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Recent sketches (1 Viewer)

Cheers, all. Aye, mere mortals indeed. A couple of Great Cressies (Great Crested Grebes, Ken and Colleen! I imagine Clarks and Western are very similar in jizz, but I think Clarks are a fair bit bigger - love to see 'em, though)
sketched at Pugney's. I wanted to capture them in display postures, but no way could I sketch 'em both at the same time, so I'm planning on using at least one of these for a pen illustration. Done very quick, concentrating on those all important features, but trying to keep it to the essentials. One question, guys: the neck on the third bird seems a bit 'rigid'; is this because the heavy pencil line gives it more of a solid feeling than it should? Is it downto 'value' ? Yes, I've never been to Art School!

Many thanks

Russ
 

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Lovely sketches again Russ of a very distinctive bird. I think you're really accomplishing what you set out to do here: getting a good sense of the bird. They really are fascinating birds. About the only grebes I see are the Pied-billed. They're always a pleasure to see but nowhere near as exotic as these.

Since I've never seen these birds I hesitate to comment on why number 3 looks rigid to you. But if I had to hazard a guess I'd say it's just because the line you've used is fairly straight. Maybe the bird was in that pose when you drew it? I'm sure that even with their sinuous neck that they still hold it straight occasionally.
 
I think they're lovely sketches of a lovely bird. The slightly stiff feel could be down to the nature of the line rather than the tone. The sleek, smooth sinuous neck of a gcg may perhaps warrant a smoother, single stroke line, even if it's distilled from the many more lively lines you've used? Just a theory, Like I said I think these are great sketches.

Mike
 
I have the same problem as you with shorebird legs!! Maybe we should start sketching with the legs and lower body and add the upper body later?? Guess I'll try that and see if it helps. Your sketches are terrific, legs or no legs.

Sid
 
Nice sketches ,the heads are beautiful. We have pied, western and clarks here the latter I can scarcely tell apart. None of them have as long a neck as yours tho.
 
Thanks chaps.

Since I started mucking about trying to draw birds three years ago, I've never spent much time with Little Grebes, so I tried to nail one today. At this time of year they rarely stay up for long so this was drawn in about three strokes. I got distracted then by the gulls, but got very liittle down on paper; I just wasn't 'seeing' that well today - my performance was comparable with England's last night!
Preening BHG (endless supply of inspirational shapes but sooo hard to get right most of the time) and Keehar the Med Gull when he wasn't chasing BHG's off his patch.
Occassionally I go through a patch when I feel I need inspiration and guidance, preferably with someone who knows what they're doing!
Some days I soar, others I flap!

Cheers

Russ
 

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Dabchick is spot on and you're really seeing interesting shapes in the bhg. When I started reading I glanced at the thumbnails and thought, 'looks like a med gull to me'; also spot on Keehar!

Mike
 
Wow!

Dabchick, BH Gull preen, and "Meow Gull". Superb.

I love all your sketchings Russ!

Unique, evocative brilliance!

I was, from the first moment of seeing your work, a complete "fan-boy!"

The love of birds, through your deft hand, infects us all!

Special, and remarkable! Phew!
 
Smart work Russ - quite unlike anything England managed to muster yesterday.

And far, far better than our local baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies, who managed to throw a way a 5 run lead in the last inning and go on to lose by 3 runs in overtime yesterday. If they'd drawn the gull the dark would have probably been on the feet not the head.
 
Glorious, Glorious Little Grebe! A stonker, love it. So much to see here and I have missed a few posts, the earlier Cormarants are fantastic Russ, great fieldwork, a special mention fo the Ringed Plover studies....

There is so much going on in the artforums these days I'm thinking of hiring someone to help me get through it all;)
 
Thanks for your comments, chaps.

Episode no.xxxxxx of my magnificient obsession. About six sheets of A4 with my best eforts shown here. I abandon the sketch quickly if I don't capture the right lines first go, and quickly attempt another.
Resting cormorant with a nice contrast of tones with the strong sunlight and glossy plumage.
Three lbbg studies: an attempt to draw the bird almost facing me which almost comes off. I find it very easy to draw 'em looking almost 'albatrossy' due to the awkward angle of the eyes and bill. Two preening studies; my fave is the bird reaching its mantle feathers. The one preening the breast feathers always seems an easier pose but never is. Gulls are birds I can get 'right' into and it can be utterly absorbing and frustratiing at the same time!

Cheers

Russ
 

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