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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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