Recent sketches (1 Viewer)

parituclarly the sketch in the third picture is wonderfully caught with all those gorgeous curves and movement.

Thanks again, guys.

A couple of Lesser Black-back studies. In order to draw the head and bill convincingly I had to wait until it was just in the right place. This is a practice that Lars describes in his last meisterwork! He mentions the very subtle differences in light and shade he loks for when studying the head of a Common Gull. I must be in good company, then! I find heads of large gulls very difficult, especially at certain angles, but then I could say the same for ducks' bills, waders' legs and cormorants' necks etc etc!
Preening cormorant - I must say that these have improved somewhat other the last 12 months but they don't get any easier. Those curves and bulges are never quite in the right place. I love the challenge of life drawing too much to admit defeat but I do reckon I'm trying too hard and looking for a result that's probably not achievable. But then I see Bird Boy Bowley's sketches, for example, and think what is possible.
Grey Heron wading through marshy vegetation and a nice ready made composition for a pen drawing for the local report.

Cheers
Russ

These are a delight to see, Russ - preening shape is excellent and the lesser-backs need no colour to identify them. Agree entirely on the ready-made comp - but don't forget the artist in you that spotted the comp in the first place and then had the skill to interpret the scene such Top job.

I particularly like the gulls Russ. They're solid as can be and just full of presence.

love the 2nd LBB - gulls at angles are tricky, yet so beautiful when done successfully as here. The heron is indeed a beautiful ready-made comp, where would we be without them!?

Love it to bits!

Can't believe I didn't comment on these latest sketches. I've been popping in but seem to have had no time to do anything other than ogle them with envious eyes. The peewit and the heron are stand outs in a group of stand outs. Do I see a plan for a painting in the heron?...

Mike

Cheers chaps.
Honestly, the standard of recent postings on BF have left me breathless and envious in equal measure! So much so that I once again start thinking 'how is this so good' followed by the cardinal sin of comparing it to what I try to do!
Apart from the lack of colour - one day, probably when the Needletail flys through my patch - I really would welcome any form of constructive criticism relevant to drawing whether it be about perspective, fore-shortening, value, tone, over-working or strive to keep it simple - whatever. Spending hours wondering if I'm doing the right thing in a world of DSLR's, inspiration and guidance are only to be found on BF. Don't be afraid - if you can just say 'I would have done it this way......'
Anyway, moving swiftly on before it gets serious, ahem, female common scoter on my patch was real pleasure to find among the moulting tufties. Common Scoter has mega-bird status where I watch so I spent a few hours drinking it in. Snoozing bird, alert pose and the forever difficult 'swimming towards you' pose.
A couple of GCG sketches which accidentally ended up in a decent composition.

Cheers

Russ

RussB said:

Cheers chaps.
Honestly, the standard of recent postings on BF have left me breathless and envious in equal measure! So much so that I once again start thinking 'how is this so good' followed by the cardinal sin of comparing it to what I try to do!
Apart from the lack of colour - one day, probably when the Needletail flys through my patch - I really would welcome any form of constructive criticism relevant to drawing whether it be about perspective, fore-shortening, value, tone, over-working or strive to keep it simple - whatever. Spending hours wondering if I'm doing the right thing in a world of DSLR's, inspiration and guidance are only to be found on BF. Don't be afraid - if you can just say 'I would have done it this way......'

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It's hard to give an answer to these generalized questions, Russ, though since I've said this I'm sure someone will! My personal feeling is that you have a great sense of the shape of the bird, and really concentrate on getting that right. That's the best place to start - with what you already have a solid foundation in.

All the other things are just art jargon that may or may not be helpful. My feeling as both artist and one-time teacher is that those things, e.g. perspective, only become truly important when you realize that you're making a mess of them. At that point you then have the motivation to learn how to do it correctly. But I personally wouldn't worry about them until you find something lacking in your own work. Then try to figure out what it is and go from there.

I do see some similarity between your work and that of Alan. Maybe by comparing the two you can see some aspect that you like in his or not in yours, or vice versa. I only mention Alan because I thought I saw some similarity when looking at his recent sketches. Maybe you won't at all but maybe you will with someone else. That to me is one way to start.

Another, and this is what I'd recommend, is to do your next work, for at least a week or so, in another medium. I know that this will be hard. As Colleen says about her recent plein air painting you feel like you're back to being a beginner. But you learn a lot by trying to do more or less the same thing in a new medium. It gives you additional perspective, no pun intended, on both media. So for instance if I were giving you a personal tutorial I'd say get out in the field with watercolors and a big fat brush. When I was a computer programmer, until a few months ago, I found that every time I tried to learn a new language I actually learned something new about my old languages. So all the knowledge just accumulates and reinforces itself, much like birding I guess.

This way you'd have to work in value and mass, not line. There's nothing inherently better about value and mass over line and shape. They just all go together and I think all of them make anyone a better artist.

As I said I don't in anyway mean this as a criticism. I think your current work is very strong as is. I'm just trying to think of the fastest way I can think of to progress. I could, as always, be completely wrong!! Hope this is helpful.

You just get better and better Russ!

Perfect!

solitaryVSong said:

. . . . . I could, as always, be completely wrong!! Hope this is helpful.

