My sister sent me a sketchbook for Christmas she picked up on a recent trip to China. It's a wonderful little book -- just the right size to carry in my computer bag -- and it's beautiful the way it's decorated and bound. Its cover will challenge me to fill it with jewels as lovely as the cover itself.
When I moved to coastal Georgia, I was amazed at the number of black vultures here. They have such great silhouettes! I'm fascinated with them. Naturally, this is the first thing I put in my new sketchbook:
When sketching though, I couldn't help but think that the shape of the vulture resembles a hunch-backed woman with a huge bustled skirt:
I began wondering what she might look like if she were fleshed out a bit more, so played around a bit with my watercolors:
One of the tricks for me when illustrating is making sure my work stays fresh, and I think my watercolor is a little overworked -- it lacks the spontaneous quality of the sketch that I like so much. I'll have to revisit this, and will keep posting.
It's great getting such wonderful Christmas presents. You never know where they'll take you, or who they'll introduce you to!
When I moved to coastal Georgia, I was amazed at the number of black vultures here. They have such great silhouettes! I'm fascinated with them. Naturally, this is the first thing I put in my new sketchbook:
When sketching though, I couldn't help but think that the shape of the vulture resembles a hunch-backed woman with a huge bustled skirt:
One of the tricks for me when illustrating is making sure my work stays fresh, and I think my watercolor is a little overworked -- it lacks the spontaneous quality of the sketch that I like so much. I'll have to revisit this, and will keep posting.
It's great getting such wonderful Christmas presents. You never know where they'll take you, or who they'll introduce you to!
Wonderfully creative of you
ReplyDeleteturkey vultures, i am told are known as the bird of peace to the chumash tribe in Calif. simply because they do not kill for food, eating lots of road kill.
lovely gift
wonderful 2012 to you ~
Hi Daniel,
ReplyDeletegreat to see some of your artwork again.
This vulture sketches and the painting are incredible, so clever and great. You are a wonderful artist. I hope you had a great new- years day, and the new year will bring you health,
happiness and a lot of creativity, and with a little luck you could be the winner
of my new- years giveaway if you like it. You are heartily invited to join it.
best wishes
Janine
Oooo! I love her feathery skirt!
ReplyDeleteI love to see how you work from sketches to the finished result!!
ReplyDeleteIt´s a huge inspiration ;)
Tammie -- you have to come talk to our local news reporters who just did a story about the unusually huge flocks of vultures here; people they interviewed say they're afraid to let their pets outside because they believe the vultures will fly off with their precious pets! I shouldn't make fun -- vultures are rather frightening looking -- but their scavengers, not raptors! And they're cool to draw!
ReplyDelete