timwootton
Well-known member
Russ - get yerself over there:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=215546
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=215546
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Recent sketches (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter RussB
- Start date
RussB
Going for Gold
I'd like to, Tim, but it's these dark nights, mate! Have to wait 'till the next one turns up as I'm off for a week in the sunshine (hopefully) in couple of days.
Thanks for your contnued support, guys.
A few more recent efforts: snoozing spotted redshank (it's not a common - honest!); a 'medley' of Lesser-black-back gull studies; 2nd or 3rd winter Lesser bbg; Yellow-legged Gull - probable 2nd winter bird; Grey Plover - a sketchbook 'tick' which didn't hang around very long; studies of preening lappies; and golden plovers.
All what you'd call a very poor man's tribute to LJ! I find the big gulls proably as appealing as the Swedish master does, but their execution somewhat harder!
Off to Tenerife for a chillin' family/birding week, so I'll hopefully be able to hone my gull sketches with the sun on my back.
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Nice sketches Russ. Let me how you get on in Tenerife - off there myself on Dec 7th!!
timwootton
Well-known member
Your love of these gulls shines through - really excellent. I like the chest preening lapwing a great deal too. Good luck in the sun,mate.
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
An informal measure of the success of field sketches for me is whether or not they want me to drop everything, pick up my sketchbook and head outdoors. More and more your sketches have this effect.
phil baber
artist for birds
"Trouble is my favourite sketchbooks are only 110gsm - excuses, excuses I hear you cry! Putting a light wash over efforts like these will, I would think, make a real dog's dinner. Why? you my say, they're only sketches. True, but pencil sketching is my passion and I don't want to louse up hard-earned, 'captured in the moment' sketches."
From early on Russ, the advice was practise on photocopies of your sketches.
I really hope you do this now, and add subtle washes to compliment your subtle and brilliant sketches. So you can gain confidence in the future. Rome wasn't built in a day. Milton Keynes was. :-O
I see you as a Roman.:king:
The sketches remain brilliant, and I am astounded every time I see a sheet of them.
I really believe, that in the future, your name will feature strongly amongst the greatist contemporary Wildlife Artists.
Believe it? I know it!
Enjoy your experience away!:t:
ps Report back with similar brilliance. Sketched from your Heart!:t:
From early on Russ, the advice was practise on photocopies of your sketches.
I really hope you do this now, and add subtle washes to compliment your subtle and brilliant sketches. So you can gain confidence in the future. Rome wasn't built in a day. Milton Keynes was. :-O
I see you as a Roman.:king:
The sketches remain brilliant, and I am astounded every time I see a sheet of them.
I really believe, that in the future, your name will feature strongly amongst the greatist contemporary Wildlife Artists.
Believe it? I know it!
Enjoy your experience away!:t:
ps Report back with similar brilliance. Sketched from your Heart!:t:
RussB
Going for Gold
Many thanks for your feedback, guys. I had a nice break in the sun, Adam, thanks. I was gonna add 'chilled' to that, but with sketchbook alomsot constantly in hand how can one become 'chilled'? Not me anyway!
Did nowt in the day except sketch, walk and top up my tan!
Not sure if you've done Tenerife before, Ad, but Ive been here several times in the past, so I've been to the 'specialist' spots before for the Blue Chaffinch and the two pigeons (got two out of three but that's another story). For general birding the place is very limited, as you'd expect (Fuerteventura offers somuch more, in my opinion - better and varied habitats, less development equals a lot more birds), but there's the added benefits of great weather, cool beers and a nice laid back vibe.
One place I did visit was the reservoir at El Fraile, site of several West Palearctic rarities over the years, and with the host of yankee waders this autumn in the UK I was optimistic. Unfortunately the place now resembles a desert version of Stalag 17 and, from my route on foot, there was no way I could get in. If you enter from the road and talk nicely to someone I'm sure they'd accommodate you, though.
Anyway, I did have lots of time to indulge my passion for all things Larid. Pages of Atlantic Yellow-legged Gulls, it seemed, was always going to be difficult to resist. many of these are way over-done but, hey, I was enjoying myself, so I make no excuses for what may come over as cross between Jonathan Livingstone Seagull and and a pxxs poor version of My Island Sketchbook, or whatever it was by Mr. Brockie (staggeringly good draugtmanship but a tad too polished for my palate, but who am I to criticize!).
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RussB
Going for Gold
Five more...
Mostly, adult birds, sketched near the apartment, with the odd look from sun worshippers. Another day would have given me chance to study some of the immature plumages, but most of the young 'uns were down the harbour.
I was struck by how long the necks of the dispalying adults were, and as always, the face-on, three quater skecth of the head seems so difficult to get right. Some of these are almost there, I feel.
Mostly, adult birds, sketched near the apartment, with the odd look from sun worshippers. Another day would have given me chance to study some of the immature plumages, but most of the young 'uns were down the harbour.
I was struck by how long the necks of the dispalying adults were, and as always, the face-on, three quater skecth of the head seems so difficult to get right. Some of these are almost there, I feel.
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RussB
Going for Gold
I always try to capture the head and bill proportions first time; everything else seems that much easier then. If these are out, though, the whole thing falls apart for me. Am I being to critical? If you spend as much time studying gulls as me, you'd agree!
Hope I've converted a few more art forum guys to tackle the ever so absorbing 'Scarborough duck'!
More to come, but not that many gulls, you'll be glad to hear!
Cheers
Russ
Hope I've converted a few more art forum guys to tackle the ever so absorbing 'Scarborough duck'!
More to come, but not that many gulls, you'll be glad to hear!
Cheers
Russ
Attachments
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
A real treat Russ. You seem surer all the time. One of the first things I noticed was the long necks that you mention. Once again I'm sent off to my one European bird guide to see what it says about this bird. Always an educational experience.
phil baber
artist for birds
YLGs are fantastic! Wait to see more from your experiences Russ.
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