About Eric Wilson

Eric Wilson has established himself as one of Britain’s leading wildlife artists, a multi-award winner whose paintings are now widely collected throughout the world. His artistic ability was evident from his earliest schooldays; “Eric has an artistic talent way beyond his years” wrote his art teacher in 1967.

As a child of Scottish parentage, Eric would spend his formative years roaming the highland mountains of Scotland where his lifelong love of wild places was born. It was natural and inevitable that Eric would combine his talent with his love of wildlife and become a wildlife artist.

Eric has exhibited widely in London, Germany and the United States, exhibiting at the prestigious Florida Wildlife and Western Art Exposition and The National Exhibition of Wildlife Art where his work has won several awards. His paintings have appeared in magazines and books such as “The Best of Wildlife Art” and “Keys to Painting Fur and Feathers”, by North Light Books.

Visit Eric’s Websites:

http://www.ericwilsonwildlifeart.com/

Wildlife Art Demonstration: A step by step guide

Step 1

I wasn’t taking this picture too seriously at this stage, as I was still experimenting with pastels and wasn’t sure if the Schmeike sandpaper surface I was drawing on was capable of delivering fine results. I had sketched the cub out loosely on paper and then transferred it to the Schmeike pastel paper. I was using pastel pencils and doing some smudging with my fingers, the face started to take shape and so I decided to continue.

Step 2

I liked the way the ‘tooth’ of the pastel paper held onto the pastel and felt confident to build up layers of colour. The eyes are always the key to a cat portrait and I was happy to see that I could ‘glaze’ over with a light magenta to show some reflection giving life and the illusion of wetness to the eyes. It was important not overdo this however, as I had to bear in mind that the eyes were actually in the shade and not reflecting direct sunlight. With that in mind a magenta was used in preference to a bright white which would have been a mistake. I was beginning to spread an undercoat of raw sienna colour across the body by this stage.

Step 3

Over the raw sienna, which was done with a ‘wash’ of softer pastel, I started to build up the direction of the fur with darker strokes. Direction is all darker strokes. Direction is all important, as when it is done with a careful understanding, it gives a clear shape and solidity to the whole body. A framework upon which to build.

Step 4

It is believed that lions used to have spots much like leopards, but as jungles gave way to open plains the spots gradually disapeared. You can still see them if you look closely though, particularly in young remember with this painting. By this stage I knew I had a winner on my hands and had begun to draw in the log and some loose suggestions of a background. You will notice that I had left the edges of the fur unfinished at this stage, particularly around the top of the head and ears as I knew I would have a lot of rubbing and blending to do for the background and there would be no point in finishing the edges of the fur prior to this being done.

Step 5

I’m nearing completion by this stage, I’ve blended the soft greys of the log with soft pastels and have used charcoal for the darker lines. Realism in paintings can be helped by the most subtle of things, like being mindful of the fact that colours reflect onto nearby objects. With this in mind I’ve added some warmer ‘lion tones’ to the upper log near to the cubs body. It all helps create the illusion of reality.

Painting Finished

The finished pastel painting. Lots of loose smudging in the background contrasts with the sharp rendering and bolder colouring of the subject to create the illusion of depth. Grasses have been added for extra interest and to provide the oppertunity to show more glowing sunlight. The smoothness of the sun bleached log contrasts nicely with the fur of the Cubs body. Its all about surfaces and textures complimented by their differences and yet all working harmoniously together to create something that looks real.

I was very pleased with this picture and amazed at how effective pastels can be. I love their immediacy. There is no time wasted ‘off picture’ mixing colours, you simply pick up the colour you need and use it. I found that very refreshing after years of complex mixing with oil colours and was able to give 100% concentration to the picture itself and to finish it within a week as opposed to the month it would have taken using oil paints. I dont use fixative as it spoils the colours.

About Eric Wilson

Eric Wilson has established himself as one of Britain’s leading wildlife artists, a multi-award winner whose paintings are now widely collected throughout the world. His artistic ability was evident from his earliest schooldays; “Eric has an artistic talent way beyond his years” wrote his art teacher in 1967.

