Red Deer in Mixed Media

I had one of those days yesterday where I didn't want to do anything serious, I just wanted to experiment.

I've found out that all being well with my pre-op tests they've moved my operation forward to this Saturday, that threw me a bit.

I have some lovely photographs of Red Deer that I've taken over the course of several years visiting the Highlands of Scotland. I have been planning a large Deer painting for a while, so yesterday I decided to do a Deer study.

This is an old stag and I wanted to leave his grey fur as it gives him character. It is on Ingres pastel paper and includes Neocolor, Coloured Pencil and Acrylic.

I'm not sure I'll finish him but it helped me to see the potential problems.

After rushing round all day to get things at work sorted out I got another phone call from the hospital to say they don't have a bed for me this weekend, I'm back to where I started, oh well.

Almost Completed Mastiff

I was trying to post the final stage on this one, but I've been so slow that I thought I'd better show you an almost completed version.

I had to have a blood test today prior to going in hospital at the end of the month. Getting blood from me is every nurse's worst nightmare. Today I really excelled myself, nurse 1 had four attempts before passing me on, nurse 2 had 2 attempts before admitting defeat and sending for a Doctor. The Doctor ignored all the usual places and went into the side of my wrist where he hit gold and creared a positive torrent. It never ceases to amaze me that if I get the tiniest paper cut I can soak everything with blood in seconds, show my veins a needle and they sink out of sight refusing to yield a drop.

More Mastiff in Coloured Pencil

Still no progress on the tiger but I have been working on the Mastiff puppy.

Rio has found a new sport, catching wasps, not only catching them, but then very noisily eating them. I'm not sure where they're coming from but he had three this afternoon. As soon as I see him bouncing round the Conservatory I know he's found another. The other dogs are horrified, Roxie thinks they're nasty dirty things that she wouldn't touch with Clinton's paw. Roma watches with a mothers anxiety, Saska can't see them (or hear them) and Juno bites Rio in the excitement. I spent my time trying to prevent Rio getting stung.

Drawing a Mastiff Puppy.

I wanted a break from the tiger yesterday and decided to do something less detailed.

This little Mastiff pup is coloured pencil on Ingres paper, about 12 x 8 inches.

I use Ingres paper when I'm not planning on many layers as I like the coloured surface.

I have a new link in my sidebar for a wildlife artist, Ian 'Griff' Griffiths, if you like birds check out his website,

These are a couple of his images.

Rio the Rough Collie

I'm practicing with my new video camera, this is Rio the dog on his chair!. He always jumps straight onto the chair to look into the garden from the run.

Continuing Graphite Tiger

I've done page two for my portfolio today.

I've also continued working on my tiger and sorted out a composition for my next graphite piece, so I'm feeling very productive.

The weather has been nice for the past few days so I'm having to spend time in the garden. One minute it looks reasonably tidy, the next I can only see the dogs ears above the grass. OK a slight exageration but it is growing fast.

Creating a Portfolio

I wanted to create a portfolio which shows several steps in the creation of some of my paintings and drawings.

I started by using Adobe InDesign, but I'm not really that familiar with it's workings and was having to turn to the help at every stage. So I switched to Serif PagepPlus 9 which I have used fairly extensively.

I created a master on an A4 sheet which gives me 4 small areas and a larger one, so I can show 4 stages plus the final.

I printed my sample on fine art paper and was pleased with the result, it has given me something to work from. It obviously needs a bit of fine tuning but at least I have the basics worked out.

As I own both a comb binder and a laminator I should be able to create quite a substantial end result.

Virtual Sketch; Cat in Graphite and India Ink

As promised yesterday, here is the result of my attempt at drawing Jeanette's cat Tripod.

It was great fun drawing from someone else's cat photo, and Tripod is a lovely cat to draw. Because this was just for fun I experimented with laying down the graphite. I did much more blending than I usually do and used graphite dust from my 4B pencil rubbed on with a stump in some places. I also painted India Ink in the really dark areas.

As a technique I will explore it in more depth as I think it has promise for achieving areas of soft focus.

Sadly I didn't finish the sketch but hopefully it is a reasonable likeness of Tripod. I did put a cat book behind him so that he could have a read if he got bored with drawing.

Don't forget to look at everyone else's drawings, I posted all the links yesterday.

I would really like to join in another virtual sketch if anyone else is up for it.

More Graphite

I'm continuing to plod along with the graphite tiger.

I'm also taking part in a virtual sketch with several other people including Jeanette, Rose, Jennifer, Jeanne, Stacy, Belinda, Teresa, Katherine and Paulette (sorry if I've missed anyone out)

The reference was supplied by Jeanette.

