These sketches are taken from a number of my sketchbooks, and show some of the work behind a few of the images that have gone on to become full scale pieces, and used for card and print designs. Sketching is an important part of any artists' day, it keeps motivation going and builds on skills already in place, stretching their ability. More sketches are added on a regular basis, so please keep checking back, to see more examples from my sketchbook.
By far the majority of my sketches are in pencil, it's a clean and easy media to work with whether at home, or out and about, these first two images come from when I lived in Botswana, in Southern Africa.
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| Lioness about to set off stalking | Young Elephant playing in water |
Some sketches are more detailed than others, these two examples of Indie as a pup are very brief and suggestive, using only a soft pencil
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| Indie Pup | Indie detail of face |
As well as working in pencil, some of my sketches are in other media, these two examples are in ink fineliner.
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| Scottie Dog | Doberman Sleeping |
This particular sketch in pencil, was done from a photograph I took of Indie and Tau, when Tau was a young pup. Indie was resting her head on Tau, while they were both 'Asleep in the Washing' - the image has gone on to be a popular card, and is also available as a limited edition print. It is one of my favourite pencil sketches of the two of them, and the final piece can be seen here.
Watercolour sketches to me convey a simplicity that is sometimes lost with this media, and sometimes pieces can appear overworked, almost like acrylics. Although there are no hard and fast rules about how watercolours should be used, the way the media works best is to allow the semi-translucent nature of the media work, and this can only be done by keeping any layers of colour to a minimum, and allowing the light to reflect back, through the watercolours. When I was learning to use watercolours, we weren't allowed to use black, grey or white, we had to mix black and grey using colours, and we were not allowed to use white. Although I do now cheat and use black, I rarely use white, using the media surface to provide bare, or lighter patches, with the aid of masking fluid where required.
These three watercolours show a german shepherd in various sleepy poses, and convey the lovely translucent feel from the media.
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My first love in sketching animals as a young girl was always horses, and I still love to draw them, these three pencil sketches are quite brief.
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| A mare with her foal | Brief study of a horse jumping | A new forest mare with her foal |
And three more sketches in different media
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| Quick chalk pastel work | Ink fineliner | A fun watercolour |
The subject for this pencil sketch has also been used as a chalk pastel. The mare in question, Maisy, is used as garron, and has her foal by her side in the chalk pastel study, which can be seen in the equine gallery here.
As well as animals and birds, I love drawing scenery, and doing studies of flowers. These three pictures show different styles using ink, and gouache to give bold designs, as well as a detailed study.
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| Ink fineliner sketch of a flower bed | Gouache sketch of a flower bed | Ink fineliner study of a leucanthemum flower |
Of course by far the most sketched subject in my sketchbook, are working dogs, and I am lucky to have a supply of good photographs to work from, that I use to practise and develop the drawing, before setting it out to portray in a more serious style. This first image, went on to become the portrait of a springer bitch 'Windswept Springer', which has made a popular greeting card as part of the Gundog Pencil Study set. The final piece, 'Windswept Springer' can be seen here.
These three sketches aim to capture the movement and character of working cocker spaniels.
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| Sketch of a blue roan cocker | Cocker in motion | Portrait of a handsome example |
This image started out as a very brief outline sketch of a Labrador dog retrieving a grouse. The image has been used as the logo for Tarimoor Art, as well as being used as one of the popular Gundog Pencil Study greeting cards, as a limited edition print, and will hopefully be available as one of a set of bone china mugs, exclusive to Tarimoor Art, in the near future. The final piece, entitled 'The First Grouse', can be seen here.
