From the sketchbook... (1 Viewer)

[buzzard12]

Great drawings. I also really enjoy your blog!

Thanks Peter. Hoping to get the blog back up and running now that I have got a new camera adaptor. Not havivng a camera throught the bulk of October was a shame, though to be honest not seen a huge amount in the past weeks. Winter approaching, I am hoping for a cold one with lots of nice csisp, clean snowfalls for som winter scenes, both thru the camera and in paint.

 

[peter mathios]

I second that! I am actuallyl looking forward to some winter weather.

 

[buzzard12]

Dublin Sketches

Home in Dublin visiting the folks over the past long weekend, spent 7 or 8 hours on Bull Island, which is the old stomping ground and an absolute sketching utopia, thousands of birds right in front of you oblivious to humans....
Still find when confronted in large numbers of birds that I am more interested in groups of birds, shapes, patterns and how various species interact and have to say I really do miss sketching in this environment. So mild too! Arrived back yesterday to blizzard conditions here with a metre of snow fallen. Temp has really dropped now, which will make sketching very difficult and not an option at all for more than a few minutes at a time. To top it off there are few birds left!
....anyhow, Black Tailed Godwits are a favourite species off old, I rarely see any these days, so they are here first..all these done on a large A3 pad which has become a firm favourite since I got it, brilliant to work on a large sheet, loosens up the work a lot. I find it really improves results when hand and wrist are resting on the surface, well worth the hassle of dragging about where I can manage it....

 

[buzzard12]

Brent Geese here, then some Wigeon and a Teal.....

 

[buzzard12]

And the last few, group sketches are of Little Egret, Wigeon and Shovelers. Shoveler Group second and then Shoveler and Teal last....

 

[timwootton]

Yep! Glad to have you back and bearing such gifts!!! Always nice to pop 'home' wherever that may be and to be greeted by old friends such as these. You have again managed to catch the living birds so convincingly - wigeon are absoute b*stards to get right, but here they are moving across the page without a care in the world. The duck groups are gorgeous and if these don't inspire you into a painting, nothing could.
Look forward to the next - soon.

 

[desgreene]

Nice work. The godwits are exceptional!

 

[nickderry]

I've run out of superlatives to describe your sketching, your talent is of the very highest order - good to see some different species too! Again, amazing stuff.

 

[Andrew H]

great little (A3) sketches

 

[jomo]

Brill, and that wigeon and egret sketch is just waiting to be done up in paints. Always worth the wait!

 

[Woody]

Astoundingly good work. I'm struggling with wildfowl at the moment and you've made them look easy. The sleepy shovellers are begging to be painted.

Mike

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

A super group of sketches looking forward to them being taken on

 

[Strandman]

A super group of sketches looking forward to them being taken on

Just been up-thread for the godwits- they look really great. A big painting with about six BTGs simply-rendered in that style- wouldn't that look fine?

 

[buzzard12]

Decided whilst in Ireland I had to address my poor output with regard to colour work. My main problem is a serious lack of space, both Linda and I live in a 34 square metre apartment along with Milo, the cat. A small kitchen table in a tiny kitchen is often in use and easily accessible to Milo, who delights in eating and hiding anything unattended, walking on wet canvases and decorating the floors with pug marks in various wonderful hues....
Anyhow, have finally got myself a good quality easel(half price too) that is capable of holding very large canvases firmly. Rather happy with this. Got it yesterday and started today on the initial painting, though several are in mind. This will be based on the sickly Guillimot from a little while ago, will be simple in composition with the bird placed above centre to the right on the canvas. Water will be done loosely, without too much detail as that usually bogs me down.Very early stages...
Have discovered already that an upright canvas with a blank or partially completed canvas on it draws your eye to it and sets the mind thinking about painting.Just sits in the corner winking at you...Theres a lot I could be working on, though Godwits will get treatment too, as well as some of the other fieldwork posted here on the thread.

 

[nickderry]

excellent news! Looking forward to some great things from this easel.

 

[timwootton]

Excellent acquisition - the thrill of having this new workspace is so apparent with the first canvas - now go and get it finished, it's looking superb.

 

[Woody]

Oh yeah! That ought to make things easier. I hope this means we can look forward to a greater output from the 'studio'!

Mike

 

[desgreene]

More importantly, does that door behind the easel say "pub"? I'd be really impressed if you have direct access to a pub from your flat B

Looking forward to seeing more paintings from your new workspace!

 

[buzzard12]

Progress to date. Guillemot added and some water developed rather loosely. Back working on this tomorrow, first thing. Hope to leave it nice and loose without getting into too much detail. Photo taken under artificial light with a flash...

 

[nickderry]

looking very good so far, nice use of colours