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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Recent sketches (1 Viewer)

Little owls are (pretty obviously) one of my faves so it's a treat to see these especially the one eyed guy, just as you saw it. It's interesting that you've drawn the second one using the negative space to define the outline. This is something that I find I'm doing with the 15 min flash pics, not drawing outlines but leaving a space for the features to drop into.

The preening med gull is a beauty too, I can envisage that in colour...

Mike
 
phil baber said:
Something quite magical about these portrayals. The bird's environment is starting to creep in. That is a very good sign indeed!
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I just noticed that 'creeping environment' myself. Very good sign indeed. And it's done so sublty that it just adds to the drawings without calling particular attention to itself. Drawing number two is my favorite.
 
Thanks guys. It's nice to hear I'm heading in the right direction!

A trio of Common Tern sketches plus preening lappy. I'm trying to give my sketches more form and trying to add life by using a lighter line or an absent one, which occasionally works. The terms used by Mike such as 'Negative Space' are ones I've come across but thought they were used when drawing vases or chairs! Things that would bore the pants of me! Perhaps that's something I ought to consider in the future - understanding artistic terms properly. Enjoyable as blundering along is, I do wonder what advantages formal art training gives. I know some acclaimed artists have never recieved any (ie Jonsson ) but, on the other hand, many more have.

Cheers

Russ
 

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RussB said:
The terms used by Mike such as 'Negative Space' are ones I've come across but thought they were used when drawing vases or chairs! Things that would bore the pants of me!
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Please don't dismiss still life. It doesn't have to be vases or chairs. Take a look at the 18th Century French painter Chardin's still life paintings of birds - and the ocassional vase! I went straight home and painted a still life once I'd seen those. Still life gives you a chance to practise and explore whatever you feel you need, whether it's texture, colour, tone... taking as much time as you need. After all, once you can paint the sheen on a bottle, you can paint the sheen on a bird's wing. I also think that occasionally painting "arty" subjects reminds us that bird art is still Art, not just scientific representations. I'm sure we've all seen fantastic bird paintings that have great technical merit but have less artistic quality. I'll get off my hobby horse now. Rant over.

Absolutely adore your sketch of the preening lapwing. Right up there with the best.
 
Heed Jackie's words, Russ - she's spot on as usual. All drawing adds to the toolbox and one needn't learn it in a formal environment. Drive, dedication and the ability to hold a pencil are the requisites - qualities you possess in spades.
I've also heard the musings and occasion rants about 'formal training' - take it from me; if you're a bird artist, then you've basically taught yourself!!!! No-one else can do it for you.
Back to the drawings; Brilliant, brilliant. Terns are absolute b*ggers to get right - the way their bills seem to attach in three different places, the subtle yet essential gony and the pointiness whch actually belies the fact that it's quite a substantial tool - very tricky but caught expertly here. Lapwing, as Jackie points out, is one of the best drawings I've seen for many a moon.
 
Oh Russ, lapwing is to die for.....

Jonsson may not have gone to the art college, but believe me he has his own form of "formal" training In one of his books "Birds and Light" he has a section where he shows how he analyzed the geometry of a Renn painting by Piero della Francesco to work out how to do a painting of egrets and based his comp on that....so in his own way he had very deep training and understanding of art and its roots...
 
You CONTINUE to DELIGHT Russ!

They simply just get better!

The Terns are fantastic! But the preening Lap got me all "unnecessary!"

Formidable!
 
First time I've had a chance to see your work, spot on stuff -- you know your subject well! And I'll have to echo everyone else when I say, brilliant lappy sketch!
 
timwootton said:
Heed Jackie's words, Russ - she's spot on as usual. All drawing adds to the toolbox and one needn't learn it in a formal environment. Drive, dedication and the ability to hold a pencil are the requisites - qualities you possess in spades.
I've also heard the musings and occasion rants about 'formal training' - take it from me; if you're a bird artist, then you've basically taught yourself!!!! No-one else can do it for you.
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Great advice Russ. I come from the opposite direction, all sorts of art school and training but no drawing from life in nature at all, at least in terms of my education. But we all eventually end up in the same place, doing artful renditions of the birds we see. By that time it doesn't make any difference how you got there, with or without formal training. The proof is in the pudding as they say.
 
Thanks, guys.
The lappie is one of those rare 'caught in the minute' sketches that I very occasionally get right. They seem to have a nice, rather angular head shape which, for me, makes it a bit easier. Lots more will be sketched this autumn!

Re Jackie's and other's comments re still life drawing (or lack of); perhaps this is where I'm going wrong! A mate of mine has just has recently spent a few days in the company of Killian Mullarney. They spoke a bit about drawing, and apparently Mr Mullarney drew 'hundreds and hundreds' of spheres, elipses, cubes etc etc in the days before he was famous. There's obviously references here the 'fundamental' practices. I need no intro to his work, which is up with the very best, so this is indeed something I'll take on board (not vases, though - please!)

I usually keep the dabblers for winter but here's a few sketches of feeding female/grotty eclipse Teals. Great shape- not plumage! Several were made over a couple of rather intense hours of observation. These are my best efforts.
Cheers

Russ
 

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RussB said:
Thanks, guys.

I usually keep the dabblers for winter but here's a few sketches of feeding female/grotty eclipse Teals. Great shape- not plumage!

Russ
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And dabbling they are Russ! Every single one has that sense of reaching out and searching for food, with the body firmly anchored way at the back on the solid legs. All have a great sense of that posture.
 
These are some of my favourites by you Russ!

Beautiful shapes and lines, and sparingness of detail. Could almost reach inside the sketch, pick up a Teal and put it in your pocket!

These birds are alive! Love them!
 
Love your sketch studies. Inspires me to do the same in order to deepen my understanding of the subject I plan to draw or paint. =)
 
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