As a child of Scottish parentage, Eric would spend his formative years roaming the highland mountains of Scotland where his lifelong love of wild places was born. It was natural and inevitable that Eric would combine his talent with his love of wildlife and become a wildlife artist.

Eric has exhibited widely in London, Germany and the United States, exhibiting at the prestigious Florida Wildlife and Western Art Exposition and The National Exhibition of Wildlife Art where his work has won several awards. His paintings have appeared in magazines and books such as “The Best of Wildlife Art” and “Keys to Painting Fur and Feathers”, by North Light Books.

Visit Eric’s Websites:

http://www.ericwilsonwildlifeart.com/

http://ericwilsonartist.blogspot.com/

Step by Step Pastel Painting Demonstration of a Tiger

A tiger at the waters edge, Royal Chitwan, Nepal.

People often ask me “How did you do this?”

This is how….

I am using Royal Sovereign pastel paper as always, you will notice from the images below, that this painting started with very little drawing. This is often the case with my pastelworks. I like to make proportional marks where things might be, such as eyes, an outline or the stripes on the tiger, but these are no more than guide marks as any underdrawing would be immediately lost with the amount of pastel I lay ontop of it.

Picture One:

The second picture shows that I am working firstly on the head, concentrating upon the contrast it will have against it’s background. This is very important to the success of the whole picture, and so I take time to do a bit of detail and get a nice deep contrasting colour for the background firmly in place. Another reason for doing this is that I found it inspiring to have the face semi done at this stage, it made it easier for me to visualize the completed picture.

The third picture shows that I am working the background colours further down, testing my ideas out with experimental colours for the grass and also trying out some of the light shafts that will later enhance the picture. These are all just ideas at this stage and if you look at the finished painting, you will see I changed the direction of the light shafts to improve the composition.

The fourth picture shows me spreading out undercoat colours across the body of the tiger and lightly drawing in the stripes. I’m also adding a few details to the legs.

You may notice that everything is done lightly at this stage, nothing too drastic and severe. I often describe that I feel like I’m dipping my toe into the waters, testing things. I never rush in. If I make mistakes at this stage it’s easy to correct them and all options are always open for any new idea that might arise by looking at what I’ve done so far. I’m always looking, always stopping and thinking, this is the time when paintings are won or lost and what I’m after is a blueprint that I know I can safely take to the next stage.

People often ask me about composition. Was it all planned out? I hope to demonstrate with this post that it wasn’t. This painting began in Nepal one morning when I was on the back of an elephant looking for tigers, the jungle at Chitwan is shrouded in mist until the sun rises and burns it away. As my elephant went to the water to drink I soaked up the scene before me with it’s dramatic light and mist clearing away. I didn’t see the tiger that day, but in my minds eye I had clearly seen him and the painting was born. That is as far as my composition went, a misty background and an imagined tiger.

I returned to England with some tiger sketches and photographs but nothing as dramatic as I had imagined that day.

Months later I sketched out the tiger I wanted. You will see that he is oddly composed, he is entering the space of the picture, stepping into the frame incomplete, just as my imagination had placed him in the actual scene many months before. I like this type of composition, but it poses challenges if you are to get it right. I had my misty background to wrap around him and a vague idea of backlighting, but I knew that something more would be required if this painting was to succeed…

You will see that at this stage I am spreading out, ‘feeling’ for those compositional elements. At the top I have settled on the direction of the light shafts and at the bottom I have started the water. I always knew I would Have light shafts and water, but their exact positions I left until doing the painting. I like working with this kind of flexibility, it suits the cautious way in which I work, little decisions one at a time. It often feels like the painting paints itself because each decision leads effortlessly to the next.

You can see here in picture 5 that I am bringing in a few details of the grass, feeling for my colour/tonal range.

Picture 6 shows that having got a feel for the colours of the grasses I am now confident enough to lay down some of the foreground grasses, always mindful of the lighting, it had to be dramatic to suit the light on the tiger. I’m watching the composition carefully here, extending the tigers influence downwards in the reflected paws which I liked, but it began to feel as though the bottom right of the painting was uncomfortably empty. You have to be very careful when your animal fills so much of your canvas, very aware that anything else you add must enhance and not distract from the main subject.

