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.
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12 comments:

  1. The Art of Kim KincaidMarch 9, 2012 at 10:27 AM

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

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  2. ghpacificMarch 9, 2012 at 11:22 AM

    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.

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  3. Tom HartMarch 9, 2012 at 11:48 AM

    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.

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  4. Tom HartMarch 9, 2012 at 11:52 AM

    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!

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  5. Studio at the FarmMarch 9, 2012 at 12:52 PM

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

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  6. JonInFranceMarch 9, 2012 at 1:49 PM

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

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  7. renateMarch 9, 2012 at 3:40 PM

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

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  8. AngelaMarch 9, 2012 at 3:45 PM

    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?

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  9. Tom HartMarch 9, 2012 at 3:54 PM

    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.

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  10. Janet OliverMarch 9, 2012 at 7:43 PM

    Very nice! Love it.

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  11. Gloria Callahan, CPSAMarch 12, 2012 at 12:40 PM

    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.

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  12. James GurneyMarch 12, 2012 at 12:58 PM

    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.

    ReplyDelete

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