May Sketchathon! (3 Viewers)

ed keeble said:

Drat....lugged my scope and tripod into the big bad City this morning for a workaday sketching opportunity and it turned out May was over. These done standing on-the-spot over lunch with no fiddling about to tidy them up afterwards, tho' notes show where I would be tempted to do so.

But for a Bittern sketch back in Feb, must be the first true field sketches I have attempted for years and years and years- so in all seriousness, PWG's sentiments echoed and thanks to all for creating and maintaining the momentum and sense of sketching community on here.

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Ed, talk about nice, tremendous sketches of a fine bird. The coiled line on the Peregrines breast seems to hold a great sense of pent up energy and adds a great sense of form. A fitting end to great month of sketches displayed on this thread.

Woody, the Little Owl studies are superb and display tremendous
draftsmanship on your part, not to take away from the remainder which are superb.

Tim, as always your work is a breath of fresh air, have to say the head on Red Throat has a special something only a field sketch can capture which is just beyond anything I can put down in words. Little Terns are simply very well fab!

As a final note its been a pleasure to view all the sketches posted here. As regards the end of the thread I would say May is only one month in the year and I see no reason to stop posting, so keep em coming everybody! Perhaps some of you who are just viewing this thread have been encouraged to start putting a few lines down in the field and realized their value... Its not really about the finished product or its technical excellence, its about being there and trying to capture the moment. The merest lines draw many observations into the sharpest of memories...
Thanks to all for posting...-

Ed, these peregrines are seriously good, as Alan says, so much pent up energy. Good solid shape and fluid lines, tremendous character.

and to everybody, let's not stop!

Those Pere's are something else Ed.
There seems to be a concensus to keep this thread going, so May is just the begining.
My first one for June. Little obliging Hedgie looked as if he had his rear end chopped off with a blunt knife. I hope everyone doe's keep this thread going.

Just to echo the appraisal of Ed's fieldwork - absolutely wonderful. I'm not sure how I feel about a self-confessed 'amateur' producing work which I have spent a lifetime trying, and generally failing, to achieve - but, putting aside my personal grievances and trying not to be vindinctive, the quality of these drawings is absolutely top-drawer. I don't bandy-about terms like 'Jonsson-esque' lightly, but I feel a similar awe when viewing these. Please stop it, Ed!

Arthur - if your drawings are an example of the brilliant standard we can expect, then onwards and upwards it is! You really are starting to flow with your fieldwork now - the results are magic!
Alan - it always looked like a great idea this 'Joint Sketchbook' - and I think the Forum deserves such an excellent combined effort - congratulations on what must be the finest thread, certainly in the Art Forum, if not the whole of BF (I maybe a bit biased with the latter part of the statement, it's just an opinion )
Perhaps the best part of the thread for me has been the 'emergence' of the new talent - some of which would perhaps never have even thought of sketching, but there have been some outstanding contributions and I echo the sentiment that I really hope they continue drawing and posting - it brings a certain vitality to the scene.

timwootton said:

Just to echo the appraisal of Ed's fieldwork - absolutely wonderful. I'm not sure how I feel about a self-confessed 'amateur' producing work which I have spent a lifetime trying, and generally failing, to achieve - but, putting aside my personal grievances and trying not to be vindinctive, the quality of these drawings is absolutely top-drawer. I don't bandy-about terms like 'Jonsson-esque' lightly, but I feel a similar awe when viewing these. Please stop it, Ed!

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Tooo kind. I'd been musing on why the most finished of the sketches looks a bit medium and sort of Hobbyish. Here's a tinkered with version on the right, just to underline how much difference a few changes to the proportions can make...now hopefully it looks like one big mutha, which it most definitely was..

Alan - it always looked like a great idea this 'Joint Sketchbook' - and I think the Forum deserves such an excellent combined effort.

Perhaps the best part of the thread for me has been the 'emergence' of the new talent - some of which would perhaps never have even thought of sketching, but there have been some outstanding contributions and I echo the sentiment that I really hope they continue drawing and posting - it brings a certain vitality to the scene.[/QUOTE]



Just a suggestion here. I agree the thread here has been a huge success and would like to see it continue for all the reasons mentioned already though feel that if it is to continue it should perhaps start anew under a new title and "Joint Sketchbook", as the May thread was described by Tim seems to me an excellent title. The "May Sketchathon" title is perhaps, well..., not suited to the other months of the year so well!
So any takers for "Joint Sketchbook"


...Any resulting sleepless nights as a result of this inititive are of course no responsibility of anyone who allegedly encouraged any of this sketching lark...(pardon the pun!)

buzzard12 said:

Just a suggestion here. I agree the thread here has been a huge success and would like to see it continue for all the reasons mentioned already though feel that if it is to continue it should perhaps start anew under a new title and "Joint Sketchbook", as the May thread was described by Tim seems to me an excellent title. The "May Sketchathon" title is perhaps, well..., not suited to the other months of the year so well!
So any takers for "Joint Sketchbook"

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Count me in.

Ed- Peregrines, Wow!-Speechless.

Arthur_ Lovin' it! The dunnocks in the cottoneaster at the end of my garden have been busy over the last couple of weeks, I hope I get to see the chick, especially if my sketchbook's to hand!

Thanks for the positive comments all, gives me just the sort of boost I needed.

I've enjoyed this thread hugely like everyone else. As I have no intention of stopping sketching just because it's the end of may, I'm definately up for the 'joint sketchbook' thread. Looking forward to it already!

Woody

Okey dokey Alan - whenever you're ready, start up the new thread . .. ..

This is a belated posting on this thread! Many thanks to everyone for all the interest and encouragement shown- especially to those who took the time to comment on my work. I have had my head down painting for an exhibition- not birds I am afraid but hope to slip in a puffin or two if i get time. I shall get back to the birds at the end of the month and will keep an eye on and hopefully contribute to the new thread. If anyone is interested in seeing some landscape paintings of the area I live in most of my new work will be on my wesite from June23rd. Cheers Wendy www.bridge-gallery.co.uk