Picture 7 shows my answer to that problem. I decided upon a log to balance things up a little, and I also added the subtle touch of extending a stork of grass upwards on the right, both to balance a picture that was in danger of becoming unbalanced.

Picture 8 shows more refinement of the log, and a completion of the top section, light pencil strokes giving hints of a jungle in the far distance.

Picture 9 shows a bit more detail of how I am now finishing the fur across the tigers body, light strokes of lighter fur lifting out of darker richer undertones which suggest the underlying anatomy of the animal. All the time I am gently softening with my fingers.

Picture 10 is a close up of the finished body, much lighter strokes on the top of the back and finally the darker stripes get carefully added. Whiskers and the brightest elements of the fur are always done last. Soft pastels being used for the high whites as they lay down more powerful pigments than the pencils.

And there you have it!

I sincerely hope that this demonstration shows that photographic realism is not whats on my mind when I compose a picture. I am much more concerned with the challenges of colour and composition. My attention to detail might make me photo-realistic, but I’d like to think that people can see a lot more in my paintings than just the realism.

Eric

www.ericwilsonwildlifeart.com

About Sandy Sandy

Since 1996, Sandy Sandy has been a professional fine artist and has devoted her career to painting full time. After a divorce, she left behind a thriving advertising, illustration and sign company which she owned and operated for seventeen years. Sandy currently works in her spacious art studio from her NJ Pine Barrens home. Here she is inspired by the wildlife that visits her yard daily. A strong connection with animals and nature is evident in her choice of subjects. Her philosophy of “spirit” is woven into her work, where thousands of watercolors have given way to her flowing expressionist style.

Collectors of Sandy’s original paintings can be found throughout Canada and the US. Commissions are always welcomed to create specific works for individuals and organizations such as The NJ Symphony Orchestra. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Illustration from Moore College of Art and Design and attended The Art Institute in Philadelphia. Having studied watercolor with many nationally known watercolor masters including those from the E.A.Whitney, Brandywine and New Hope Schools has given her roots that are strong in the American Art Tradition. Sandy currently provides uplifting, motivational and instructional content in her various free online communities. She also is available for speaking engagements, demonstrations, workshops and classes.

Sandy’s Website: http://www.sandysandy.com/

How to Sketch a Horse Head by Sandy Sandy

Woo, I am psyched! I’ve got some new and exciting ideas for this year’s summer sketching series. I hope a few of you artists will step up and share your input with me and our readers. Remember that in every aspect of our lives, we get back in direct proportion to what we give out. I guess that’s one of the many reasons for my continuance of this daily drawing challenge over the years.

One of the changes I want to make to this blog is to really “K.I.S.S. IT!” or, “Keep It Simple Stupid” or as I like to put it, “Keep It Sensationally Simple”. I went online to see what kind of drawing instruction is available. And wow, there’s a lot of it and most of it is pretty darn good! So does the world really need another drawing mentor? Well, I don’t know, I guess that’s for you, my fellow artists and friends to answer. Please let me know how I’m doing from time to time.

To launch the season, I’m starting off with a simple drawing demo of a horse portrait in profile. I’m showing how the foundation starts off with three simple shapes; a long triangle, a circle and a square.

I add directional lines and divide the shapes in half. This gives me a point of reference for angles and location of the features.

I divide the top half of the circle and find the location for the eye. The mouth follows the directional line of the head as does the top and bottom outline. The crest of the neck is drawn and the slight S curve is added to it’s underside. The outline of the nose is rounded some and the nostril is indicated with a semi-circle curve. The ears sit below the poll.

In finishing the sketch, I add some subtle curves, slightly indicate muscle and bone structure and add a mane and forelock.

With the pencil drawing complete, I quickly brush clear water to the edges and then “whack on” a light grey value *with a dry brush. Try not to go over the paper more than once and don’t scrub. I am only using drawing paper in my sketchbook, not watercolor paper. This teaches you to work swiftly and then get out of there. ” In watercolor, just like in golf, the least amount of strokes wins the game.” ~ Tony Couch

About Jason Morgan

My love of animals has been there for as long as I can remember, along with my desire to draw and paint, so looking back it now seems inevitable that I would become a Professional wildlife artist

I strive to paint wildlife as accurately as I can, so where possible I like to see the animals in their natural environment, and this has, of course, lead to some very exciting journeys and experiences.

