Illustrations

Its that time of year again when its time to make my contribution to the local bird club report. As this is a labour of love (rather than one of profit), I don't have the usual restrictions of working to a brief. Other than making sure that what I illustrate, has actually been recorded in the club area during during the year under review. So I can rifle through my old sketchbooks and see what leaps out at me as being a promising image. Over the twenty two or so years that I have been doing this, I have managed to illustrate a fair proportion of the total number of species recorded in the area- currently 269 species. However looking back some species have been drawn more often than others (the usual suspects that I like drawing; cormorants, herons and various raptors). So this year I have decided to concentrate on some previously overlooked ones.

These drawings of a Common Gull were made late in the afternoon on 11th November 2004 at Denaby Ings. A couple of months later on 23rd January 2005 I was back there again, drawing this Gadwall and a small group of Teal.

From these sketches I developed the two drawings below. Both Pencil and Ink Wash.

Common Gull

Male Gadwall

Driving along the road that crosses the moors above Ripponden I saw this Little Owl perched beside the road. By the time I had found a place to turn round and then drive back I was sure it would have gone. However, it was still there and remained long enough to do quite a comprehensive drawing.

I altered the composition somewhat for the final drawing.

Little Owl.
Pencil and Ink Wash.