I think horses are the hardest animal to draw or paint. They have many nuances that make them very distinctive and elegant. So when my wife saw that Colorado Horse Rescue offered a workshop on painting horses, I had to go. The class catered to all ages and levels of ability, and was structured in a way that everyone got something out of the workshop. I would have like a bit more anatomy, but the instructor was very good at drawing and simplifying the forms. here.
The later portion of the class was putting into practice what we learned by painting a horse. I chose to paint our miniature horse Lucky. I prefer more of a water media, I think my acrylic painting turned. You can find out more about Colorado Horse RescueCategory Archives: Fine Art
Rhinoceros Studies-Indian Ink on Paper
Drawing is both an artist expression and a way to understand and study the subject of the art. In this case, using some photos I took at some various zoos, I did studies of two species of rhinoceros. The head studies of the black rhino really helped me get proportions and details correct with each attempt. I usually do these sketches in pencil or pen, but here I use washes of Indian ink on paper. here. And the Black rhino head study can be purchased here.
This is a slower process, but the result was very satisfying. Colored versions of the Greater One-horned rhino and baby can be purchasedOrnate Hawk-eagle-Acrylic on Paper
The Ornate hawk-eagle is one of my favorite birds of prey. They can be found in southern Mexico and into central and south America. This particular bird has been on my list to paint for some time.
I took some reference photos of the Ornate hawk-eagle at the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise ID. I used India ink, acrylic washes and some metallic acrylic paint on paper to create this illustration. This will not be my last illustration of this subject.Barred Owl in Flight – Acrylic and India Ink on Paper
It has been a while since I’ve pulled out the paints and brushes. It takes a bit of time to get the feeling of the brush and control of ink and paint. Which is why you see two versions of this painting. The goal was to create an artwork to celebrate a volunteer who has been with HawkQuest Inc. for twenty years. This piece was also a chance to memorialize one of their animal ambassadors who passed away this year. A very sweet little Barred owl named Shakespear. You can learn more about HawkQuest here.
These are some of my first wildlife work to use some metallic paints. This provides some nice highlights and luster to the originals that can’t be easily reproduced in prints.
A Cat’s Perspective – Indian Ink and Acrylic on Paper
This painting of a quirky cat is a donation to Devine Feline for their silent auction. You can learn more about Devine Feline here. I hope it fetches a nice donation for the organization. This piece is painted on handmade paper with Indian ink and diluted acrylic washed.
Female Kestrel – Acrylic on Handmade Paper
This painting of a female American Kestrel, the smallest falcon we have in North America, is “puffed up” on a cold winter morning. This painting is my annual contribution to the HawkQuest holiday party. HawkQuest a wonderful environmental education outreach organization based in Parker, Colorado. A nonprofit with 35 non-releasable birds-of-prey which are used to educate the public about the role of raptors in the ecosystem and environmental stewardship. I’ve been a volunteer with HawkQuest for fifteen years now, and every year one of my paintings becomes a gift to a lucky volunteer. HawkQuest’s female kestrel is named Melody, the Kanji on the right says “Cold Melody”.
Closer Look (Pacific Parrotlet) – iPad Illustration
In the forests of Ecuador a curious Pacific Parrotlet comes closer to investigate. The second smallest species of parrots in the world. Actually this is a painting of our eleven year old parrotlet “Beaker”. I wanted to imagine him in a more wild setting. This artwork was created on the iPad using the Sketchbook Pro app. If you like this piece, prints are available for purchase by clicking here. You can watch me paint this piece in the time-lapse video below.
Closer Look (Pacific Parrotlet) created on the iPad from Raymond Cassel on Vimeo.