Hawk Drawing underway
“Rock/Candy”, my two-person show with colleague Kendra Bidwell-Ferreira, came down on March 31st. It was a very colorful and fun exhibit, and I’m a little wistful to have it in the past. But I have been working hard all along on this new drawing, pictured above in a very initial stage. This is quite a large drawing compared to the sizes I have been working on in the past couple of years (it’s about 22″ x 28″) and I thought it would help me to start out with the hawk’s head staring out at me, inviting (or taunting ?) me to keep working on it.
This initial photo shows the head, as well as some tree trunks in the distance that I quickly sketched in with Caran D’Ache Watercolor Pencils. I did this to help me to define the parameters of the composition. The hawk has a squirrel in it’s talons, and I’ve placed it atop a snow-covered wood pile, with some tree trunks and foliage in the background. I’m working from photographs taken in my yard, and some of you may recognize the hawk and squirrel photograph from my blog pages “Scenes from my birdfeeder #2″. However, I wanted a more interesting setting and chose to place the hawk on snow-covered wood, similar to the setting of “Winter Throne”.
The photos below depict the development of the hawk’s tail. In some parts of drawings I first execute layers of Caran D’Ache Watercolor pencils to help establish background layering and depth of color (usually in the darker areas). (Please excuse the re-appearance of the hawk head photo. I can’t seem to delete it without deleting it from above as well!)
The photo on the far left shows the tail with the initial layering of dry Caran D’Ache Watercolor pencils. The photo in the middle shows the same area now blended with a wet brush. This step aids in the build-up of color and provides me with a “road map”, so to speak, of how I want to develop the area. The third photo shows the tail nearing completion. I’ve also started to develop the squirrel’s body, and have been working the three areas (hawk, squirrel and surrounding snow) simultaneously, as there are so many blurred borders between them. It was a challenge to take on, but I’m nearing completion of this area and will be posting an update next week. Then it’s on to the wood pile. . .
Thanks for reading, and happy spring! ~Debbi
The photos don’t do this piece justice. I have seen it in person and Debbi has done such a wonderful job rendering the hawk’s feathers. She has such a beautiful, soft technique with the pencils. It’s going to be a beauty for sure!
Comment by Kendra — Friday, April 8, 2011 @ 10:23 pm
not nice
Comment by gigi the squirrel — Saturday, April 9, 2011 @ 9:41 am
Wow thank you Kendra. I appreciate your comment.
Gigi, life is tough when you’re a squirrel. It’s a hawk eat squirrel world out there.
Comment by Debbi — Sunday, April 10, 2011 @ 8:07 pm
Debbi, This is a superb piece, and true to life, and I’m watching for updates on it. In my book, hawks are amazing, and they have to eat too,(even if they take advantage of my birdfeeder flock, which has happened).
Comment by Anita Sams — Monday, April 11, 2011 @ 6:13 pm
Thank you Anita! I find it more disturbing to find a hawk dining on the feeder birds than squirrels, which I know it not at all right. The way I look at it, we have a glut of squirrels and chipmunks – take ‘em away!
Comment by Debbi — Monday, April 11, 2011 @ 8:31 pm
Hi Debbi — the soft textures you’ve achieved on the feathers is beautiful, and I like seeing the step-by-step on this one. Congrats to you and Kendra on your show: sure wish I could have been there!
Comment by Lynda Schumacher — Tuesday, April 12, 2011 @ 8:08 am
Oh we missed you as well Lynda. Thanks for the feedback. I’m enjoying working on this one so much. Maybe because the hawk is so much bigger than any bird I’ve drawn in the past? It was easier to work on, and the wood pile is coming along well also. I’ll probably regret all the snow/background after a couple of days/weeks/months?!?!!? and go snowblind drawing it! If that happens, does it mean I drew more effective snow? lol
Comment by Debbi — Tuesday, April 12, 2011 @ 11:46 am