The results will be posted tomorrow, I have to say it's been great fun and I'd like to do one more often.

More Graphite

I took a photograph of the tool I use for indenting next to the partially drawn tiger, so that you can see the scale.That is only a small part of the picture, he will have more of his body drawn eventually.

I have had a week filled with disasters, mostly they were small to middling but didn't feel like it at the time.
As the sun made a brief appearance last weekend, we went to visit the local garden centre, which also has an aquatic section. My eldest son loves Sterlets, but the Sterlets don't return the affection. He has had two, one lasted a day, the second a couple of days. Their habit of swimming round the edge of the pond makes them an easy target for local cats and the Heron that visits.
However I gave in and bought him another one, which was released into the pond. He checked on it several times over that evening and asked me to look at it the following morning as he is in the middle of his University exams.
Well I looked, and looked, and looked as despair started to set in. After 15 minutes I was just going to go in the house when I saw a twitch by my foot, there was the fish, in the soil.
As it was still breathing I put it in the pond and stood guard until it managed to right itself. I checked it over the next couple of hours but it didn't improve, so I steered it round for a while. Eventually Stevie the Sterlet recovered enough to dive to the bottom of the pond. I couldn't see any injuries so I assume the daft thing had jumped out of the water.
I have now had to net the pond to stop it doing it again which means I can't see my fish very well, plus I have had to build a ramp leading to a hole for the frogs and toads.
The next story involves a treadmill which when built had the incline going the wrong way, so instead of running uphill you were running down!

Graphite Tiger

Well Roma's season was immediately followed by her daughter Roxie launching into hers, so upheaval has continued.

In the midst of rampaging dogs I decided to retreat to graphite as it creates no mess, well until the dogs knock my electric sharpener to the floor.


I usually use clutch pencils but add touches of 6B with a wood cased pencil.
This is approximately 20 x 14 inches on Mellotex paper, using a range of pencils from 4H to 4B.
I have indented some of the hairs in the ear using a pergamano embossing tool.

There is more head and body in the complete image, but it didn't fit on my scanner.

More Grass

My husband has been in charge of the dogs today because I've done a 200 mile round trip for a business meeting.

He took 4 of them for a long run on the moors first thing this morning and reports all has been peaceful with the exception of Roma. She is demanding a husband, now, at once, or else we are ruining her life.

I did a bit more work on my grass, adding some acrylic washes to push some areas back. I might move onto the cat tomorrow, Roma permitting.

Painting Grass

I'm not having the easiest time at the moment, plus I've decided to tackle some of the things I find difficult.

Roma's in season and we don't want to mate her this time, but she has other ideas and is madly flirting with anything that walks past her.

With having the three male dogs who are all now squaring up to one another life is a bit complicated. Clinton caught Rio on his muzzle this afternoon and must have damaged a small blood vessel. I managed to get my hands round the wound before he shook the blood all over the walls and carpet, he only managed to cover about half the house. So there I was stuck with the blood pouring over my hands because I couldn't let him go. Eventually I got the bleeding stopped and sat holding a packet of frozen peas over his nose to try to reduce the swelling. He is fine now and friends with Clinton again because Roma is banished to the Conservatory with the door firmly closed.

I always seem to get myself into difficulties with grass, ending up with it fairly stylised which I don't want. So I decided to paint a cat which is lying in, you guessed it, grass. The grass is mostly dark with just some that is in sunlight.

I started by painting my darks in India Ink because it will be easy to work over in coloured pencil. I then added Sepia and Hookers Green acrylic to the next areas, with some Sap Green to lighten some stalks a touch.

I put an Ultramarine and Sepia wash over the darkest area to push it back further and so far so good.

Visit to Marwell

Last week we made the 500 mile round trip to Marwell Zoo near Southampton. Although I love that Zoo, the main purpose of the visit was to0 see if I could photograph Kiska, the female Amur Leopard cub who was born last November.

The weather was fine but really cold, that was an advantage as there were not that many visitors at any one enclosure. There were several parties of local school children though, who all looked to be having a marvelous time.

There was no sign of Kiska or her mum in the morning, although the male leopard was pacing around his adjoining enclosure.

We carried on walking round the Zoo for another couple of hours and then went back to the Leopards. There she was sitting among the rocks, one of fewer than 100 remaining Amur Leopards. She was briefly joined by her mum, and I got some lovely photographs for future paintings.

I really wish I lived closer to Marwell so that i could watch her growing up.

I have been working on a cat in French Grey coloured pencils with acrylic washed over the top in some places. He's now almost finished, and maybe I'll move onto an Amur Leopard next.

