From the sketchbook... (2 Viewers)

buzzard12 · Jan 19, 2007

More Redpolls...

Have been watching Redpolls for two weeks now, in fact I am starting to see them in my sleep! Have pages of sketches and a cold as a result!

Anyhow, have been indoors due to the cold and am on the mend. Used the time to go through my fieldwork and get some black and whites done at the desk. Really pays off too spend time on birds like these in the field, really falls into place in the studio when you have become familiar with the birds. Nice to be able to sit down and take time to get the drawings right.

First drawing of a female Arctic Redpoll, possibly a second winter bird that has been at Årstafältet for the last 5 days. Second image is a first winter Mealy Redpoll, whilst the last is a male Mealy Redpoll feeding on the ground.

These were all done with black ballpoint pen, though a slightly fancier one than normal with a 0.7mm point! Also done on decent quality cold press paper, makes a great deal of difference for those fine details.

ARTHUR BISHOP · Jan 19, 2007

buzzard12 said:
My fear of losing a sketchbook has resulted in me transfering them to the computer through digital camera.

Here are a few, Song Thrush from a few days ag, Grey Heron last week and Yellow Legged Gull from Galicia in Spain...

They are all superb . I like your style , Arthur

spizaetos · Jan 19, 2007

buzzard12 said:
Have been watching Redpolls for two weeks now, in fact I am starting to see them in my sleep! Have pages of sketches and a cold as a result!

Anyhow, have been indoors due to the cold and am on the mend. Used the time to go through my fieldwork and get some black and whites done at the desk. Really pays off too spend time on birds like these in the field, really falls into place in the studio when you have become familiar with the birds. Nice to be able to sit down and take time to get the drawings right.

First drawing of a female Arctic Redpoll, possibly a second winter bird that has been at Årstafältet for the last 5 days. Second image is a first winter Mealy Redpoll, whilst the last is a male Mealy Redpoll feeding on the ground.

These were all done with black ballpoint pen, though a slightly fancier one than normal with a 0.7mm point! Also done on decent quality cold press paper, makes a great deal of difference for those fine details.

Pretty drawings Buzzard!
I like in particular the very typical facial expression, sketched in a very
convincing way!

timwootton · Jan 19, 2007

Great work Alan - you have that rare ability to convey the true character of the bird - excellent stuff. Your drawings have a real softness and roundness to them - so bloody difficult to get right. Well done.
Oh, and I noticed you popped on of these onto the gallery - I left you a comment there (says: why didn't you post it into the Artwork & Graphics category?)

Strandman · Jan 19, 2007

As the team above has said- these are really smart and convincing. Would it be out of order to make a suggestion? I would be very tempted to break the drawn outline (or not draw it at all except as a faint guide) in places where you can let the markings and/or shading and/or some faint background define where the edge of the bird is. You wouldn't lose your brilliant shapes and you would get an extra level of softness and movement..

buzzard12 · Jan 19, 2007

ed keeble said:
As the team above has said- these are really smart and convincing. Would it be out of order to make a suggestion? I would be very tempted to break the drawn outline (or not draw it at all except as a faint guide) in places where you can let the markings and/or shading and/or some faint background define where the edge of the bird is. You wouldn't lose your brilliant shapes and you would get an extra level of softness and movement..

Thanks for the kind words all...

Tried to move the gallery drawing to the Art and Graphics category, but the system wont allow me to change it for some reason Tim. I'm under house arrest!
Will bear your comment in mind Ed. I'm afraid that my tendency to draw in the entire outline harks back to my rigorous training in the Inking Dept. at the animation studio I worked at for years. Old habits really do die hard...
Going to move on from the Redpolls for a bit, need something new in my field of view I think. Reports coming in of a Golden Eagle at Sandemar, though elusive, would be nice I think. Hawfinch and Great Grey Shrike are two other species I want to get some work done on, may concentrate on trying to catch up on these for a bit.
All the best to you all...

spizaetos · Jan 19, 2007

buzzard12 said:
Thanks for the kind words all...

