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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Recent sketches (1 Viewer)

Ok gents, thanks for the advice - I need to dabble, but not like Gadwall!

Here's stuff from recent forays. Barnacle Geese and BHG's. The Barnies were likely feral but what shapes and contrasts! I find feeding geese very difficult -it's that darn neck! (and I thought egrets were hard enough!) The shorter the neck, it seems the harder they are. The curve of the neck and how it joins the body nearly always evades me. Very rough, these, but when I get one near enough -whoa, get in there! A noticeable improvement, anyway.
Bhg's throwing all kinds of shapes whilst displaying - and several sheets needed to get something like. Hope there's never a paper shortage or I'll be sketching on the back of a fag packet like Richard Richardson!

Ps - thanks for the links, Tim
 

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Terrific shapes on the geese sheet, Russ. Also some really nice b-hs - curious to see them fully hooded already - ours are mainly winter still with just one or two starting to turn.
 
Nice to see you trying to get both complicated shapes and complicated gestures down on paper. I don't think the goose necks look bad at all and that middle gull is very dynamic! I think it is particularly strong.
 
feel bad for not having commented earlier! Where does the time go? The geese are an absolute joy, they have curves everywhere where geese should have them, and they trundle across the page beautifully, gorgeous. The gulls have some striking poses too, maybe one to redo as a colour piece? Would make a strong composition.
 
Thanks for the comments - I shall continue to endeavour. Looking forward to getting out at the wknd. What kind of days will they be? Very occasionally my pencil flows effortlessly and confidently across the paper; most days it's like 'The Magnificient Men In Their Flying Machines'

Russ
 
I believe that film was a colour one? ;)

Love the sketches.

Look forward to the "spoiled" photo-copies with experimental colour! ( No pressure!)

Happy sketching!
 
Can't say which one one Phil; it just reminded me of something an artist (perhaps now very old!) said: 'it may take half a life time to fly with the birds', which seems pretty apt!
A few hours spent sketching wigeon today. I love em' and I was pleased with my efforts which are a fair improvement on some I did this time last year. Using harder leads (B and HB) seems to suit me better, but after I few warm-up sheets I observed more and tried to be more analytical - my, big word!, which seems to help. I still very much need to 'get my eye in' though.
I photographed these sketches on Arthur Bishop's advice aand I think they'll reproduce better when I work out how to down-load em'.
 

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superb stuff Russ, you've got these to a T, with their spiky rear ends, generous heads and smiley beaks. I have real trouble drawing this species.
 
Russ,

These are beautiful studies...

Am so glad you've got a thread!

I, for one, will dip into it regularly.

Your style reminds me of Eric Ennion, and John Busby.
It is the outline work. I like, very much!

I love it, and may respond again on page 27, if that's okay?

Wigeon? What better duck to spend a few hours with?

Keep on doing sterling stuff!

Regards,

Phil
 
Splendid work Russ and you have every reason to be chuffed with these - among the most impossible birds to get right (it's that forehead patch of pure cream that throws me - every time). These are superb and drawn very economically - great stuff.
 
Too much here for me to comment on individually, I can't believe that the thread's got to two pages and I've not joined in yet!

You really shouldn't be putting yourself down Russ, there's some really great stuff going on here.

As for wigeon, I wish I could catch them as well as you have but, like Nick, I have endless trouble with them. (Although I find it tough to believe that Nick has trouble with any bird frankly!)

Anyway, keep on sketching and sharing.

Mike
 
These comments are very much appreciated, but rather humbling. I don't know how much past experience of a species plays a part when sketching them. Last year at Pugney's I must have stood in the cold for over three hours trying to capture the grazing poses ( yes I did ponder whether I was feeling ok!), and every sketch I did I started by trying to get the angle of the forehead right in relation to the chin (which I now realise is almost streight when side-on) and the curve of the hind neck. Again, in Oct I did the same thing, this time from the relative comfort of a hide but still struggled. I reckon I made several hundred attempts at grazing wigeon last year, then. Something must have stuck!
I'm awaiting your wigeon portraits now, Tim.
Phil, note the darker, smudgy effects? That's me trying out wet media - my finger end and tongue! gotta start somewhere, mate!

I'm off to Morroco on Thurs for eight days or so and I hope to get in a bit of sketching - not wigeon though!

Cheers

Russ
 
Glad you're using the old "Spit and Polish!"

As I said, anything that comes to hand!

Have a fantastic time in North Africa. I believe Cricket Warbler is achievable.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/2265633471_e83ebf5a22.jpg

Check out the info on these birds, and when you find them, you'll probably need some colour to show us how beautiful they are.

If you can afford to go there, you can afford to buy a set of Caran D'Ache water colour pencils to take with you. They go well with saliva!

Have a productive time!

Jealous? Well, a bit!
 
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