Pastel sketch of a Cow Skull

  

Charcoal and Chalk Pastel on Canson 46 x 30cm

Having had a bit more time on my hands this last week or so I decided to wander

around my local landscape in search for suitable drawing material. In a nearby woods

I passed this cow skull picked clean by time. I couldn't resist sketching it, as it made 

such an attractive subject, despite its obvious tragic history. 

Thanks for looking :)

Quick pastel sketch

Charcoal and colored chalk on canson 40 x 30 cm

It's been a while since I posted so I thought I might upload this quick sketch of the Gearagh as twilight approaches. Less is more I think for this type of description and it is so tempting to try to accurately portray what you think you can see, rather than the mystery offered by the fading light.

Thanks for looking :)

A sketch in red and black

 Permnent marker and red acrylic on canson  42 x 30 cm

For this work I was trying to reduce the piece to the bare essentials.

The whole work was done with just one permanent blackmarker and

a quick splash of red ink. While the previous animal paintings are 

decorative and reasonably complex to produce, this one I think has more

power in it due to its reductive nature.

Thanks for looking :)

Polar bear

charcoal and pastel on tinted canson  42 x 30

This little sketch started out as just a quick idea where I

wanted to use a minimum amount of color to describe the

image. I was quite pleased with the result. I guess

sometimes a quick sketch like this can have valuable lessons.

Thanks for looking :)

A little bit of life drawing..

Red and white chalk on tinted canson  30 x 25 

Red and white chalk on tinted canson  30 x 25 

Some more life drawing at the fourth floor studios.

This time I am using red chalk. I have used red line

before but not frequently but when placed on tinted paper 

with white pastel highlights it can be very effective.

thanks for looking :)

Big cat

Chalk Pastel and Charcoal on canson 42 x 30

Some while back, until about ten years or so, I used to use only chalk pastels. 

I worked in this medium and nothing else for quite a long time

and then one day abandoned it, hardly ever touching it again. 

In the last few weeks I have been coming back to this medium.

Maybe everything works in a cycle and here I am again, back where

I started. Hopefully with a better and more thorough understanding 

of what makes a good design and how colors can work.

I must admit, it was nice to be back on familiar ground.

thanks for looking :)

Out of its element

Colored chalk on canson 42x30 cm

Today I thought I might try my hand again at chalk pastels. Its been a while, 

but some time back, for ten years or so I used nothing else but dry media.

It was good to feel the chalks in my hand again and it came easy.

I have neglected them for too long in favor of the more forgiving oils.

Perhaps I will do more in the future.

Thanks for looking :)