Goshawk in progress

The drawing I’m currently working on is this Northern Goshawk, something that I’ve been requested to draw for a commission. The recipient is an expert on the species, so I need to make sure it’s anatomically as accurate as I … Read more

Hawfinch

The Hawfinch is one of my favourite local birds so it was a nice surprise, whilst finishing up on the previous drawing, to be asked if I’d consider drawing a Hawfinch for someone. The Forest of Dean is something of … Read more

African Elephants

This was my first piece that that featured more than one subject. I like to keep the work as clean as possible, usually with the main subject being the only subject. However, I did want to draw something that involved … Read more

Indian Rhinoceros

This was the first piece I worked on that I did from a reference photograph that wasn’t my own. I’d been asked if I could draw a rhino, but I’d never photographed one before. That’s something that will hopefully change … Read more

Spectacled Caiman complete

I really enjoyed working on the Spectacled Caiman, and was quite pleased with the result. I sometimes think I’ll never be more than “quite pleased” with my drawings and my photography, as I’m always aware that there’s plenty of scope … Read more

Spectacled Caiman

The next piece I started on was this Spectacled Caiman. I photographed it on the banks of the Frío River at the Costa Rican and Nicaraguan border. If I was the kind of artist who was able to draw my … Read more

Elephant and my first sale!

This drawing was based on a photograph I took in Udawalawe, Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan sub-species is the largest of the Asian elephants. Only 7% of the males have tusks, so it was nice to come across this individual, … Read more

Incomplete Otter

This drawing was started but never finished. It hasn’t been sprayed with fixative yet, so it may one day be finished. I’ve started to lose count of the number of British counties in which I’ve seen otters, which is a … Read more

Sri Lankan Leopard

This leopard was the first of a number seen on last year’s trip to Sri Lanka. It was in Wilpattu towards the north of the island. We found it relaxing in the shade of some trees, but it soon emerged … Read more

How it all started (again)

Around four years later, I decided to pick up a pencil again. The subject this time was a Common Green Forest Lizard (Calotes calotes), which is found in India and Sri Lanka. I’d taken the reference photograph in the Sinharaja … Read more

…and then ended

No more than four or five drawings later, including this Meadow Pipit, I’d thrown in the towel. I wasn’t happy with what I was capable of, and wasn’t really prepared to invest the time and patience it would take to … Read more