Tried to move the gallery drawing to the Art and Graphics category, but the system wont allow me to change it for some reason Tim. I'm under house arrest!
Will bear your comment in mind Ed. I'm afraid that my tendency to draw in the entire outline harks back to my rigorous training in the Inking Dept. at the animation studio I worked at for years. Old habits really do die hard...
Going to move on from the Redpolls for a bit, need something new in my field of view I think. Reports coming in of a Golden Eagle at Sandemar, though elusive, would be nice I think. Hawfinch and Great Grey Shrike are two other species I want to get some work done on, may concentrate on trying to catch up on these for a bit.
All the best to you all...

Of course there is always space to improve your (our) sketching style Alan!
But in my opinion there is no reason to force yourself to change "old habits"
if you haven't the right feeling about it.
Based on my little experience,I could claim that sketching in the field has changed the way I see the world around me, the way I feel the shape of
a subject ,and that is obvious in development of my sketching style through the years.
I believe that no one is able to controll the development of his future style...
Looking forward to see more new material...

All the best!

Spizaetos

buzzard12 · Jan 24, 2007

Black and Whites..

Have been working hard on black and whites for upcoming Website, will have a page for thes images. Blackbird and Tree Sparrow here. Both done with .7mm black ballpoint in the studio from field skethes.

buzzard12 · Jan 24, 2007

Eider Painting...

Have started to paint my backlog of planned works from the sketchbook, have a lot to get through. Eider juvenile here is the first, an acrylic on canvas, about 70cmx45cm. Something of a departure for me in that it is rather loose, often go into more detail than this, but wanted it to look painted as such. Painted from a field sketch from last September in Sandhamn which is also posted on the thread here...
Any critiques welcome. This will go on sale on the upcoming site which I am building myself at the moment and will be online in four to six weeks time...

buzzard12 · Jan 24, 2007

On the easel...

Heres the very early stages of the next one. Despite the fact I have a ton of paintings to get through I was very taken by this Blackbird on a trellis frame yesterday, the magenta background against the snow and green vegatation was so vivid through the scope that I decided I should paint it. The diamond composition struck me also, a bit different I think.
Blocked in the colour this afternoon, so it is very rough, will update as the painting develops, might be fun to watch it as it(hopefully)comes along. Will try not to make a mess of it now that it is committed to the thread!!

timwootton · Jan 25, 2007

I like it as it is, Alan! I know it'll be a fine work when completed, but keeping a progress report such as this is great fun and also helps to spot 'defining moments' in the progression of a piece. Look forward to the next installment.

deborah4 · Jan 25, 2007

Wow! Your so talented Buzzard - that painting of the eider is truly of the highest standard and so well observed ... Well done. Am looking forward to seeing how the Blackbird progresses - it looks a wonderful composition both in colour and form.

buzzard12 · Jan 25, 2007

On the easel#2

Have done a bit more on the canvas in the last 24 hours, added a bit more detail and a suggestion of shadow to the magenta planks in the background, dont want to add too much to these and may leave them as they are now and keep them "knocked back".
Also, have added a little colour to the trellis and suggested a little light grain in the wood.
Blocked in the vegetation a little more to give me a better idea of how the final composition will take shape. Then added a tiny bit of detail to the blackbird's tail and added the eye, before painting in the yellowish eyering and bill.
Brought the snow up a little, will probably put the finishing touches on this last as I think it may bring up the painting.

buzzard12 · Jan 26, 2007

A question for those of you that paint regularily..

Struck me whilst painting today that greens give me the greastest trouble by far when painting, I'm talking about painting grasses, leaves and vegetation in particular. Have come to the conclusion it is better to mix from blues and yellows, with maybe a little red or white thrown in to darken or lighten...

The inquiry is what hues or colours do any of you find especially useful for vegetation?

