Friday, March 9, 2012

Turk

We walked down to the farm yesterday, and Turk, the Belgian draft horse, was in a calm mood. He had eaten his morning hay, and stood quietly at the edge of the paddock with the other draft horses, looking across the pond.

He still has a thick winter coat, and like all the animals on the farm, appreciates a good brushing this time of year.

For this impromptu portrait, I used watercolor pencils, black and clear water brushes, and a little gouache in a watercolor sketchbook.

12 comments:

The Art of Kim Kincaid said...

One of your best sketches. Wonderful. I want to feel those whiskers.

ghpacific said...

A wonderful continuation of the horses found in the Chauvet cave drawings and then later in Marc Chagall's work. Shows me that nature is and always has been the real instructor.

Tom Hart said...

This is primo work James. I agree with Turk.

And, by the way, for my money there are few animals more majestic than the draft horse.

Tom Hart said...

I just bought my firs set of Niji water brushes (2 medium and 1 fine). I'd had another brand and it was far inferior, so I'll offer this advice to anyone looking for water brushes: these are worth the price. Beware of imitations!

Studio at the Farm said...

Wonderful sketch, James. I can almost see, feel and taste all that shedded hair floating around.

JonInFrance said...

Lovely - and you've given him (?) personality!

renate said...

Hello James. Beautiful sketch! Lucky you with those lovely horses en living in such a beautiful place!!

Angela said...

Great sketch. So fluffy!

I assume by blank water brush you mean filled with ink? Do you fill them with sumi or something else? I might have a different brand of water brush, but it keeps dripping. Do I just need to get a better brand or is there a way I should store the water brush pen to keep it from tending to drip?

Tom Hart said...

Angela -
Per my earlier comment, I bet you don't have a Niji brush. I had a differnt (cheaper) brand initially, and the difference is night and day. The first brushes I got dripped like yours, but the Niji has a tight fit and a secure cap.

Janet Oliver said...

Very nice! Love it.

Gloria Callahan, CPSA said...

Curious how you use your gauche when you work sketching, do you touch it up later with the tube stufff. Or do you work with it in a pen form/or in a niji? I wish there was a gauche brush pen, it would make taking it along easier.

James Gurney said...

Thanks, everybody.

Gloria, I usually bring a tube of gouache with me when I go sketching, and generally use it to fix things I didn't get right with watercolor alone.