Ruff and Ready

My last effort to portray this species was, eh, crap! Too ambitious and nowhere  near convincing, so it was case of  'must do better'! I've tried to get back to keeping things simpler and this time I feel the bird does resemble the species it should be. Perhaps I'm being overly critical but thanks must go to Alan Harris -artist and illustrator extraordinaire - for his most helpful critique! A 3/4 image means I could avoid being over fussy with the intricate upperpart scalloping. If I'd have worked from a photo rather than sketches I could have also rendered the reflection and ripples much better but my 'jury' is still out on this one! That apart, this is at least getting near to the standard I would be satisfied with putting to my name to. I've also realized that copying a sketch is not as easy as one would think. I reckon this bird has a slightly under-sized head compared to the most successful sketch. Anyway, moving on....
Thanks for looking.
Russ

                                        Field sketches of juv. Ruff, Old Moor, 5th August, 2015

Daylight Fading

Well. I've decided to name my posts after appropriate songs, as it's easy! A Counting Crows number was chosen for this one. This thrush (guess the species?) was perched up ready for roosting one early evening a few weeks ago. Scoped from my study window with a backdrop of olivey-grey vegetation it made a striking contrast, even with dusk falling. A few colour notes were scribbled down at the time and the pic now does resemble the experience at the time. The challenge, though, was to keep things simple and not get drowned in detail, that and giving a very dark bird some subtle hues so it didn't look one-dimensional. The 'black' was built up with layers of petrel grey, chocolate and black and blended in with a white grey pencil. If it sounds clever it isn't!
I spent loads more time on this than I wanted to, so I've sent a copy to the Spurn OBS report team asking if this type of 'art' will reproduce okay, as I want to submit a couple of pics for their next report. My concern is it will be a load of work for nowt  if it doesn't turn out okay!
Thanks for looking
Russ

                            Study of Blackbird from Study window, sometime in March 2016

Spring Is In The Air

Sorry, couldn't think of a more fancy title for this one. Jonsson would have named it something suitably evocative and obviously got away with it! Basically it's just a Gadwall with its arse in the air, but something of a victory for me as it's something simple and effective like this I've been striving for. Inspired by those superb vignettes in the Colins Bird Guide, and working with my favourite combination (for now!) of Caran d' Ache pencils and Strathhmore paper, this has a good balance of tone and the bird's in a fairly interesting position i.e. not side-on and not asleep. If it looks more 'painterly' than before (which I've been trying to achieve from day one) then this effect has been created by hitting the auto-correct button on Microsoft Picture Manager. I think the photo of the original piece is too faded. Anyway, the bar's been set!
Thanks for looking.
Russ

 

                                      Field sketches of Gadwall, Old Moor, 5th March 2016

                                              Where's the signature for such a masterpiece?

One For Sorrow

It ought to be one for joy, really! I've just got the nod from Spurn Wildlife Group that they're interested in using a pic or two for their report. Thanks to Jack Ashton Booth for showing interest in my fledgling illustrating career. Hopefully there will be a opportunity with Sheffield Bird Study Group, too! Anyone else wanting drawings for bird reports then please get in touch!
I like subjects that make a bold statement and, like the tufties, here's one. Very simple but hopefully effective. These are great to sketch - they're almost perfectly proportioned with that sloping back, long tail and long legs. Sketched from the bedroom window (better be careful where I point that scope!). It was a dull, overcast morning so the challenge was to get the background conifers slightly out of focus, which I think works. Of course it should be an Hawk Owl perched up, but that's hopefully one for not-too-distant-future.
Thanks for looking
Russ

Study of black and white thingy, 5th March 2016

Draughts

Hardly a species to get the heart racing, but the drakes do make fine subjects and are always around as practice pieces. And if you have enough tufties on your patch it's always worth scanning through them for a 'rare'. My ducks have never been much kop - it's all that foreshortening, weird bumps and curves and funny bill shapes - in other words I find them difficult! Many efforts just need colouring in bright yellow, as they often resemble the bathtub variety! As I'm trying to keep things more simple but effective from now, on I thought the sketches of these drakes would make for an interesting composition when put together. They've recently started to become a bit frisky, showing more than a passing interest in the ducks, so I've tried to capture them looking both alert and perky, and smartening themselves up. The basically three-colour scheme (black, white and light blue) also appealed. Anyway, a bit of an improvement me thinks!
Thanks for looking.
Russ

                               Field sketches of Tufted Ducks, Old Moor, 6th January 2016

The Boss

I'm partial to a bit of Springsteen, particularly The Rising album. I'm also partial to Great Black-backed Gulls! I don't tend to see many loafing around at Old Moor whilst sketching, so this adult was a welcome change. Impressive beasties, these, and I very recently spent a few hours sketching an obliging 3rd winter bird. Anyway, this particular bird occupied its bit of island for most of the day, and nothing much else came within a few feet of it. Wonder why! I've always tried to keep things simple, as advised by the late, great John Busby and often failed so from my next post onwards I've made a conscious effort to do just that. I want to get in to the illustration game and feel that spending longer than necessary is complicating things. Another learning piece, this one, and hopefully another step forward.
Thanks for looking
Russ

                                 Field study of adult GBBG, Old Moor, 23rd January 2016

Balance!

One of my favourite common subjects in a pose I couldn't resist! This bird conveniently took up a one-legged stance just in front of the family hide at Old Moor. The challenge was to tackle the fore-shortening effect of a near head-on pose. Not perfect but then I've long since abandoned this quest; I may as well buy a camera and big lens! Anyway, it was typical grey and wet December afternoon and I'd just dipped the visiting Waxwing. This task soon had me forgetting about that, though!
A nice contrast between the warm tones of the wooden perch, the subtle greys of the bird and the cold blue of grey tones of the water. Artist speak or bxxxxxxt!
Thanks for looking
Russ

                Study of resting Common Gull (and crap ducks), Old Moor - sometime in December