It’s these exhilarating and very personal experiences that I believe help me so much in my portrayal of wildlife in it’s natural environment.

It’s the hidden things that you can truly only experience by being there in person.

Learning Resources from  Jason Morgan
	Oil Painting Made Easy Lots of people would love to paint with oils but are confused by all the terms and supplies. Jason’s Brand New eBook COMPLETELY demystifies oil painting! From the very beginnings of applying paint to painting Seascapes, Horses and MUCH MORE! He tells you everything including the exact brands of paints, brushes, varnish etc that he personally uses. Save yourself years worth of trial and error and frustration. Learn his secrets right now! Follow this link to learn more
	Wildlife Art – On My Easel Have you always wanted to take a sneaky peek over the shoulder of a Professional Wildlife Artist as they painted, learning all their secrets? Well now is your chance. My BRAND NEW EBOOKS “Wildlife Art On My Easel” allows you to do Just THAT! I have brought together 10 years of my best demos, tutorials, blog and forum posts in to 2 Ebook Volumes! Each Ebook has over 150+ photos + lots of tips / secrets and more. Follow this link for Volume 1 Follow this link for Volume 2
	Painting Wildlife in Oils Do you get frustrated when painting technique books jump too many stages in their Lessons? I know I did! They never seem to show you the techniques that you need to know to paint wildlife realistically? And that is exactly why I decided to make this tutorial CD and Ebook. I’ll show you the details others LEAVE OUT! From the Basics of Choosing Paints and Brushes To Advanced Fur and Feather Techniques Like glazing and working in multiple layers… Follow this link to learn more!

Jason’s Websites:

http://www.onlineartdemos.co.uk

http://www.jasonmorgan.co.uk/

Learn How To Paint Tiger Eyes With This Free Oil Painting Tutorial

Step 1 – Drawing and First Layers

This painting is quite large – over 22 inches wide, but rather than get daunted with the size , we must remember to apply the same principle that we would on a smaller painting, breaking it down into easy stages.

Above you can see my pencil drawing on my already primed canvas.

Step 2

I then apply some initial colour to the canvas, using plenty of painting medium (Liquin) and raw and burnt sienna oil paints.

Step 3

Above you can see how I have continued to block in the base colours, giving the suggestion of where the main stripes will probably be. The painting is beginning to look a little more achievable now most of the canvas has been covered with paint.

This stage is allowed to dry overnight.

Step 4

Now I have a base to work over the paints look more opaque this time around. Same technique, a little liquin added to burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, darkened with Burnt Umber where needed for the fur. It’s important to remember that some of this stage might be seen in the finished painting so all the brush strokes should be in the direction of fur growth.

Step 5

As more layers are added under painting details (our blueprint) can become lost, here I am just strengthening the stripes so I can see them more easily.

Step 6

With the under painting finished I move on to adding the first layers of fur texture. Using a flat brush on it’s edge I begin to make marks which suggest fur / hair. The important things here are – Paint in the direction of fur growth, and start with the under fur then overlap the fur growing on top of it. So in this instance I am working from the top, to the bottom.

Step 7

The image shows how I am continuing to work down the canvas, black goes over yellow fur, then yellow goes over black, effectively overlapping and giving depth.

Step 8

Here you can see the finished, first layer of fur texture. You need to study your reference image to get all the fur painting in the correct direction but the results are worth it.

Step 9

This image looks like a big jump forward, but what I have done to create the effect of fur depth is quite simple. With the previous layer dry, I applied a very thin coat of Liquin to the entire painting surface – this created a slippery, easy to paint surface. I then immediately applied a thin coat of dark brown (Burnt Umber + a little Ultramarine Blue) over the fur areas. This effectively made the last layer the dark under fur. I then waited for that layer to dry before painting fur texture over the top again (as previous page) this created another layer of fur and therefore more depth.

Step 10

The fur texture left looked great but the colour was too light so I once again applied a very thin layer of Liquin then painted on a more realistic colour, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna Mix.

Step 11

The image above shows the finished painting, here I have applied another glazing layer of paint to get a richer colour.I hope you have enjoyed the demo of this dramatic Oil Study.

