Resurrecting 'Fur in the Paint'

'Red Deer Stag'

Mixed Media on Paper

Original and prints available

So after ignoring my blog other than the occasional post for the best part of two years I've decided to resurrect it and post on a more regular basis.

Why did I ignore it and why have I decided to revive it? 

I haven't posted on my blog because I found it easier to keep in touch with people using other forms of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. It takes hardly any time to post an image on facebook with a few words to go with it. But while Facebook is excellent for keeping in touch and seeing what other artists are doing it has drawbacks.

So my decision to make an effort with my blog has come about as a result of two things. Firstly not everyone uses social media websites for a variety of reasons and a couple of people have mentioned that they miss my blog. Secondly I get many emails asking me how I do various things so it would save me time being able to post a mini tutorial instead of sending emails to different people and Facebook isn't designed for that.

'Hare in Reeds'

Original and Prints available

Since I last posted I've started a couple of what will eventually become series of artwork. Both series are a departure from my highly detailed work and I started them for when my time is limited and I need to produce something in days rather than weeks.

The first of these series I've called 'Country Characters' and each one will focus more on the character of the animal or bird than on anatomical correctness and detail.

First up 'Wilbur'

'Wilbur Wren'

Mixed media on Paper

For my second series I've returned to something I started several years ago, white on black with a touch of colour.

My first one is a hare because I've spent a lot of time recently watching them and they have such beautiful eyes.

'Watchful Hare'

White pencil and watercolour on black paper

Click here if interested in purchasing the original (eBay)

So that's a short catch up and I'll be back in a couple of days to share what's on my drawing board.

Same Wolf, Different Technique

I painted this wolf recently using a mixed media technique and although it turned out reasonably well it wasn't quite what I'd wanted to achieve.
One of my favourite wildlife artists is Carl Brenders who uses a technique which includes the use of airbrush.
My airbrush was hiding in a dark corner of the attic so I rescued it, brushed off the cobwebs and tried to use it. Having been ignored for so long it flatly refused to allow any paint through the nozzle. However several hours of coaxing, bullying and finally taking it to bits restored function.
I started by painting in some of the dark fur in sepia watercolour then blocking in some colour using the airbrush. The next step was starting to paint in the fur using gouache which is the stage I'm currently working on.
I'm not sure how much longer I can resist completing the eyes.

An Acrylic Puzzle

I'm going to paint all the background on this one before I add the animal so that I don't get a halo effect.
It's 16 x 20 acrylic on board.
I prepared my own board by adding several coats of gesso and sanding between each coat. The finished surface is very smooth which is how I like it.
Once I'd finished with the gesso I painted a mid grey all over which I find better to work on than the white of the gesso.

This will be a small animal on a large background, any guesses what it might be?

Wolf in Coloured Pencil

I can only work on my horse in daylight while I'm sat at my drawing table so I've started a coloured pencil wolf.
I find it easier to work with coloured pencil in the evenings.
This is approximately 12 x 9 on a stone coloured pastel paper.
I'm wishing I'd done it as a step by step because I think a wolf might be popular.

Hare - Part 4

The hare itself is almost complete I'm now working on the background. I'm just going to add a few bits of grass and lightly tone the background with pan pastels so that it becomes more of a complete picture rather than a study.

Brown Hare in Mixed Media

I want to take a break from drawing cats, I feel that I need to concentrate on different subjects for a while. I have more or less completed the images for this years Society of Feline Artists exhibition so I can spare the time away from the felines.
I want to add to my portfolio of british wildlife so I'm starting with this hare.
I'm using coloured pencil and watercolour on a Strathmore paper. The image size is about 10 x 8 inches.
The left ear is not yet completed as I need to really concentrate on the way the fur grows.

Amur Leopard finished

'Stolen Moment'

45 x 21 cms

Finally finished my Amur Leopard.

I'm ready for a little colour in my life now.

Amur Leopard - Part 3

Starting to draw the hind legs, hopefully by tomorrow they'll be done.

Lemur continued

I'm making progress with the lemur although the right side of the face isn't quite right yet.

Lemur on Black Paper

Over the years I've taken many photographs of Lemurs. This is one of my favourites, the lemur was above me in a tree watching what I was doing and chewing a stick.
Coloured pencil and acrylic on Black Stonehenge paper, 10 x 8.
His face reminds me of a little gremlin.

Wild about Graphite

Every now and then I get cravings, in my case not for food, but for the humble pencil.

I can just sit down with my pencil and start to create.

I mainly use a 2mm clutch pencil made by Staedtler, just occasionally changing to a 0.5mm lead for very fine detail. I mostly use a HB lead, but do add darks with a 2B, even sometimes going as far as 6B in the eye. If I use a 6B I always then go over it with a harder lead to dull the shine.

I decided I wanted to do another wild animal piece so had a look through my photographs.

This Meerkat is from one of my own images, I take many Meerkat photographs as I love their funny little faces.

We had a trip to the Zoo at weekend and the Meerkats posed for me.

My drawing is about 12 x 8 inches, on Arches Hot Press Watercolour paper. I really like Arches paper as it is smooth but can take plenty of graphite. The only slight disadvantage is that it is a touch cream coloured, which makes reproduction a little more difficult than if it was a bright white.

There is more at the bottom of the picture but it doesn't fit on my scanner.