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You could. But you're not.

Heed the sage, Russ - much to offer (for us all, indeed).

Superb observational work again - lines are the basis of all drawing, and you've get them well and truly figured out. Excellent.

If you could imagine more for your drawings, what would that be...if how they are now is not what you quite want, then how would you like them to look?

Sometimes when I get in this place...I go look for a master( mostly dead but not always) and I try completely to do what they do and figure out how they see things....of course I don't succeed, but looking from another point of view helps me see in a new way, and that lets me bring something more to my own work...

This takes courage, and a willingness to be a complete fool and make really bad art.. like I am right now with plein air...have to give up caring how it comes out and just go for breaking out of your habits...this is not everyone's cup of tea tho... just remember you don't have to post it, a lot of mine is going in the fireplace right now

Thanks for your very helpful comments, guys. Personally I think a lot of what I do is over-worked (over-egged and 'too much faffing around' are terms that have been mentioned regularly by myself in recent months. The only 'seasoned' artist I've ever spent time in the field with is Mark Andrews, but not in any tutoring capacity - he's been busy finding birds for punters. His comments, however, have been valued and he has said much the same re keeping things simple. This in itself seems to be a skill, as I look at examples of John Busby's work and, most recently, David Bennett's work and the life that comes through is astounding, but they're not and aren't intended to be detailed studies.
The 'visual memory' is another chestnut. Mine lasts about four seconds max. so frequent intense study is needed, even on a stationary subject. I reckon it's slightly improved with practice but without it I have to resort to 'drawing out of my head' or elaborating with what I think I've seen. No bad thing but it makes me wonder just how powerful it is with some artists. Jonsson states he doesn't have a 'photographic memory', but unless the bird is very obliging ( which can't be the case often because of of some of the poses he captures ) he must have phenomenal observational powers not to rely on previous experience of the species. I reckon this is what we call genius!

I'd raelly value anyone's comments re these.
More stuff on it's way but sometimes It's great just to talk bird-art!

Russ

Russ,

That 4 second memory thing is my rule.

But there comes a point when all those 4 second sketchings come together in an overview. When you piece the jigsaw back together into the first solid sketches.

That is quite normal. And I see this in your work. Which is why I love it a bit too much!

More and more, your individual personality sings out in what you present.

That is the essence of all.

Your sketches are endearing, and people know what they like. They know what work you have put in to deliver us these special wonders.

Absolute honesty in portrayals of Nature I rate very highly.

And you are a Master in this.

Everything you've posted is so special.

Never have a crisis in self-confidence, and never let it go to your head.

Keep on doing what Russ B does, because the World will love it always!

Ps I'm sure Tim will admonish you when he visits!

Your way of working is unique to you and it's very obviously working. I'd say continue on down your path and all will be well.

I've tried to sketch like you, I've tried to sketch like Tim, I've tried to sketch like Nick and Andy, Ads, Alan and Ed, but in the final analysis none of that really works for me. The best sketches I've done have been done without over-thinking. I've discovered something only recently really: Most of the time, for me, less is more when it comes to field sketches. A few scribbled lines direct from the subject can make a much better statement than a more detailed drawing. If I spend too long on something it often turns to mush in front of me when the first lines did all that was really necessary. That's what's working for me, and what's working for you is the way you do things.

Mike

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Phil - I'm glad I'm not the only one with a memory like the proverbial!
Some useful pointers, too, Mike. I think you've hit the nail on the head with the 'not thinking too much' bit. My last couple of sessions in the field have seen me trying to loosen up and keep things simple - yet again! Sometimes I can sketch the whole bird in five or six quick lines, which captures it infinitely better than trying to formulise everything and compare this bit to that bit etc. The result, more often than not, is something 'wooden' or something from Birds of the World 1856 (actually these guys were geniuses because they only had a spy glass rather than a 20-60X Swarovski to peer through!

Cormorant mad!

A well known yorkshire birder once described to me the 1989 Cleveland double-crested cormorant as a 'bag of s**t. May be so, but I find them an irresistible challenge at times. These are definitely over-done, but I've put them on as I really had to concentrate to get the lines down accurately, to the point that the process was mentally taxing! A labour of love, so to speak.
The third bird's neck bulge should be much more subtle - a better understanding of light and tone would have done the trick. These are just regular cormorants, by the way. I don't think I'd be describing a double-crest as such if it was on my patch!

Some cracking pics Russ, but no.2 is a real stonker; fluid lines, each describing form beautifully and detail enough to convey the character of the bird. Exquisite drawing.

Two more, plus a Black-necked Grebe. I spent about four hours with the cormorants at Pugney's CP before finding the grebe - 10 mins before I had to leave! Never really sketched BNG before so it went down in a mess of lines, which does do it some justice.
I might show the cormorants off to some artists at the Birdfair. 'Now then Mr Gilmore, how can I turn these into some masterly line drawings fit enough to grace the cover of a 1980's BB' Reply - Young man, have you thought about taking up painting by numbers!

Russ

the sideview corm is so iconic, and the lines just right.....

Am still loving it all!

I got the chance to sketch BNG at Chew Valley Lake back in the 90s. (UK. England.) Was only later we saw the babies!

For compare? My sketches....

Keep up your wonderful work! B :t: