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Recent sketches (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter RussB
- Start date
Paulo Alves
Well-known member
Well, I must agree with all the others. Coots winning... 
phil baber
Clipped Wing
As a great bird artist I don't see why not!
Some amazing studies here! The light falling on that standing Coot is outrageously well documented. Smart!
But my fave is that preening Gadwall. I'm a sucker for birds "throwing shapes" whilst preening. And capturing that "preening ballet" is not an easy task to do from life!
You Sir have made a most excellent job of it!
And your studies from life continue to improve and excell!:t:
phil baber
Clipped Wing
Russ,
Your sketching is beyond compare. But, is the Woodpecker, so long sought after, still available for a sitting??? John? Have you found a good subject for a live-model???
:cat:
RussB
Going for Gold
Many thanks for our supportive comments.
Sketches of Black-necked Grebes (Eared Grebes for our US contingent) at Old Moor recently, plus snoozing Black-tailed Godwit that spent almost all the time, er, snoozing, and singing male Reed Buntings which, despite behaving fairly obligingly, presented me with the difficult task of trying to catch the them 'mid-song'. More often than not the bill resembled that of the famous old Kellogs Cornflakes cockerel!
Sketches of Black-necked Grebes (Eared Grebes for our US contingent) at Old Moor recently, plus snoozing Black-tailed Godwit that spent almost all the time, er, snoozing, and singing male Reed Buntings which, despite behaving fairly obligingly, presented me with the difficult task of trying to catch the them 'mid-song'. More often than not the bill resembled that of the famous old Kellogs Cornflakes cockerel!
Attachments
RussB
Going for Gold
Continiung to go in a little deeper into the water. Five more black and whites, four for the upcoming local breeding atlas, of predominantly 'black' birds. oystercatcher, common scoter, moorhen, tuftie and blackbird - Eurasian, not the exotic grey-winged species from the Himalaya's! I understand it's difficult to apply really dark tones in one wash, so I've built up these in three, four and sometimes five layers. Still struggling to get really smooth washes down the first time, though, and I'm using W and N Cotman 300gsm paper, not the real cheapo stuff. I'm thinking should I stick a few balck pen lines over these, ie Tim Wooton style?
Feeling my way along in the dark somewhat here, so feedback most appreciated.
Cheers
Russ
Feeling my way along in the dark somewhat here, so feedback most appreciated.
Cheers
Russ
Attachments
timwootton
Well-known member
You've done well with the black-neck Russ - I saw one there when I visited a few weeks ago, but it was far too distant for me to chance my arm.. Had I expected to get anywhere near these, I'd have had a shot, no doubt! A few splendid reedbunts here too and you're really starting to develop a nice personal style with these illustrations (the black line may or may not add to them - why not make a few photocopies ad play around wih them?).
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
Particularly like the grebes Russ. I saw my very first one just this May, at the limits of my scope's power on a cold and windy day. I did get one hand-shivering sketch done. But I certainly would have like to have gotten a better look, and warmer weather to sketch him. They're beautiful birds.
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
how wonderful to see the black-necked described with so few lines - such a distinctive shape and you've managed to do it perfectly. Each time I pop in here, I see more daring and confident lines, more exploratory poses and well, you're coming along in leaps and bounds, and you were bloody excellent to begin with!
RussB
Going for Gold
Cheers, people.
Little Egret sketches from an influx at Old Moor. I remember spending several hours trying to get half-decent drawings of these on Tenerife a couple of years ago and finding them hellishly difficult. They stil are! These are an improvement, somewhat. There's still, after countless sketchbooks, this intent lingering to try to get everything spot-on, even though I know it's a nigh-on impossible task with such creatures as birds! Slowly I'm learning to 'make-do' with the most of what I can see and my own ability, rather than strive for something unachieivable. My mantra is 'less is more' and will be for many a year, but doing it is somewhat harder! I remember a school days mate wearing a t shirt saying 'Bike fast and hard!' I suppose the appropriate alternative is to now wear one saying 'Sketch fast and loose!'
Your comments, as always, are most appreciated.
Cheers
Little Egret sketches from an influx at Old Moor. I remember spending several hours trying to get half-decent drawings of these on Tenerife a couple of years ago and finding them hellishly difficult. They stil are! These are an improvement, somewhat. There's still, after countless sketchbooks, this intent lingering to try to get everything spot-on, even though I know it's a nigh-on impossible task with such creatures as birds! Slowly I'm learning to 'make-do' with the most of what I can see and my own ability, rather than strive for something unachieivable. My mantra is 'less is more' and will be for many a year, but doing it is somewhat harder! I remember a school days mate wearing a t shirt saying 'Bike fast and hard!' I suppose the appropriate alternative is to now wear one saying 'Sketch fast and loose!'
Your comments, as always, are most appreciated.
Cheers