About Kari Tirrell

A self-taught artist, Kari Tirrell spent her formative years drawing animals and people.  Both subjects continue to factor largely in her work today.  She paints predominantly with soft pastels and has a great love for realism.  “People often comment that my paintings look like photos, but I’m not aiming for photorealism.  I try to make whatever I’m painting look like a painting, but still appear to be real.”

Kari Tirrell relocated from California to the Pacific Northwest in 1992.  She is a member of the Northwest Pastel Society, Pastel Society of the West Coast, Peninsula Art League, and is a juried member of EBSQ Self Representing Artists.  Tirrell has won numerous awards, and her work has been purchased by private collectors around the globe.

Please follow this link to visit Kari’s Website

A Pastel Painting From Start to Finish

(Click Thumbnail Images For Larger Views)

I am using a picture of my dog for this demonstration. First, I cut a piece of suede matboard to the desired size (in this case, 10″ x 20″). I always tape the matboard to a stiff piece of cardboard so I can move it easily without touching the matboard while I paint.

Next, I print a good quality picture of the reference on photo paper, then tape it above my matboard. I’ll be showing you pictures that include the reference because it is key to my process to see both the painting and the reference at the same time. I often walk away to take a look at the painting from a distance to check my values and the accuracy of my drawing.

Now I’m ready to paint.

First, I pick out two pastels: a light and medium value.  Starting with the light, I rough in the areas where the highlights are in the reference photo.  When I feel I have the lights reasonably correct, I take the medium value and do a loose drawing using the lights as a guide.

Now I pull out a couple of pastel pencils and define the drawing a bit better.

Next I block in the background above the dog.

I then take a few pastels in different values and scribble in the direction of the fur.  Basically I’m just working on my drawing right now.

I decide the drawing is accurate enough at this point, so I block in the first layer on the collar.  Then I start working in a darker value pastel.

Now that my drawing is relatively accurate and I know where my dark areas need to be, I take a medium-light pastel and go over most of the dog.  I want to make sure there is a base of pastel all over the fur area.  I use a very light touch on some areas so I don’t lose my drawing.  Then I lightly rub a finger over the whole thing to blend it.

Next I’m going to do a little glazing with pastel pencils.  I want to add an orange tone to some areas.  I turn the painting on its side and lightly rub the side of the pencil tip in the areas I want to tone.  Sometimes I do this with pastels, sometimes with pencils, depending on how much color I want to add.  I usually have a lighter touch with pencils.  I work a bit around her eye, over her nose and paw.  Then I rub over those areas with a finger, working the pastel into the matboard.

Next I work on correcting the shape of the ear and adding some definition to it.  I use a combination of pastels and pencils, layering to make it look like an ear.  I also go back over the dog with more pastels, making marks in the direction the fur is growing.

I push the values a bit more.

I decide I need a more yellow tone to the fur, so I pull out the appropriate color and add it.

I smooth that out with my finger, then work on adjusting my values again.  At this point, I’m almost finished with the dog.  I flip the painting upside down because I’m going to scrub a bit on the background and I don’t want the background color pastel falling into the fur.  I reapply the original color.  Then I take the same color the next value darker and paint around the edges.  I take a paintbrush and scrub the pastel in a round motion, blending the colors together.

Next I paint in the carpet.  Then I paint the light areas on the dog.  I just want to add the suggestion of fur.  I don’t want to draw in every little dog hair and overwork the painting.

Now I pull out my Terry Ludwig dark pastels (love them!) and paint in the dark areas.

Then I sharpen a dark umber pastel pencil and use it to blend the dark pastel into the lighter areas.  Since I want it to look like fur, I drag the pencil in the direction the fur should be going.

This next step is not for the squeamish.  Use it at your own risk!  I pull out the vacuum.  Holding the nozzle about an inch away from the painting, I wave the nozzle over the entire painting.  This pulls up all the loose dust, and little hairs and fibers that fall on the painting.  (I also use the vacuum to remove pastel when necessary.  It works well with suede matboard, but I don’t know that I’d have the guts to try it with any other support.)

At this point, I look over the painting to make sure nothing needs fixing.  I decide it’s good enough and sign it.

Finished!