This was one of my favourite sketching mornings last year, so I did it again, going down and just sitting amongst the geese, ducks and other water birds at the dam. They all get agitated and scramble into the water at first, then forget about you and amble back out and get back to their business. Today it was just a bit of preening, then lots of sleeping - obviously I caught them 
at nap time. There was a Sacred Ibis, two little Mallard hens and a white faced coot and her hungry chick, none of which I've seen there before. The ibis kept his distance, but the little coot with her huge feet was quite sure I could help her out with some bread for her noisy child. I sketched first with a fat 'Furby' pencil, which was a bit too fat, then with the Pentel brush pen and added watercolour here and there.
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15 comments:
I so admire anyone who can sketch/paint "critters"! About the time I start to draw...they up and move!
What a lovely way to spend a morning - I think I may have to put this into my idea book and give it a go!
Love the gestures you've captured - the essence of "bird!"
I love how quickly you capture them and the loose but very real look about them.
Great captures. Like Teresa I admire anyone who even tries to capture birds or animals in paint in real life I can't even manage with a pen. Yours are fabulous!
I just LOVE these bird sketches Cathy! The duck is so typical in her snooze! Great work!
Teresa, they do move - its a great exercise to make yourself draw fast and loose (and luckily one duck looks much like another duck if your first one flies off!)
Laure, thank you, and for visiting... you are good to keep an ideas book - mine are scattered far and wide - and often forgotten!
Thanks Helen, Sue and Maree!
You work with freedom and speed with such successful results. A lesson in sketching to us all.
Adore the party painting - a collection of free style portraits to die for. Wish I was near you to let some of that talent rub off.
Very impressive! Your sketches are full of life (even when they sleep ;-))
I so admire you, sitting in the middle of geese and ducks! I know it's stupid, but they scare me!!!
Quack quack... I can hear them, and I love the flashes of malachite green.
The party sketch is divine... reminds me we must arrange to collect MY special pic. from you. Put a halo on your head! It's perfection.Lots of love.
Oh Cathy this is just amazing - the way you capture nature all around you - and in Joeys nogal!
Ah, birds! I can feel the joy YOU felt as you sketched these creatures. I particularly like the circular composition in your two groupings---it's very, very pleasing somehow.
These are lovely, Cath. I'm already very fond of the white face coot!! You may inspire me to get out and sketch the ducks in our area. Soon there'll be the usual moms + frantic line of ducklings trying to keep up. I heard the blip blip bleeeeeeep of a red cardinal this morning. Spring is not far off for us here in Texas. And one little bird has already claimed the birdhouse hanging in the live oak.
P.S. I meant to say too - I'm so glad there was a hadeda amongst the feathered friends! (I posted a comment on your Laugh Lunch but it hasn't come up? I guess I'll wait a few hours and see if the system is just slow... before I try and repost what I said, which involves - remembering! Too early in the morning here for that!)
I love to sksetch birds too. You caught the various poses of them. Enjoyed.
Hi Cathy, Love your dam birds! (the post title made me laugh)
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