 Life
as a wildlife artist
I’d
love to be able to draw and paint wildlife. How do I get started?
Being able to express the beauty of wildlife and communicating through
art is very rewarding. An understanding of anatomy will help you
get the proportions and muscle tone right. I firmly believe in drawing
skills as a basis for creativity. Don’t be put off if it doesn’t
come as easily as you’d like – as I’ve said in a
blog post, everyone
can learn to draw. Try joining your local art group so you can
learn from others by sharing ideas or drawing and painting techniques.
Take some classes and above all, practise, practise, practise.
But
how can I draw something that’s always moving?
Firstly find a place where there are plenty of subjects such as
a local duck pond, zoo or wildlife park. I usually choose one species
per sketching session so I build up knowledge of that subject. I
start by looking carefully and seeing how much I can notice about
my subject: the angle of the back, length of bill, proportions of
head compared to body… Next I start sketching parts of a bird
such as the head or a foot, again building up knowledge. Finally
I’ll start a sketch of the whole bird. As soon as it moves
I’ll start a second sketch, then a third. Eventually it will
return to an earlier pose and I can add to that sketch. If you choose
a venue where plenty of the same species are present, other individuals
may well stand in similar positions so even if your first subject
moves you can still continue drawing.
I’m
a keen amateur and want to turn professional. What advice can you
give?
Firstly it’s important to be realistic about what a career
as a wildlife artist entails. Painting wildlife often makes up a
fairly small proportion of your day. You need to be photographer,
writer, marketer, designer, accountant, administrator, researcher…
It’s a business like any other.
Assuming you’re happy to do all that, I’d recommend testing
the water, so to speak. Try selling your artwork via local galleries
and see what the impartial reaction is from the art-buying market,
not just from supportive friends or family. Start to build a client
list and a track record. It’s better to turn professional in
response to the demand for your artwork than in the hope you can
create demand later. In the present ecomonic climate it’s harder
to sell original art than it was just a few years ago, so be prepared
to diversify, perhaps into illustration or teaching.
What’s
the best medium for painting wildlife?
It really depends what effect you want to create. Pencils and watercolours
are perfect for sketching and field work simply because they’re
so portable. Pencil can also be great for the detail – just
look at the work of Gary
Hodges or Clive
Meredith. Watercolours are ideal to capture the textures you
find in nature such as the softness of fur and feather. Acrylics
are versatile, vibrant and robust – great for expressive mark
making. They dry quickly and you can paint over the underlying layers
as your painting progresses. They are thick enough to give texture
but can also be thinned down for glazes. Oils are similar to acrylics
but slower to dry so you need more patience. But if you’re
a wildlife artist, you’ll already have patience in abundance!
What
are the hallmarks of great wildlife art?
‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ as they say, so
what’s great art for one person may leave another one cold.
However, personally I think great wildlife art has to be true to
nature. I’m not advocating photo-realism but whatever the style
of the painting I want it to be believeable – appropriate habitat,
an understanding of anatomy, and a sense that the artist experienced
what they are aiming to portray. I hate to see fur that looks as
if it’s just been blow-dried – in the wild, animals get
dirty! I don’t want to see thinly disguised copies of other
artists’ work but rather a genuine response by an individual
to their subject. My favourite wildlife paintings either show me
something new about the subject or make me feel “I wish I’d
seen that”.
What
art materials and products would you recommend for wildlife artists?
You can see a selection of my favourite art materials and books
on my recommendations
page. Wildlife artists often brave the outdoors on field sketching
trips in some pretty inhospitable places, so as well as the artist's
usual array of art materials I've also suggested good optical equipment,
cold weather gear, etc.
About the website
Can I buy
your artwork online?
My work is for sale (originals, limited edition prints, greetings
cards and puzzles) on this website via my online
wildlife art shop. If it’s sold it will have a red spot
 next to it.
Otherwise to purchase via PayPal or credit card you can click on
the green ‘Shop’ icon  .
If you’d rather pay by cheque just contact me direct.
Is
buying online via your website secure?
Yes,
the payment part of this site is via PayPal, which enables you to
pay online without entering sensitive financial information.
More
about PayPal
How
quickly can I get the artwork after I’ve paid?
I’ll usually be able to ship the item as soon as I receive
payment. Delays can occur if I’m at an event so physically
not in the studio, in which case I’ll let you know and ship
at the first opportunity. If the artwork is at an exhibition you
may need to wait until the exhibition is over, or until I can get
it back. I mark on my website if the painting is being exhibited
so that buyers are pre-warned. I’ll always advise you of any
delay and the likely delivery time.
I’m
concerned about the painting being damaged in transit. How is delivery
arranged?
Unframed limited edition prints are packed in protective tissue
paper and cardboard, and sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery. I
prefer to deliver framed prints and originals personally so if you’re
in the mainland UK I’ll try to arrange to meet and hand over
in person. If that’s not possible the painting is well-wrapped
and sent by courier.
Is
there a shipping cost?
See the relevant page on my website to see if shipping is included.
Greetings cards and puzzles have postage and packing included. There’s
a £5 shipping cost for unframed prints and the cost of delivering
framed prints and originals varies according to size and location
– please contact me for details.
 Talks,
workshops and art classes
What talks
and workshops are available?
You can see a list of usual topics with a brief summary of each
on my Talks and Workshops page, or download
a brochure. Although I'm predominantly a wildlife artist, I
am happy to teach on a variety of subjects and media. You can choose
half day, whole day or evening classes. My range of talks and workshops
can be as interactive as you like, from an illustrated slide presentation
to teaching an art class.
Back
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Can
I see a video of your illustrated talks?
Yes, here's a short preview
of my 'Focus on the Falklands' talk. Sorry,
it's a bit dark because the lights were down for people to see
the slides, but it will give you an idea of my presentation style
and what to expect if you book me for a talk.
Can
you customise a talk for my art group or wildlife society?
I can easily tailor a class or a talk to a group’s needs or
abilities, even where there are different abilities within the group.
Audiences have ranged from RSPB groups to WIs to art clubs to Egyptology
societies, and everything in between!
How
far will you travel to do a wildlife art talk?
Generally I work within Gloucestershire and the neighbouring counties.
However I’m quite prepared to travel further afield, particularly
if it can be arranged to coincide with another event. I’m often
in London so talks can easily be arranged there.
Do
you teach individuals?
Sometimes – that depends on my schedule at the time, and not
if it would conflict with time I’d allocated to illustrating
or preparing for an exhibition. I sometimes teach individuals to
improve their drawing and painting skills but I don’t coach
students to pass exams.
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