Sketching Birds at Pensthorpe

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being a student again on a workshop at Pensthorpe Natural Park tutored by Mark Boyd for the company Art Safari www.artsafari.co.uk. It was a small group so Mark was able to give each of us plenty of support and encouragement, plus he was extremely knowledgeable about the species that we studied. He suggested we first look for the oval head shape and direction of the beak, then at the body which he likened to the shape of an avocado pear. He touched on the subject of bird anatomy so we could envisage the fact that most of the leg was within the body and what we consider the knee is actually the equivalent of the ankle. It was important to observe closely the leg positions so that our drawn birds would convincingly stand up with their weight balanced. Quite tricky when many birds at rest or dozing stood on one leg!

I started my sketches in an 8 x 8" hardback sketchbook using a stick of charcoal.

For the next page I switched to a black Inktense stick as the smudgy charcoal
irritated me. The avocets were stunning and so elegant.
Also was delighted to catch sight of the bearded tit in the dense reeds,
but no chance to try sketching these small elusive shy birds. 

Over the page again and now using a graphite pencil stick,
 holding it with an overhand gentle grip and broad sweeps before
adopting the traditional 'writing pen' position for more controlled fine
lines to add definition to the shapes in selected areas.

Continued with the graphite pencil stick.
The long spindly legs of so many of the wading birds are fascinating. 

Pencil.

Here I was looking at movement and in the lower right half of the page
I attempted to record various positions of a single avocet preening.

I switch medium again and try a black brush pen for the bird on the far left.
It felt a bit scratchy on the paper so changed to an Edding pen but that too
didn't flow smoothly and seemed a bit dried up.

At this point it was lunchtime and we all retired to the spacious cafeteria for hot drinks and a meal. It was only on stopping that I realised how chilly I had become while sat in one position on a little sketching stool, despite being well dressed for the overcast weather. It was enjoyable chatting and getting to know one another a bit better and to find out more about our different backgrounds and art experiences.

After lunch we moved back out and chose a different area to work in
with other bird species. We were encouraged to work with wet media
in the afternoon and I had fun loosening up by using my new black Elegant Writer pen.
It is really a fibre tip pen for calligraphy but is increasingly being used by artists
as when water is introduced to the penwork beautiful greens and pinks appear
as the pigments separate, an effect reminiscent of my much loved Quink ink.
(Thank you Sue and Kay for introducing me to these pens).

I loved these storks standing on one leg with their powerful long beaks
nestled into their long white chest feathers.

Bar-Headed geese with the Elegant Writer pen,
water was introduced with a water filled brush pen.

It was now time to move into more colour... initially I tried Inktense sticks
but for the afternoon I had decided to work in an A3 watercolour ringbound sketchbook
and the pigment caught on the texture of the paper and was reluctant to soften and dilute
smoothly even when water applied with a paintbrush.
There was only one thing to do - bring out the watercolours!

Unfortunately I didn't make a note of what this duck/goose is,
but the watercolour is a composite of several birds as they assumed the same position
while milling about right at our feet. The other little pencil drawing
was of a single duck who promptly disappeared towards the lake, not to be seen again!
As it was the vibrant splash of red on his beak which attracted me I put that in to remind me. 

Back to the stork, in watercolour this time.
A light drizzle caused little starburst speckles in the drying wash,

As my eye tuned into the smaller compact shapes of some of the ducks I decided
to try capturing their shapes purely in watercolour, no pencil drawing first. To finish
off we were encouraged to think about showing a group of birds and I returned
to the speedy pencil lines to do this, see lower left. 

What a fabulous day. We absorbed lots of information and remained focused as we tried to record our observations of the shapes and movements of a variety of birds. To close the day we gathered together back in the cafeteria. Hot drinks all round again as we discussed our experiences and then Mark quickly showed us some of his work to reinforce some of the teaching points but also to encourage us to consider different ways of working even when outdoors and working from life - collage or even monoprinting. 

Maybe you will be inspired to look more closely at the birds visiting your garden, or on a local village pond? Get the sketchbook out and give it a go. I know I will be attempting more bird drawings very soon, hopefully now with more success than in the past.

   

Sketchbooks Galore!

Sketchbook pages from Social Sketchbook event in The Walks.

The past week and a half has been full of sketchbook work... First was the Social Sketchbook event in The Walks, a lovely large park in King's Lynn. We arranged to meet at the bandstand which had been undergoing some renovation work and as we assembled the protective metal barriers were being removed - what perfect timing! As I arrived early I had already begun to sketch the bandstand. It is not my usual preferred subject matter and with some tricky perspective issues it was one I began to wish I hadn't started. So, as you can see below, I abandoned the idea of any realism and went for a quick pen and wash rendition.

Correct perspective abandoned so I could just enjoy approximate shapes
and a dash of colour. The allium buds were there too, but the horse was the last
 thing I sketched at the previous Social Sketchbook in Stow Bardolph.

The weather was bright but definitely breezy and had most of us seeking more sheltered spots. There was plenty of variety for subjects including the river, ducks, bridge arches over the water, planted areas, wild areas and many different tree species. One big attraction for me was the old town wall. When I walked through the arch to the other side the wind suddenly hit much colder and stronger and I had to admire one member who had bravely set up her seat and been working there since the start!

This was as far as I got sketching the old town wall before the cold set in
but we were due to reassemble anyway...

