Untitled... (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Ellis]

Wonderful work phil, now I really do have Skua envy! They truely are fantastic birds

 

[phil baber]

We seem to be well favoured with Skuas around Bristol and the Severn Estuary, UK. Skuas like to cross from the Atlantic to the North Sea overland, between the Severn and the Wash. Beats fying all around the British Isles I guess! My last local Skua was a Bonxie at Chew Valley Lake, last year. Fantastic views as it systematically tried to murder everything on the lake! Never seen Coots move so fast! Sometime after, that year, a Pomarine Skua took up a brief residence. Very partial to Common Gulls it was! :eek!:
Though my favourite place for these birds is Portland Bill, Dorset, UK. :t:

Thanks for all your lovely comments.

Been actually painting today! :eek!:

An experimental piece. I wanted the bird involved to be a "bit-player" to the landscape. In this case salt-marsh, and a "driftwood tree stump". Working from a range of photos my partner had digi-scoped last September.

Not finished yet. But I attach the progression shots from my mobile. I warn you the images are poor quality. But give some impression of the stages.

I'll post more when I get the chance to work on it again. The subject is a Wheatear on return passage. Northwick Wharf, Gloucestershire, England. :cat:

 

[timwootton]

Love it.

 

[colleenc]

beautiful bit of stump...I've tried drawing these things and always end up rubbish...I get completely confused over the forms, ADD I guess:-O

 

[Parker]

Love your stuff Phil & echo the views of others like the way you organise the pages of your field sketches. I love the Great Grey Shrike & Dartford Warbler pic, the orioles, waxwings, well pretty much all of them. Great stuff look forward to seeing more.

Cheers, Neil.

 

[RussB]

I love the drift wood composition, Phil. I would never have thought to do this. This is proper creativity in my eyes. Me? I just play at it.

Russ

 

[Woody]

Driftwood stump's lovely, I could get lost in the details and forms of old wood for hours.

Mike

 

[username]

Driftwood stump's lovely, I could get lost in the details and forms of old wood for hours.
Mike

I do..............................................:smoke:

 

[FedeG]

Just beautiful, that group of dead wood look so real. And the colorful bird calls your eyes to it.

 

[solitaryVSong]

I look forward to seeing this one develop. That poor Wheatear has a lot to contend with.

 

[nickderry]

I apologise unreservedly for having let this thread reach three pages before leaving a comment, I feel rather adequately punished though as I'm not going to be able to enjoy all these pictures right now - will have to wait for the evening when I have more time. One pic I'm so glad to have seen is your Stone Curlews - I'll be thinking of that when I start my pic of two of them with a whimbrel. Superb stuff.

 

[gropperwinch]

I've never seen dead wood look so good! oh, and the Wheatear is rather spiffing too dear chap!:t:

 

[phil baber]

Thank you all for your kind replies...

Been away. Mixing it with Yellowhammers, Corn Buntings, Red-Legged Partridges and such. No Quail though! :-C

Did a bit more to "the stump" today. Those mobile photos were awful!

So here are 2 "next progression" scans.

The yellow in the last is being introduced. The water-colour pencil is building up the strokes. I should've left the Wheatear out, until closure. So, please don't focus on it! :cat:

All the very best to all of you! And keep up the GOOD WORK!!!! :t: B

 

[timwootton]

Great work Phil - lovely surface textures coming through.

 

[Woody]

Great work Phil - lovely surface textures coming through.

Yes indeed!

Mike

 

[solitaryVSong]

Looking better all the time Phil!

 

[phil baber]

Northwick Stump Wheatear

This might well be finished now. But may work on the background some more after a few days rest. :cat:

 

[timwootton]

Very fine.

 

[colleenc]

That's one complicated bit of wood, good job

just running my painters eye over it I noticed that the bird's tail a bit of wood above that and the next, line up in dark and light bands sort of strong, and it makes a dark almost even band above the bird, maybe some variation there in value and direction could be considered....but that's just so the beautiful bird, is showing more.

 

[nickderry]

beautiful piece of work - immediately conjures up images of the last wheatears of autumn on Welsh beaches for me - a glowing charm of a bird.