Hare - Finished

I added a little background to my hare which puts it in a setting without distracting the viewer, in my opinion anyway.

I added the touch of blue, white and ochre using pan pastels and was pleased how well they worked to give a hint of colour on a smooth paper. The foliage is painted in watercolour, so all in all this is a real mixed media piece.

I'll let it sit a couple of days before deciding if I need to tweak.

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 - Part 3

I've been updating my website so progress on the hare has been slow.
I'm hoping that I can finish it tomorrow.

Brown Hare - Part 2

Yesterday I picked some of the orange poppies I have flowering in my garden. I'm considering adding one or two in the background using very soft watercolour washes as they are more or less the same colour as the hare's eyes.
It's a good job I picked them yesterday as there is heavy rain here in Yorkshire this morning and most of the petals are now ruined.

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.

Almost finished, just a few tweaks needed.

I have lost a little around the edges by adjusting to lose the background tone in photoshop, I'll post a corrected image tomorrow.

Patchings Art Exhibition 2011

Anyone who saw me at Patchings will recognise the cat. I am almost finished and I will post the finished drawing on here within the next couple of days, honestly.

I had a good time at Patchings apart from the horrible weather on the last day. One of the best parts is the socialising, I had a laugh with several artists, some old friends, some new. In particular Darren, Vivienne, Cheryl, Paul and Bob. You are all fantastic artists and great people, and I hope our paths cross again.

Thank you to all the people who bought my work and to those who stopped to say hello, I enjoyed meeting all of you. I hope I was able to help some of you move forward with your drawing.

I had to laugh at some of the comments we got and can assure you that concentrating on drawing or painting does not affect your hearing. Most of the artists I spoke to could relate a funny comment each day.

My most memorable comment was from an individual who walked up to me and asked why I draw cats, because they are nasty, dirty animals that destroy gardens.
Without giving me time to reply they sighed deeply and walked away.

I was very impressed with how Pan Pastels worked on my hot pressed watercolour paper and I will be doing a little demonstration on my blog later this week.

I also couldn't resist splashing out on yet more supplies that I probably didn't really need but couldn't resist.

Coloured Pencil Techniques Number 2

Just in time for Patchings I have completed my second coloured pencil step-by-step. This time it's Lenny the tri colour Rough Collie dog.
It is exactly the same format as the guide to drawing Poppy.
The booklet consists of 16 A5 pages (approx 5.75 x 8.25 inches) printed on a heavy bright white printer paper.
For the colours used I have included a pencil comparison chart for Polychromos and Prismacolor pencils. I have not always found an exact colour match but have suggested a similar colour.
Anyone who purchases the guide can email me for help if they get stuck.

You can purchase direct from me by clicking the link in the sidebar.

If youy are planning on visiting Patchings Art Exhibition please come and say hello.

Lenny Part 3

I saw a Roe Deer on my early morning walk. Much to the dogs dismay I hid behind the hedge until it came close enough for me to take some nice photographs.
He will be making an appearance in a drawing very soon.

Lenny - Part 2

Lenny the Rough Collie Step-by-Step

I'm working on my second tutorial, this one is a step-by-step drawing Lenny a beautiful tri colour Rough Collie.
Hopefully it will be finished and printed in time for Patchings exhibition next week.

Borzoi - Part 2

In between getting ready for Patchings Art Festival, working on the pastel tiger and printing I've been making slow progress on the Borzoi.

I've added some acrylic washes to add depth and then worked over the top with coloured pencil.

Painting A Borzoi

I've been given permission to paint this stunning Borzoi.
I met him at a dog show over a year ago and took some photographs. His owner then sent me some better ones that show his beautiful coat blowing about. The photograph I'm working from shows much more character than the ones I took at the show.
I'm working in coloured pencil and watercolour on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper and the size is about 14 x 10 inches.

Border Terrier

The Border Terrier is more or less finished, I just need to add a hint of shadow to ground him.

Coloured pencil with a hint of graphite, approx 12 x 8 inches.

More Birds

A big thank you to all the people who have purchased my step-by-step of Poppy.

I decided to have a break from printing last night and went to see if the hares were about. The crops in the fields are now quite high and all I saw were a couple of pairs of ears in the distance.

However the place I go to see them is the haunt of several pairs of Red Kite.

Last night there were at least seven gliding over the trees and swooping down low.

I also got some nice photographs of a Yellowhammer, a bird I haven't seen for years.

Step by Step Guide to Drawing a Tabby Cat Available Now

Sample Page

My step-by-step guide is now available, I will be adding a buy it now button on the sidebar and it will be available from my website.
The booklet consists of 16 A5 pages (approx 5.75 x 8.25 inches) printed on a heavy bright white printer paper.
For the colours used I have included a pencil comparison chart for Polychromos and Prismacolor pencils. I have not always found an exact colour match but have suggested a similar colour.
Anyone who purchases the guide can email me for help if they get stuck.
I will also be offering prints of Poppy at a reduced price for anyone buying the guide.
The cost of the booklet will be £5.00 plus £1.50 post and packing.

I'm ready to start drawing my next subject. I'm thinking it will be a tri colour Rough Collie dog. That will include canine features and black, tan and white long hair so will be quite different to the tabby cat.

Step by Step Guide to Drawing a Tabby Cat Completed

The draft version of my guide to drawing Poppy is complete and I am proof reading before printing starts.
Hopefully the first copies will be ready by Tuesday.

More Garden Birds

I'm trying out various custom settings with my camera in the hope that I get more successful shots than disasters.
This male house sparrow has been very obliging in posing for me more or less constantly. He and his mate have a nest in the beech hedge just outside my window and he acts as guard for minutes at a time.
I have everything crossed that the local cats don't destroy the nest.

Regular readers will also notice I've given my blog a make over. The current trend seems to be for white backgrounds with no borders so I decided to give it a go.

Poppy the Cat Continued

This is where I'm up to with Poppy the cat, just about to start on the ears.

Step-by-Step Continued

Here's a sneak peak of a page from my forthcoming step-by-step.
I'm drawing Poppy the cat using Polychromos pencils but I will supply a list of Prismacolor pencil colours that can be used instead for people who prefer to use that brand.