Recent sketches (1 Viewer)

[ed keeble]

that's a great Imperial Eagle and Black Vulture page, with really strong drawn- as-seen feel

 

[Drellas]

Hi Russ,

I really like your sketches. I should do more myself. However, mostly I'm too slow anyway O;-)

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

love the sketches Russ

 

[solitaryVSong]

Talking of unfamiliar birds. Spoonbills sketched at some place or other whilst taking a cha break. Funny how time constraints focus one's efforts! I thought these were crap at the time but they do capture a certain something.

Russ

That they do. I was attributing their appeal to the fact that you maybe were more used to sketching this type of large waterbird. It never crossed my mind that it was just a matter of having a deadline! Either way they're quite successful and seemingly effortless.

 

[RussB]

Cheers all!

I hope you've not yet had your fill of Indian birds!

India is shrike heaven! Like raptors they're all over the place. More sketches on the hoof.
Rufous-tailed Shrike at Bani Grasslands whilst looking for a wintering rare Steppe Grey Shrike - which we dipped!
Southern Grey at Bikaner carcass dump.
Long-tailed is probably the commonest species, but you never tire of sketching shrikes, and of course I could easliy have filled a sketchbook with 'em. Sketches of a bird at Sultan Pur Bird Reserve. Still having 'problems' with face-on birds, but I feel as I'm slowly getting there, but trying to see geometric shapes in ultra-quick time is not easy!

 

[RussB]

Black-headed Buntings at Rohat Ghar. This place was literally heaving with birds, and just a small wetland area with scrub. We were looking specifically for their rarer Red-headed cousins but with the flock being nice and obliging, like most of India's birds, they were a very inviting sketching oppo. Not too bad an effort seeing as though I was a bit rough with the inevitable 'Delhi belly'!
Also a sketch of female Grey Bushchat at Sultan Pur. Appaently the much smarter males winter further north. They wil be on my hit list next year!

 

[RussB]

Crab Plover was my most desired bird of the trip and these sketches were made of a juv. at Manvi beach. A bizzare, huge-billed, rather 'gawky' looking wader. Looking at illustrations afterwards they seem to have an even longer bill than I've drawn. It is a stonker though and distinctly spear-shaped.
Big, black and white and easy to ID. Imagine one of these turning up at the 'patch' at Dungeness!
Yes your majesty! The King of gulls - Great-black headed Gull is also a must-see bird. Seen 'em before but never sketched one. Couldn't resist these either. An adult not quite in summer garb. Just stood there - 'I'm the daddy'!
Again, another bird I could have happily spent all day sketching in a variety of poses. This 'homage' to Lars will have to do till next time!

Thansks

Russ

 

[Bigshent]

All good Russ but Shrikes win over for me. Have you ever given them a wash over with colour, I know you love your monochromes but id love see a splash of colour off you to bring your excellent sketches alive even more:t:

 

[JTMB]

These are excellent field sketches! Sounds (and looks) like you had a great trip.

 

[timwootton]

Really well done Russ - energetic and characterful drawings. Spot on (the big raptors are phenominally well done).

 

[RussB]

Thankyou all!

A few more from my Gujasthan extravaganza.
Sketches of Sykes's Lark. The valuable leson here is not to put too much trust in field guide illustrations. Comparing my sketches, made on two dates, with the painting in the old Helm guide had me wondering if we'd mis-ideed the species as they are nothing like the birds in the book. Looking at pics later on the tinterweb shows they were indeed this species. I suppose the reason that the Collins guide and Birds of Europe sit so highly are because the artists have seen the birds in the field.
Two more speciality birds: White-naped Tit and Marshall's Iora.
WNT is basically a black and white Great Tit but has fifty times the value! Whether it's cricket or not, Playing a recording of the species' song is apprently the only way to get decent views. But these performed superbly for us. ''Would you like me to get him nearer so you may sketch him ?, sir' asked our guide. Guiltily I siad 'yes'! WNT- what a stunner, what a stud!

Marshall's Iora reminds me of Prothonotory Warbler - an indescribable yellow of yellows! Just imagine this, if you can.

 

[RussB]

Doh! forgot to attach the sketches.

 

[RussB]

Two more specialities from the Nakatranha district: Grey Hypocolius - met Mohammed the Hypocolius man early doors who showed us the fruiting trees where India's only Hypo's regularly feed. About 90 years old with eyes as sharp as the proverbial sxxt house rat, he put me to shame with his 'Boots' bins. If I'd any shame I'd have given him my zeiss as token of thanks. Hopefully what we gave him money wise will keep him and his family well fed for a few month.
Rufous tailed wheatear - a bsically cold grey and buff wheatear with pale orange undertail - we never saw its uppertail; it just wasn't playing!
Lastly, Hoopoe lark at DNP and a pen sketch of a confiding Tickell's Flycatcher at Gir outside our lodge, behaving much like our garden robin.

Thanks for looking.

Russ

 

[nickderry]

plenty of amazing things going on here - I agree it's impossible to tire of shrikes, though crab plover must be an amazing thing to see.

 

[Lykos]

oh...so much great sketches...:t:

 

[solitaryVSong]

Your sense of animation, pose and bird detail keep getting better and better. Do you think that you'll try to work up some slightly more developed paintings at some time? I know it's a big step but it seems like the right one. You now have so much to work from with all of these sketches! Even if you don't I can't help but enjoy these sketches just as they are.

 

[Bigshent]

Third lark picture along is spiffing fella :t:

 

[JTMB]

It is fabulous to get to see new species vicariously through your excellent work here!

 

[RussB]

Thanks again for your inspiring and motivating comments.

My last India sketches 'till next year.
Indian Courser from The Little Rann and River Terns sketched during our lunch break at some lake on the way to the airport and home.

Back down to earth. I've been lucky enough to see the world's 'Best looking bird' in the form of Banded Pitta in Thailand. Here's some recent efforts of the world's 'Most boring bird' - coot!
They have great shapes, though! These were busy probing through the mud down at my local reserve, making some interesting poses. However familiar the bird is, they always offer good practice, I find.

Cheers

 

[RussB]

Five more....