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May Sketchathon! (1 Viewer)

Finally got out this long weekend, up to the Bruce Peninsula (an underrated and underbirded region, in my opinion, as its varied habitat always yields some fantastic birding). I moved into the city about a month ago, and I've been so busy getting my life back in order that my time spent birding has been virtually nil. I'd planned to fill a lot more pages than I did (company tied me up most of Sat & Sun), but I did manage to tick a few more species off the life list, including a 30-second look at my jinx bird -- a gorgeous male Blackburnian Warbler who turned up in a maple tree above my head as I enjoyed my lunch earlier today.

My target was 15 warbler species for the weekend, and I came close -- 13, not including a probable Tennessee (whom I could have identified, if only he'd come down a little from that treetop!). A week earlier might have yielded a few more migrants, but I'm happy nonetheless. I've needed this weekend!
 

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Having seen not one of these species, I can't say whether they're true to life, but I'm certainly convinced they are, I love the killdeer and the Black-throated blue warbler just makes me want to up sticks and cross the Atlantic. Great sketches, any going to become finished pieces?
 
I'd planned to fill a lot more pages than I did (company tied me up most of Sat & Sun)...I've needed this weekend!

You have my sympathies. They are really nice- for a sense of lightness and form is there anything lovelier than white paint on brown paper?
 
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Have seen these species and viewing these sketches brings back very special days out in Point Pelee and around Ontario. All are wonderful sketches. The Sapsucker and Am. Redstart page is 1st class...
 
A truly beautiful group of drawings Jomo - as Ed comments, there's something intrinsically lovely about the brown toned paper and the luscious highlight the chinese white adds. Of course it also helps that the drawings are wonderfully observed and the linework so sensitive creating totally convincing sketches.
The redstarts are magical and the kildeer is a super little study. Shame you couldn't stay out there all weekend - you'd have had a publishable book by Sunday night!
Excellent - an inspiration. Cheers.
 
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Thanks, all! I hope to get out again this weekend (I've got a wedding reception to attend, but maybe a day trip Sunday). Nick, I made a special trip to an area I've always found to be teeming with Redstarts, with hopes of gathering enough reference material for a painting I've had in my head. Although, as my colour sketch woefully indicates, that brilliant warbler orange is a difficult one to mix! May have to cheat and pick up a small tube of the right shade. In the mean time I'm still trying to rescue a Yellow Warbler who's stuck next to a leafing dogwood that ended up way too purple (ick). I may just gesso over the offending branches and make them all lilacs.
 
Jomo, a lovely set of sketches, very precisely observed and presented.
I hope you'll find the time to create more of them!!
I hadn't the chance to watch for "wild" birds, so a visit to the Nürnberg Zoo,
provided the modells for my sketches.
I hope you'll like them!!

Spizaetos

www.dougalis-art.com
 

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Crikey Paschalis - you 'see' so very well. These would grace any collection or exhibition. Beautifully observed characters. Excellent natural colours and tones. Lovely, lovely work. Bravo!
 
nice to have cooperative subjects, and you've certainly made the most of them. Beautiful pictures, my favourite is the snowy owl, he looks pleased with himself. Great stuff.
 
nice to have cooperative subjects, and you've certainly made the most of them. Beautiful pictures, my favourite is the snowy owl, he looks pleased with himself. Great stuff.

Harpy eagle is quite incredible. What I wouldnt give to see one in the wild! Maybe some day. Lammergier is superb too! Hat is off to you on these...
 
B b b b b b bluethroat (sorry Nick)

I was hoping to add some seabird work to the thread before the end of May, but had an unmissable opportunity with this little chap this afternoon. It actually managed to get itself under a garden cloche and remained 'captured' for 20 minutes, during which time I made a few drawings. He freed himself and flew away unharmed and none the worse.
 

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I was hoping to add some seabird work to the thread before the end of May, but had an unmissable opportunity with this little chap this afternoon. It actually managed to get itself under a garden cloche and remained 'captured' for 20 minutes, during which time I made a few drawings. He freed himself and flew away unharmed and none the worse.


Sometimes seems like we are sharing the same birds Tim! Having just seen one of these a week ago I can tell you these are spot on, they capture the species down to a tee, the leggy look of the species has been nailed down on these pages. The pose with the tail cocked is just great. Like the shading immensely, strange how such colourful birds can appear so relatively nondescript in certain, duller lights from oblique angles...
.....I'm sure you enjoyed this one, what wonderful little birds they are!

"Special"....indeed!

Ps; Nick, suggest you take a good solid piece of timber and chew on it whilst viewing these, will help the nausea pass....
 
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Sometimes seems like we are sharing the same birds

Ps; Nick, suggest you take a good solid piece of timber and chew on it whilst viewing these, will help the nausea pass....

AAAAAAHHHGGGHHH!

It's a conspiracy I tells you!

Chewing on my piece of wood...... Tim they're beautiful and full of character, you must be thrilled, what luck, now I'm more determined than ever to get them. (The field where I sketched the ugly BH Wagtail painting is supposed to contain 3 pairs so I suppose I should try and get down there soon.)
 
Twilight Zone

No problem Tim if you find me a male red spotted Bluethroat or a male Collared Flycatcher at a push....!

(Maybe you will find them in Orkney, come to think of it!!)

Hey Alan - I just remembered back to your slightly off-the-cuff remark back on Wednesday, 21st February!!!!!! - A full THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE SKETCHATHON!!!
I'm not sure about drawing the same birds, but I think you may have a touch of the old second sight, my friend! (What's going to win the Ascot Gold Cup?????!!)
Added a pic.
 

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The ones I meant to upload

These are the drawings I made for the large painting which is posted in another place . . .
The terns are just done because they're terns and lovely little bugg*rs.
 

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Wonderful as always, feeling homesick now, though fulmar wasn't common in my part of Wales and I never saw arctic nor common terns! Still, really need to get to the coast, roll on summer holidays! Those terns are just so good.
 
Hey Alan - I just remembered back to your slightly off-the-cuff remark back on Wednesday, 21st February!!!!!! - A full THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE SKETCHATHON!!!
I'm not sure about drawing the same birds, but I think you may have a touch of the old second sight, my friend! (What's going to win the Ascot Gold Cup?????!!)
Added a pic.

....What can I say?! Hope you find the flycatcher yourself....;)

...fulmar flight sketches are terrific, used to love sketching these when I lived in Dublin, great the way they keep coming back to pose for you, a star bird! Terns are lovely too Tim.

Just for your enjoyment a song you mentioned you had not heard in a while..Videograbbed this this morning..
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7834571358508178167&hl=en
 
That's very kind Alan - he's a lovely bird. (I can't however, seem to get any volume on the pic - must be me and my computer, cos I've got the sound right up. Ah well, I'll just spin a coin . . .)
 
Lovely sketches by all since lst on.

Back to everyday now. I have been enjoying watching these youngsters.
 

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