Obtaining Wildlife Reference Photographs-Part 2

Once I'm at my chosen Zoo or Wildlife Park the first thing I will do is find out when the feeding time of my chosen animal(s) is. If I've gone to photograph one of the big cats then they are usually fed 6 days of the week and on the 7th they fast. So check that out, you can give the facility a ring, they will usually be happy to give you that sort of information.

If the feeding time is advertised then you need to be in place at least half an hour before, because:-

• The animals tend to be moving about in anticipation


• It will get really busy around the enclosure and you need to have selected your place.


• After feeding the animals usually retire for a sleep

You do need to have a look at the position of the sun (I know to see it is a rare occurence) and try to have it behind or to the side of you for the best lighting.
If the cage has a glass viewing panel as well as mesh then I sometimes choose to shoot through the glass if the mesh is double or triple and quite small.


If it is a fairly large mesh I will shoot so that the links do not obscure an important part of the animal such as the eye or ear setting. I will also kneel or bend so that I shoot on eye level with the animal to reduce distortion.
I shot this cheetah through mesh, it isn't a good photograph but plenty good enough for me to use as a reference. His face was at a slightly odd angle which I have straightened a little.

If I choose to photograph through the glass, the first thing is to pick a spot which is reasonably clean, I usually use a tissue to give it a quick rub.Then put the lens right up against the glass, this will reduce glare and reflection. Again try and take the photograph at eye level for the animal unless you want to paint a different viewpoint.

Wherever you choose to stand, you will have to be patient and take an awful lot of photographs. Most of them will not be that useful, but patience usually pays off if you watch the animal to see which area of its enclosure it prefers. You can sometimes see a path worn in the grass where the animal often walks.

If you are photographing an animal which is either allowed to roam free or has no mesh then patience is the only requisite.

I sat and watched the Meerkats at Edinburgh Zoo for an hour before this one came and sat right in front of me.

I live reasonably near the Wildlife Park in the Lake District which has several species of free roaming lemurs, wallabies, ostrich, etc. The photographs can be taken with any size of camera, my son takes excellent photographs with a small digital that cost less than £100. Do not be put off by thinking your camera is not good enough.

In the last post I will consider what to do with the photographs once you get home.

Just to show that you can take good underwater shots putting the lens against the glass. I took this photograph in the Aquarium in Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada.

Obtaining Wildlife Reference Photographs for Artists: Part 1

After all the discussion that have taken place following the announcement by the UKCPS on their conditions of entry to their Annual Exhibition, I thought it might be useful to offer some advice on obtaining your own wildlife photographs.

At this point I would like to stess that I am only an amateur photographer and I am only offering advice about things I have found useful.

Over the last few years I have built up a nice collection of lenses, but I started with a point and shoot Fuji digital camera and was still able to obtain useful photographs.

I now use a Canon EOS 30D SLR camera, and the following lenses: a Canon EF 28-300mm L IS USM (which is my pride and joy), a Canon 28-135mm IS USM and a huge Sigma 500mm zoom.

I also sometimes add a Kenco 2x teleconverter.

Most of the advice however applies equally to lower end equipment.

Both the following photographs are of wild animals, in both cases I got close enough to use a small camera.

The next time I see the mouse I have my sons small Fuji ready so that you can see there is really little difference as long as you are close to the animal. Always remember I am talking about using photographs as reference for your artwork, not producing a photograph which would win an award.

So first things first, you have decided you need some reference photographs to help with painting an animal(s), what do you need to think about.

• What species of animal do you want to paint
• How far are you able to travel
• How much time and money do you want to spend.

So I decide I want to photograph a tiger. I'll then use the internet to come up with a list of Zoo's or Wildlife Parks within the area I am willing to visit. I will look at the list of animals each facility keeps and make a short list of which ones have tigers. At this point I might look at which subspecies are kept or how far away each place is.

I might find that the best choice is a photographic day which several facilities offer, these are obviously much more expensive than a visit to the Zoo or Wildlife Park.

So now I know where I'm going I need to decide when I'm going. I would avoid:-

• School Holidays/Weekends if possible
• The middle of the day as I find the animals are most active early morning or late afternoon.
• Very cold or very warm weather (this depends on the species to some extent)

I'm now ready for my trip, packed the camera and put on some comfortable shoes, and clothing suitable for standing still for long periods of time.

In the next part I will discuss what to do when faced with your model, especially if it is a speck on the horizon.

Changes to the Conditions of Entry for the 2008 UKCPS Exhibition

I received my entry form for the Annual Coloured Pencil Society Open International Exhibition 2008 yesterday.

