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I sketch in watercolours and pencil, then work up the sketches
in acrylic back in the studio. I prefer to choose one or two
species per sketching session so I build up knowledge of the
subject and sketch plenty of different poses. The sketchbook
page may also show habitat, colour notes and perhaps written
notes about anything that seems relevant or amusing at the
time. Sometimes I take a few photos for extra reference, though
my paintings are never just copies of a photo.
I'm
often asked what equipment I take out with me, so here's
a quick run down:
To get
a better view of my subjects I use fantastic Swarovski
optics: 8.5x 42EL binoculars and an ATS80HD telescope with
a 20-60 zoom eyepiece. Astoundingly good optics that I delight
in using, whether or not I'm sketching. The angled eyepiece
on the 'scope means I only have to move my gaze a fraction
to focus on either my subject or my sketch. My old 'scope
had a straight through eyepiece but I've recently swapped
and now wish I'd made the switch years ago!
My rucksack
contains sketchbook, pencils (3B-9B), oil and soft pastels,
compressed charcoal and watercolours. The sketchbook is
a hardback A4 with smooth but thick paper, heavy enough
to take a watercolour wash without cockling. Watercolours
are a mixture of makes, all artists' quality half pans.
I carry a number of brushes, making sure there's a good
selection of size and shape. I'm starting to work larger
(A2) in the field, hence experimenting with charcoal and
pastels. Arboreta cartridge is my preferred paper: the off-white
colour has less glare in bright light than pure white.
And
no sketching session would be complete without a flask of
coffee and some emergency chocolate. It's amazing how often
an emergency can occur!
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