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JTMB's Bird Art (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter JTMB
- Start date
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
Isn't amazing how after years of quickly IDing a bird you assume that it won't be all that difficult to draw? Like you I keep realizing how little I know. Hope to see some coots in a couple of weeks and will probably go through this same learning experience.
Bravo for your continued work at this. Eventually I think it almost becomes an addiction, even on the bad days
timwootton
Well-known member
I seem to have missed commenting for a while - some really superb work going on here; the backyard work really is the way to go - it gives a real sense of place and the connection between the artist and the locale. Lovely stuff.
JTMB
Well-known member
Here are some of my latest sketches. Only the first page (Red-tailed Hawk) is fully from life, although the Merlin was first sketched from life (a bird that landed on a favorite raptor snag visible from our house) but completed using a reference. The California Quail, two deer and the squirrel were done from photos I took in previous years. The squirrel is a very humorous pose, hanging from, and standing on, strands of barbed wire. I came across this fellow one morning early on a float trip down the Deschutes River in central Oregon, which is high desert country. I theorized he was warming himself in the morning sun after a cold night - he was positioned so that the sun was hitting his left side and back. I wondered if he was stuck but as soon as I started toward him, he scolded me and jumped off and headed for some other place.
All these are sketches in that they were done not as finished pieces, in generally a half hour or less, and in an 11 x 8.5" sketchbook. The quail is done in pencil and Derwent Graphitints (tinted water-soluble graphite), the Merlin in watercolor and gouache, the deer in watercolor, and the squirrel in watercolor and Graphitints. I should probably mention that the Merlin is either the 'Black/Pacific' or 'Boreal' subspecies,which are quite dark compared to the other subspecies. As it turns out, these two subspecies and others hybridize to produce intergrades in our area so it is impossible to visually tell subspecies without the bird in hand.
All input appreciated, as usual.
All these are sketches in that they were done not as finished pieces, in generally a half hour or less, and in an 11 x 8.5" sketchbook. The quail is done in pencil and Derwent Graphitints (tinted water-soluble graphite), the Merlin in watercolor and gouache, the deer in watercolor, and the squirrel in watercolor and Graphitints. I should probably mention that the Merlin is either the 'Black/Pacific' or 'Boreal' subspecies,which are quite dark compared to the other subspecies. As it turns out, these two subspecies and others hybridize to produce intergrades in our area so it is impossible to visually tell subspecies without the bird in hand.
All input appreciated, as usual.
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solitaryVSong
Well-known member
I have to go with the red-tail, mainly because it shows how much you're improving with field sketching and with the merlin. As far as the squirrel he looks just like the ones we have, deliberately showing off with something bizarre like standing on barbed wire. I'd love them if they didn't destroy our garden each year.
ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
Some really lovely work here John
phil baber
Clipped Wing
John,
Been away for a bit. Glad to see you have been planting some great seeds in the garden of your thread. Long may it continue. Fabulous honest renderings. And a fantastic garden! I am a big fan.
Keep sketching and posting!
Been away for a bit. Glad to see you have been planting some great seeds in the garden of your thread. Long may it continue. Fabulous honest renderings. And a fantastic garden! I am a big fan.
Keep sketching and posting!
JTMB
Well-known member
Well, here are a couple more recent sketches. The first two are of the Peregrine Falcon that has graced my 'raptor snag' tree for the last three mornings. One of those days, I grabbed the scope and sketchbook and sketched the bird for five or six minutes before it flew. Although these sketches are still in a way less evolved part of the sketching universe than the masters here occupy, they are an incremental improvement over my first Peregrine sketch posted in this thread - which took at least as much time in total. Here at least I got multiple sketches by going faster, the bill in two of the sketches is improved over my first attempt, and so overall I felt good about it.
I also posted three pages of American Goldfinch sketches I did for practice. These were done using a stop-frame from a video that I took of a small flock feeding in my yard. I stopped and looked for differing poses and then gave myself 5 minutes or less for each pose. There is also a page of American Crows that I did, focusing on differing angles of the heads, as practice for drawing their bill primarily. The bills here are an improvement over my first crow attempts as well. Each of these was ten minutes or less.
I'm having a great time doing this, though I must say I still feel a bit like I've just put the first couple stones in the Great Wall of China - the stones look ok, but there are still many stones and miles to go...! :-O
I also posted three pages of American Goldfinch sketches I did for practice. These were done using a stop-frame from a video that I took of a small flock feeding in my yard. I stopped and looked for differing poses and then gave myself 5 minutes or less for each pose. There is also a page of American Crows that I did, focusing on differing angles of the heads, as practice for drawing their bill primarily. The bills here are an improvement over my first crow attempts as well. Each of these was ten minutes or less.
I'm having a great time doing this, though I must say I still feel a bit like I've just put the first couple stones in the Great Wall of China - the stones look ok, but there are still many stones and miles to go...! :-O
phil baber
Clipped Wing
Great to see your raw sketchwork John.
The Great Wall of China is being built again!
The Great Wall of China is being built again!
timwootton
Well-known member
Very smart work John - excellent stuff.
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
I think your sketches are improving by leaps and bounds John. Really a pleasure to see the sketches and your improvement. I particularly like the goldfinch and the first peregrine page.
RussB
Going for Gold
Hi John,
More excellent work here, sir. I'm pretty much impressed with the peregrine and the goldfinches - there's a fair improvement here in such a short time. I've never improved in leaps and bounds, its only ever been a very gradual process. This latest work should inspire you to go on to great things!
Keep it up
More excellent work here, sir. I'm pretty much impressed with the peregrine and the goldfinches - there's a fair improvement here in such a short time. I've never improved in leaps and bounds, its only ever been a very gradual process. This latest work should inspire you to go on to great things!
Keep it up
Matteo Grilli
http://matteogrilli.blogspot.com/
Yes, I understand the Great Wall of China metaphor... I think we all have one to keep building, I also guess it is neverending...Great sketches!
ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
more great work John