There have been two changes which have caused much discussion amongst prospective entrants.
The first is that the artist must have taken any photographs used for source material. Now obviously copyright laws must be respected, but this means that even if you have permission to use someone else's photograph, your entry would be ineligible. I have no problem with this being a condition of entry, but it has caused some artists serious problems with work already partly completed.


I have used photographs taken by other people, always with permission, but have been working hard at taking my own. Meet my latest film star, Harry Mouse. I'm wanting to paint some cat and mouse pieces and spotted a little mouse living under the waterfall in my garden.So I've been feeding him in orders that I can obtain my own refernece material. Please all keep your fingers crossed that my neighbours cats don't spot him.


The second condition which is more concerning to me, is that, work is excluded which has been displayed as a 'step by step' exercise over the internet, on forums where other artists comment and make suggestions.

This may well stop a lot of artists putting work on art forums, or at the very least asking that no one make suggestions. This will then have a detrimental effect on the usefulness of such posts for people wanting to learn from them. I find this to be hugely different from making work ineligible which has been completed in a learning environment and I cannot see how it can be enforced. Even if it is not displayed on the internet, would a comment from family or friends which is acted on render it ineligible?

I rgreatly espect the UKCPS Executive, but I think they will have to resolve the huge confusion that has been created in some way.

For a much more thorough discussion see Katherine Tyrrell's blog and for a slightly different perspective see the post by Nicole Caulfield.

How to Draw and Paint Cats:My Squidoo Lens

As I seem to have mainly worked on feline art over the last few months, I decided it would be useful to have all my related links together and share them with other artists.

So I have set up a squidoo lens 'How to Draw and Paint Cats'. I will be adding to my lens on a regular basis as I find links of interest to feline artists.

It is Roxie's big day next Saturday, Crufts dog show, which is the biggest show in the UK dog show calendar. I'm sure she is aware she is being prepared for something special because she is already acting like a prima donna. She has decided it is her right to have the prime spot in the lounge when we sit down in the evening. Her right to own all the toys and have all the petting, and share everybody's meals. The other dogs are not quite so willing to go along with her and today Juno sat on her, Roma her mum nipped her and Rio hid her toys. All I can say is roll on next Sunday.

I'm experimenting at the moment with various media, pure graphite, French Grey Coloured pencils and acrylic and Sepia coloured pencils. I'm not sure which I prefer, possibly for my work the coloured pencils have more impact.

The cat is the French Grey and acrylic, the Cheetah is Sepia and Nougat coloured pencil.

Reference Material and Acrylic Tiger

I am still painting a tiger in acrylic, but I have changed tigers and am now working on drafting film rather than gessobord.
I airbrushed the background using several layers of liquid acrylic.

I have had several questions recently on how to find reference material to paint or draw wildlife. Obviously the ideal is to use your own photographs. I have been steadily building up a large portfolio of animal photographs from visits to various zoo's and wildlife parks throughout the UK. I also took almost 2000 photographs whilst on holiday in Canada and the US last year. The problem with captive animals is that they are often fatter than their wild counterparts and can show untypical behaviour due to being caged.

Sometimes though you want to paint an animal you haven't got a suitable photograph of, or a pose you haven't got, or you want to make sure you set it in its natural habitat. What do you do then?

You can try websites which offer high quality photographs for a fee. Two good websites that I have used are;-

Fotolia and

Dreamstime

Do however make sure that you purchase the correct licence for the intended use. If you want to use in any derivative work, which includes art, then you need to purchase the extended licence.

If you see a photograph you like while browsing the web you can email the photographer and ask for permission to use it. You need to specify exactly what you intend to use the photograph for and ask what compensation they require if they agree to let you use it. If you think that in the future you would like to sell the finished artwork, or have prints made, then again you need to detail that in your initial query.

If you intend to paint a background with the animal in a natural setting, then what works best for me is to watch as many DVD's or television programmes about the animal as possible. If I see some foliage etc that I think I could use, I freeze the picture and sketch the background. I also use books and magazine to research the animals natural habitat.

Painting a tiger in acrylic

I haven't been around lately because I've been spending all my time painting. I had this foolish notion that it would be like drawing with a brush and I would just be able to transfer my drawing skills to painting. How wrong I was.

I am on version number 4, having settled on acrylic rather than oil for the time being. With having the dogs, especially Clinton who lies under my drawing table, I was worried about the potential toxic effects of the solvent.

This is the first time I have been happy with my progress, although an earlier version did have furry fur, but it looked muddy.

It is all acrylic, 8 x 10 on Ampersand gessobord, i transferred my line drawing using graphite paper. There is more tiger but nothing to see yet.