Esp. interested in blues and yellows, though any greens from the tube interest me too. Generally I paint with a very restricted palette but think I need more colours to deal with this area of my painting....

deborah4 · Jan 26, 2007

Hi Alan

I find it depends on what medium you are using to paint with. I tend to work with WC now rather than oil so mixing too many colours results in a loss of luminosity and the result can be 'muddy'. However, with either medium, I never use greens straight from tube onto the canvas/paper - again depends on what foliage you are painting but I find with grasses, I tend to mix more 'earthy' colours as a top colour such as ochre, burnt umber and purple/red mix for shadow - starting with (only applies to WC) lemon yellows mixed with olive greens. With oils much the same but obviously working from dark to light. With leaf foliage, depends on type of plant/tree - evergreens I use lots of blue/purple, with veridian - lighter tree foliage, simillar to grass but with less yellows. Also depends on time of year of course with foliage and grasses and also what effect/style you paint in. Personal taste varies, but with you Blackbird painting, I'd certainly want to use some cold/blue tones and duplicate some of them on the Blackbird - I'd also try and get some of the fence pinky/red tones into the leaves - only because I'd want to bring the overall colour composition together (again though just personal taste and opinion!) - another option of course, is to use an overall 'undercoat' or 'wash' to get the cohesion if that makes any sense. It's all a learning curve and trial and error half the time!!!

Woody · Jan 26, 2007

buzzard12 said:
A question for those of you that paint regularily..

Struck me whilst painting today that greens give me the greastest trouble by far when painting, I'm talking about painting grasses, leaves and vegetation in particular. Have come to the conclusion it is better to mix from blues and yellows, with maybe a little red or white thrown in to darken or lighten...

The inquiry is what hues or colours do any of you find especially useful for vegetation?

Esp. interested in blues and yellows, though any greens from the tube interest me too. Generally I paint with a very restricted palette but think I need more colours to deal with this area of my painting....

I use liquitex in mixes of ultramarine blue and cadmium yellow adding naples yellow, raw umber, burnt umber, cerulean blue as I feel fit. I also use sap green, chromium oxide green and vivid lime green, again mixed with varying amounts of the ochres and browns which I find gives them a more natural look. The one thing I don't have is any set rules, I just go with the flow, adding bits of colour here and there as I go.

Woody

timwootton · Jan 26, 2007

Hi Alan - 2 great tube-mixed greens are Leaf Green (a really garish little number from Daler Rowney - System 3) x Burnt Sienna ( mix in varying proportions for different tones and hues. 2nd is Prussian Blue x Cadmium Yellow - again vary the proportions to suit. This is probably nothing more than you already knew but I'd like to be able to say I contributed to this painting, in a small way at least!

Strandman · Jan 26, 2007

Woody said:
...vivid lime green...
Woody

I'd vote for sticking with the limited palette for wildlife painting and regarding it as a virtue- the more the same colours are being used in different areas of the picture, the more it hangs together IMHO. Ennion used to paint with about 6 colours and if it was good enough for him..

Nice to see vivid lime getting a mention. I was a heavy user (of vivid lime green) when I was a student, going to ridiculous lengths to convert it into other greens rather than going out and buying another green in a tube...

buzzard12 · Jan 27, 2007

Once again, thanks everyone for the advice. Will certainly pick up some Prussian Blue, Burnt Sienna and Leaf Green Tim, also some Naples Yellow and Cerulean Blue Woody.

Have been painting with just seven colours for a long time now and know them well, but felt they were limiting in the green area. Using Ultramarine blue, Cadium yellow and a Crimson red as primaries. Raw Sienna and Burnt Umber. Titanium white I use loads of and then my favourite, Neutral tint, which I find incredibly versatile.

buzzard12 · Jan 27, 2007

Left the canvas to sit for a day or two to think about it and got some more black and whites going. Red Backed Shrike and Whinchat, two of the theme birds of the summer for me! Again .7mm black ballpoint pen...

From the sketchbook... (2 Viewers)

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