Wilde about Bird Art (6 Viewers)

[deborah4]

For some reason it reminds me of Archibald Thorburn's work.

As I don't use photos for 'finished' paintings, and only have my field sketches, I therefore I use various field guides for detail of plumage. I happen to have Thorburn's 'Birds' among my collection, so well spotted, I used it as a guide, both for the tree composition and the plumage detail - the actual bird is a composite from 2 of the field sketches, with the head sketch super imposed on the sketch of the woodie's body at the feeder. The oak leaves and bark is from some samples I have on my mantle piece!

As for style, I'm a great admirer of early Victorian natural history artists, including Lear, Aubodon and Gould, as most people will know if they followed previous threads, so that's a style of work I aspire to anyway.

 

[phil baber]

It is very nice work, and so is Archie's!

The Observer's Book of British Birds was my first field guide at 7.

So Thorburn's stuff is always etched into my Soul. Such love for the subject in his work infected me properly good.

Glad to see you posting Deborah. Hope you post more and more! :t::cat:

 

[JTMB]

Very nice, Deborah! Woodpeckers are a favorite family for me, so enjoyed seeing one we don't have around here.

 

[colleenc]

nice:t:, it does have and antique quality to it with the reduced chroma,

 

[solitaryVSong]

As I don't use photos for 'finished' paintings, and only have my field sketches, I therefore I use various field guides for detail of plumage. I happen to have Thorburn's 'Birds' among my collection, so well spotted, I used it as a guide, both for the tree composition and the plumage detail - the actual bird is a composite from 2 of the field sketches, with the head sketch super imposed on the sketch of the woodie's body at the feeder. The oak leaves and bark is from some samples I have on my mantle piece!

As for style, I'm a great admirer of early Victorian natural history artists, including Lear, Aubodon and Gould, as most people will know if they followed previous threads, so that's a style of work I aspire to anyway.

Very nice Deborah. It does indeed have a bit of the Victorian to it, though I think also recognizable as contemporary. I'd never thought about what I might do, especially in my rare realistic moments, if I only had my field sketches to go on, and my books. I think that this method serves you well.

 

[deborah4]

Thanks for the feedback - much appreciated.

Am working on a Water Rail (again from sketch overleaf) but perhaps a Robin will now take precedence!

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

these are lovely and good to see you back

 

[Lykos]

superb :t:

friendly greetings Gaby

 

[RussB]

Just admiring your lastest batch of sketches - superb stuff! I love the captured movement in the Turnstone, which is extremely difficult to reproduce, and the quick life-like studies of oystercatchers and pecker. These are 'living in the moment' bundles of joy. Excellent.

Russ

Ps - I really like the great spotted pecker portrait too but I'm not qualified to comment on the technical details here. The 'aged' tag for me can be better described as 'classic'! Like's been said, there's something very 'Thorburnish' about this style, and for me, even a bit of RA Richardson in it - definitely no bad thing.

Regards

Russ