering more. There didn't seem to be any useless lines in his drawing.

Photographing food means that I saw it. : o

Saved the worst for last. This is a sketch of me. I realized that everything I think I can't do, or am not good at is always very big and right in front of me. My every flaw or deficiency is always in my awareness. And the tings I may know or can do are SO tiny, hidden or absent . They are the minuscule letters to my sides/behind me. 

Well, an illuminated beak. No explanation.