42 artistMarch 2021 http://www.painters-online.co.uk?????????
PRACTICE SKETCH
Now it is time for you to try your hand at painting animals. After observing a dog or cat
and doing some reference sketches, take a piece of 8 3 10in (20.5 3 25.5cm) paper and
sketch the animal, focusing
on capturing the shape
or silhouette in action or
sitting. Do a page of quick
movements and poses similar
to the cat example right.
Next, using what you learned
from the practice exercise,
do a fast sketch painting
of a cityscape with at least
one or two people walking
dogs. Focus on the shapes,
not the detail. Try to capture
the people and animals
mid-stride in order to show
movement and action.drawings from my sketchbook to
practise, pushing and pulling the
shapes to understand how the animal
would move through space. I typically
work in warm or cool greys, at this stage,
keeping my work simple and fluid. I
paint the animal repeatedly, trying out
a variety of movement and poses.
While I work on capturing the shapes,
I also think about how to include the
animal in an appropriate scene. It
makes sense to see a dog on a leash
or standing in the river with his fishing
human.
Once, when I was doing a painting
demonstration of a cityscape, I asked
the audience to give me three different
elements to add at the end, in order
to enhance the story and add visual
interest. Someone said ‘Cat!’ While the
idea of a cat walking down the middle
of a city street seemed funny at the
time, I added it and, for the most part,
it worked. Context matters, however. I
paint a lot of sailboats. While a chicken
on a sailboat isn’t impossible to see, it
is unlikely!
Once I have practised the shapes and
have a good understanding of how to
represent the intended animal, in a
context-relevant scene, I am ready to
incorporate all the elements such as
people, geological shapes, structures,
and human-made objects in order to
tell a rich story.
In the same way animals can add joy,
beauty and whimsy to our lives, they
can also bring those emotions to our
paintings. When I look at the sketch
I did on the day of Sadie’s surgery,
I remember my feelings of fear andp Urban Escape, watercolour on paper, 14 3 22in (35.5 3 56cm)
Cat sketchesp Happy Hour at the Dog Park, watercolour
on paper, 10 3 14in (25.5 3 35.5cm)Sketchbook