-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Recent sketches (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter RussB
- Start date
RussB
Going for Gold
Many thanks, chaps.
Before I bid everyone all the best for 2011, I'd like to thank everyone for their comments and feedback. The art forum has been quite an inspiration for me this last 12 months. Indeed, when inspiration has been lacking, it's prompted me out into the field to practice on more than one occasion!
Onwards and upwards.
Take care and all the best.
Russ
Before I bid everyone all the best for 2011, I'd like to thank everyone for their comments and feedback. The art forum has been quite an inspiration for me this last 12 months. Indeed, when inspiration has been lacking, it's prompted me out into the field to practice on more than one occasion!
Onwards and upwards.
Take care and all the best.
Russ
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
Happy New Year Russ.
RussB
Going for Gold
Cheers all. Kicking off a New Year (well late old one actually) most folk with money and/or sense spend Boxing Day in the sales or boozer. I braved the cold. With all waters practically frozen up I thought engaging subjects would take a bit of finding but I quickly became a fan of ' moorhens strictly come dancing on ice!' Actually they were absorbing enough for me to stick the temps out for a few hours - how strange! A dirt -common bird but a great challenge! I'm now the species no.1 fan. Big @rses, lots of humps and bumps and those feet!
Five of my better efforts
Five of my better efforts
Attachments
RussB
Going for Gold
What I meant to say is my scanner is now officially breathing its last breath before its iminent execution with something heavy!
A couple of enlightened souls have pointed out I should use a camera. Got a little lumix jobby but the pics of sketches don't seem very well defined. Being a techno-peasant is it easy to 'darken' em up without fancy software?
Back to moorhens. I now understand the term 'beauty in the every day' or something like that. Perhaps I should get about a bit more, but they are an excellent subject.
Cheers
Russ
A couple of enlightened souls have pointed out I should use a camera. Got a little lumix jobby but the pics of sketches don't seem very well defined. Being a techno-peasant is it easy to 'darken' em up without fancy software?
Back to moorhens. I now understand the term 'beauty in the every day' or something like that. Perhaps I should get about a bit more, but they are an excellent subject.
Cheers
Russ
JTMB
Well-known member
Great group of sketches, Russ! Brave soul you are to sketch in the cold - I'm afraid I've gotten a bit soft about that over the years myself...! Our version of this bird over here is the American Coot and I 'discovered' them as a great sketching subject in the summer - they're on my list for down the road. When the weather gets a bit more comfy...
.
.
timwootton
Well-known member
Very nice Russ - nothing ordinary about a moorhen, and these drawings illustrate that perfectly.
colleenc
Well-known member
These completely charm me Russ...so simple yet so elegant
yes you can download a free version of Gimp which does most of what photoshop does in simple things and it's easy to fix contrast in it...just look up the google for it...many artists I know use it and get along just fine..
yes you can download a free version of Gimp which does most of what photoshop does in simple things and it's easy to fix contrast in it...just look up the google for it...many artists I know use it and get along just fine..
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
Really nice sketches Russ. I keep noticing how well you do with getting down the shapes.
Another piece of software that might be worthwhile is Photoshop Elements(under $100 I think). That's not cheap but I think does come free with some scanners and cameras. That's how I got my first version. I use it to crop and sometimes lighten but nothing much else. But even that is worthwhile to me. I've downloaded Gimp many times but have never gotten comfortable with it. My guess is it's most useful if you're already familiar with image-editing software. I'm all for open source software but have just never gotten comfortable with Gimp, probably because my motivation just wasn't high enough.
RussB
Going for Gold
Many thanks, guys.
Between xmas and the New Year saw my estate invaded by waxwings for the first time in the 20+ years I've lived here. About time, too. Felt I was missing out until these beauties dropped in. Sketched from the relative comfort of my bedroom window (I can't afford to have the heating on all day, see) but in rather poor light on 40 to 60X. Better be careful where I point that scope! I was constantly drawn to that face pattern, and tried to capture some 3/4 views of that lovely clean cut bib and eye stripe. These are a sketching 'tick' for me. I do try to draw passerines now and again!
Interesting to compare these ( blasphemy!) to Tim's and Arthur's - blokes who know what they're doing.
Cheers
Russ
Between xmas and the New Year saw my estate invaded by waxwings for the first time in the 20+ years I've lived here. About time, too. Felt I was missing out until these beauties dropped in. Sketched from the relative comfort of my bedroom window (I can't afford to have the heating on all day, see) but in rather poor light on 40 to 60X. Better be careful where I point that scope! I was constantly drawn to that face pattern, and tried to capture some 3/4 views of that lovely clean cut bib and eye stripe. These are a sketching 'tick' for me. I do try to draw passerines now and again!
Interesting to compare these ( blasphemy!) to Tim's and Arthur's - blokes who know what they're doing.
Cheers
Russ
Attachments
nickderry
C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.
nice! I feel I am cursed this year, no waxwings once again (only a handful of sightings of ondividuals here). I love these sketches, I recognise many of the shapes they make, they remind me of a group that I was sketching from my old bedroom window a few winters back. The particular favourites are numbers 3 in each lot.
ARTHUR BISHOP
Well-known member
Brilliant sketches Russ.
I was lucky enough to have a stunned one for half an hour, recovering from flying into the window and get a close look at that beautiful plumage
I was lucky enough to have a stunned one for half an hour, recovering from flying into the window and get a close look at that beautiful plumage
timwootton
Well-known member
Had a few in the hand this winter, too - alive and dead (unfortunately) - they are one of the very few birds that are just as 'good' close up as they promise to be from afar - stunning birds!!
Russ - these are splendid - Nick points out no. 3 in the second lot - that one catching its balance - is a very fine drawing of a genuine piece of action. What more would one want?
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
Wonderful drawings Russ, esp. the aforementioned number 3. And congratulations on being able to sketch them from the comfort of your home! Well deserved break from your time out in the cold I think.