It is probably just visible in the photo above that the double spread page in the sketchbook had been prepared at home with gesso tinted with acrylic colour. A technique I like to introduce to add variety and texture when working in pencil.

Congratulations to the hardy Social Sketchbookers at the end of a morning in the park! 

My 25 minute final sketch to capture a little of sprouting leaves
and the lumps and bumps at the base of a fascinating tree trunk.

My second sketchbook event was to lead two morning workshop sessions for Freebridge Community Housing. They have a Wellbeing Week for staff and put on a variety of activities. Last year I ran a charcoal drawing workshop and this time I decided to do a Quink Ink Drawing session. I arrived laden with paper; card; small jars of decanted black Quink ink; dip pens, wooden skewers and feather quills for drawing with; covers to protect the tables; water; pots; brushes and masses of natural objects to use for inspiration.

Drawing with Quink ink in handmade simple accordian sketchbooks at
Freebridge Wellbeing Week.

The sessions started with an introduction to Quink ink and a short demonstration on using the various drawing tools and introducing water to allow the ink to bleed and create washes. When the wet ink floats in the water the components disperse into blues, greys and ochres - like magic! After a practice with mark making and trying out the techniques themselves we constructed small scale simple accordian sketchbooks, glued on coloured card for the outer covers and the remainder of the time was spent filling them with delightful sketches based on the natural objects.

Due to the less sophisticated drawing tools and the unpredictable nature of the ink the results were full of character and the accumulation of these drawings was impressive. The participants seemed happy and relaxed, chatting as they worked so I hope the experience was beneficial and contributed positively to Wellbeing Week.

Accumulation of drawings full of character.

So now I am busy with final preparations for the Focus on Flowers workshop at Dobbies Garden Centre and the morning element involves - you guessed - sketchbooks! The afternoon will be time for a longer study using watercolours and coloured pencils.

Just to finish this post I'd like to return to the drawing session in the park. When I did a 'research' trip, prior to making the arrangements, as I wandered round I remember thinking 'why don't I come here more often?' and at the end of the Social Setchbook event many others voiced this thought as well. Spending time in an area, looking, drawing, experiencing sights and sounds over a more intense period of activity is a great way to really get to know a place. Highy recommended. If you find a small parcel of time in the coming weeks, grab that sketchbook and favourite drawing tool and get out in the open, especially as the weather improves...

Practice, practice, practice...

Quick A5 sketchbook portrait studies
(charcoal pencil on left, charcoal stick on right). 

In my Mixed Media classes this term I have been really encouraging the use of sketchbooks. As the pages have been filling up I can see how my enthusiasm is catching on, and many class members have been using theirs between sessions. It is such a simple way of integrating creativity into everyday life and artists at all stages of development reap the benefits of regular practice!

The photo above was another quick session at trying to capture a likeness in a portrait by looking at the big shapes first. They are both in charcoal, one in charcoal pencil and the other with a willow charcoal stick. Side by side it is easy to see the denser velvety marks deposited by the stick.

Portrait study of my son, 15 minutes.

And another 15 minute study, my son this time as he played on a computer game (wearing headphones). These were in preparation for the class session where members were asked to work in their sketchbooks and do rapid charcoal studies of each other for the first hour. After break they could work on a longer study, in the medium of choice, either from life from their own reference photo. They all did a fantastic job and were pleasantly surprised at how much information could be captured in short bursts of 10 - 15 minutes!

It is still looking like Henderson Art and Framing will be closing it's doors permanently... and I have been firming up plans for the future. The response from the people I currently teach there has been positive and I really hope they will continue on their personal art journeys, with me would be lovely, but in any way, shape, or form. I will be offering various art events and workshops at different locations, so some exciting new ventures for me too! The first is a Social Sketchbook session at a small rare breeds farm next month and in May another outdoor session in the local park. Hopefully the weather will have warmed up a bit by then. Two weeks ago I had a great meeting with the store manager and the catering manager of the Dobbies Garden Centre in King's Lynn to discuss the possibility of holding a workshop there for my class members. I was delighted with the enthusiastic response I received, and in May I will be running a one-day workshop titled Focus on Flowers. 

Pastel Class... working 'as if on location'.

    
In preparation for life beyond the art classes at Henderson this term I included a session for all my hard working students based on the premise of 'as if on location'. I placed some A3 photocopied images around the studio featuring a variety of subjects - a dog on the beach, a bluebell wood, a boat, an old archway, a cat on top of the stairs, a sunflower, some bowls players, a busy scene with chickens and some bright pink flowers clinging to a rock face. I had moved the tables around to enable better views but suggested working with sketchbooks/drawing boards on laps, or even try standing up, to simulate the more usual conditions of working on location.

Mixed Media Class... working 'as if on location'.

There was a great atmosphere in all the sessions and some inspiring work produced. Most people managed two or more pieces of work, some were quick studies but also some resolved artworks. Congratulations to everyone concerned, and my thanks for rising to the challenge!

Entering the spirit of working 'as if on location'...
an enthusiastic class member standing and creating quick sketches
of chickens in her sketchbook!

If you have never tried working on location before why not have a go at this exercise and get in some practice? Instead of having your reference image right beside your working surface pin it up somewhere and pretend you are out of the comforts of your usual art space. Use easily portable art materials and try working quickly to capture the essence of your subject.